PROVEN LONG LIFE, COST-EFFECTIVE, BEARING SOLUTIONSFOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

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Todays Maintenance Engineers and Plant Supervisors are facing new challenges as the continuousimprovement philosophy is embracedby an ever increasing number of

industries. The status quo is no longeracceptable. Maintenance solutions that

improve reliability, reduce life cycle costs,improve performance and minimize

environmental impacts are being demanded. Whenperformance improvements in plain journal bearings andwear pads are required....consider Thordon bearings.

Thordon bearing solutions have proven their value and performance in many industrial applications over theyears. Utilizing Thordon, an advanced polymer alloy as thebearing wear surface, Thordon bearing systems provideincreased life and reliability, particularly in dirty, abrasiveoperating conditions.

Grease can often be eliminated due to Thordons lowinherent coefficient of friction and self-lubricating properties.Elastomeric in nature, Thordon bearings outperform metallicand less resilient, non-metallic bearings under shock loadingconditions; Thordon bearings will not pound out or split.Many engineers also report a significant reduction in noiselevels after installing Thordon bearings.

Thordon sales engineers also specify a range of Thor-Flexelastomeric polymer products in non-bearing applicationssuch as sheave liners and scraper paddles. Available in a widerange of properties and hardnesses, Thor-Flex components are produced by a subsidiary of Thordon Bearings.

For Maintenance Engineers and Plant Supervisors whodemand the best in performance, value and service, Thordonindustrial bearing systems are the proven reliable solution.

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The Recognized Choice For Improved Performance

Thordon Bearings Offer

Proven User Benefits

Self-Lubricating

Long Life

High Resilience/

Impact Resistance

Low Operating

Friction

High Abrasion

Resistance

Easily Machined and

Installed

Corrosion Resistance

Accommodates

Edge Loading

Pollution-Free

Noise Reduction

Self-Lubricating: Thordon bearing systems usually do not require grease lubrication because of Thordonslow inherent coefficient of friction and self-lubricatingproperties. As a result, maintenance costs are reduced and the safety, environmental and product contaminationconcerns associated with grease lubrication are eliminated.Thordons self-lubricating additives are part of the homoge-neous polymer structure and not just present at the wearsurface. The result is a continuous transfer film and consistentperformance as wear occurs.

Long Life: Based on over 25 years experience supplyingbearings to industry, Thordon bearings have been proven toprovide longer life than the bearings they replace. Longer lifein any one specific application may be a result of Thordonslow friction, superior abrasion resistance, high resilience andimpact resistance or a combination of several of theabove.The end result, however, is the same... improvedreliability and reduced life cycle costs.

High Resilience/Impact Resistance: The modulus ofresilience of elastomeric Thordon bearings is up to twentytimes greater than bronze, and several times greater thanmost non-metallic bearings. Thordon bearings absorb impactmaking them more resistant to damage from shock loadingor intermittent vibration than stiffer bearings.

The Modulus of Resilience of a material is the area under theelastic portion of the stress/strain curve. This graph illustrates why a high tensile strength material has a much lower resilience (R1),than a lower tensile strength material with higher resilience (R2).

Higher tensile strength

R1

R2

Strain

Stre

ss

Impact Resistance Comparison

Resilience ComparisonYield Modulus of Modulus of

Material Stress Elasticity Resiliencepsi MPa psi MPa psi MPa

Thordon SXL 3,500 24.1 88203.5 608.0 306.0 2.11

Bronze C93200 20,000 138.0 14.5 x106 100 x103 13.8 0.10

Low Operating Friction: Thordon bearings exhibit lowstatic and dynamic coefficients of friction compared to othermaterials commonly used for industrial bearings. This is thecase whether the bearing is operating dry or submerged inliquid. A low bearing coefficient of friction is essential inminimizing adhesive bearing wear and providing smoothstick-slip free start-up and operation.

High Abrasion Resistance: Thordons superior wear lifewhen operating in abrasives is the direct result of itselastomeric nature. Thordon rejects abrasive particles allowingthem to pass through the running clearance between theshaft and the bearing without becoming embedded.

Easily Machined and Installed: Thordon bearings canbe easily machined with simple machine tools at the factoryor in the field. Thordon contains no asbestos or otherhazardous materials, machines cleanly and is free of nuisancedust. After machining, Thordon bearings can be press fit into place; installed quickly and easily by freeze fitting or bondedin place using a Thordon approved adhesive.

Corrosion Resistance: Thordon bearings offer superiorcorrosion resistance compared to metallic bearings. Aninsulator, Thordon will not participate in a galvanic reaction.

Accommodates Edge Loading: Edge loading conditionsoften occur as a result of minor misalignment or shaftdeflection. Thordon, due to its elastomeric nature, deflectsslightly, effectively spreading the load. The localized bearingpressure is reduced as a result, and wiping of the bearing,which can occur under these conditions, is eliminated.

Pollution-Free: In many applications Thordon bearings donot require grease or other lubricants to lower the coefficientof friction or reduce the wear rate of the bearing. All risk ofpollution from grease or other lubricants is eliminated.

Noise Reduction: A quieter workplace can be one of theadded bonuses of specifying Thordon bearings. Thordonbearings tend to dampen and reduce operating noisecompared to metallic bearings which can transmit, andeven amplify, noise.

Thordon Bearings Offer Proven User Benefits

THORDON SXLTYPICAL NON-METALLICBRONZE

CONTACT LENGTH

CIRC

UMFE

RENT

IAL

CONT

ACT

Lower tensile strength

ApplicationsPumps: Thordon pump bearings are recognized as theproven choice for value and performance for both OEM and Maintenance pumped-medium lubricated bearingapplications. The optimum bearing for any specific application can be selected from three bearing grades intwo configurations. A separate brochure fully outlining theperformance benefits and application of Thordon pumpbearings is available.

Screw Conveyors: Thordon is widely used for screwconveyor bearings in waste water, sewage and sludgeapplications; waste recycling and composting facilities;the mining industry; grain handling and many otherindustries. Thordons high resistance to abrasive wear, highimpact resistance, low coefficient of friction and excellent self-lubricating qualities make it an ideal choice for either dry or wet operation in these difficult applications. An addedbenefit is the significant reduction in noise when metallicbushings are replaced with elastomeric Thordon. Availablein a range of sizes, Thordon inserts are stocked in both circularand flat-top configurations.

Wire Rope Sheaves and Liners: Maintenance free operation and long life are two of the main benefits ofspecifying Thordon bearings in wire rope sheaves. In addition,Thordon can offer a complete rebuild solution by supplyingwear resistant Thorflex sheave liners.

Hydro-Turbines: Reliability, long life and superior customerservice have made Thordon Bearings the standard with many hydro-electric power producers for pollution-free,low friction bearing systems. Thordon is the bearing of choice when specifying operating mechanism bearings, water lubricated turbine main shaft guide bearings and pump bearings. A separate brochure fully outlining theperformance benefits and application of Thordon hydro-turbine bearings is available.

Sewage Treatment: Sewage treatment plants offer anumber of applications for Thordon bearings and wear padsdue to the wet, abrasive operating conditions encountered.In addition to pump applications Thordon bearings offer many performance advantages when specified in scraperblades; plow, rake or flight wear shoes; scum collectors; band and drum screens; aerators; dewatering presses;sprockets; grit retrieval systems and many other applications.Many cast iron sludge pumps have Thorflex coated checkballs and piston faces, greatly extending their service life.

Mining: Thordons high impact and abrasion resistancemakes it a natural bearing solution for the mining industry.Typical applications include off-highway truck suspension and loading equipment pivot bearings; drilling carriage rollerbearings; mine car rocker arm and wheel bearings andstacker/reclaimer pivot and roller bearings.

Pulp and Paper: In addition to pumps and conveyors,Thordon bearings perform extremely well in jack ladders, pulp and paper agitators and mixers, and many other stocklubricated applications where the temperature and pH arewithin Thordons working range. Maintenance intervals oftenincrease by two or three times after a conversion to Thordonresulting in significant savings and increased reliability.

Forest Industry: In general harvesting and processingoperations, Thordon bearings are typically specified inequipment pivot linkages and all types of conveyor shaftbearings where the combination of a dirty abrasiveenvironment and impact loading results in premature failureof metallic, or less resilient non-metallic bearings. Thordonwear strips offer improved life, reduced friction and grease-freeoperation when specified under conveyor chains, in sawcarriages and sorters, and in numerous other applications.

Automotive Manufacturing: Self-lubricating Thordonbearings offer increased wear life and reliability, eliminationof grease and oil lubrication, and reduced operating noisein automotive manufacturing applications such as presses, materials handling and assembly equipment.

Injection Molding: Self-lubricating, Thordon TRAXLbearings are replacing oil lubricated bronze and non-metallic,sliding block bearings on large automotive injection moldingmachines. All risk of oil contamination of the production partsis eliminated, and Thordons elastomeric nature allows itto deal with the misalignment and subsequent edgeloading that often causes premature bearing failurein these units.

Steel Industry: In addition to pumps, Thordon bearingsperform extremely well when specified as pivot bearings andwear strips in the many applications throughout the steel millthat are within Thordons temperature limit.

Other Industries: High resistance to abrasion and impactresistance, low friction, self-lubricating properties and easymachinability make Thordon a natural choice for maintenanceapplications in a wide variety of other industries includingbottling; food processing and canning; sugar harvesting and processing; and waste handling, construction andagricultural equipment.

Thordon SXL: The preferred choice for most industrial applications, SXL offers a low coefficient of friction, excellent resistance to abrasion and performs well ineither wet or dry environments. SXL bearings are available in a wide range ofstandard sizes in both ungrooved and grooved configurations.

Thordon Grades & Configurations

Thordon HPSXL: Thordon HPSXL, a harder, stiffer polymer compared to SXL,can be specified to higher design pressures and has a lower dry coefficient offriction than SXL. HPSXLs resistance to abrasion is less than that of SXL, but stillsignificantly better than bronze or other non-metallic bearings. HPSXL bearingscan be supplied in a wide range of standard sizes.

Thordon TRAXL: TRAXL refers to a special bearing configuration developed byThordon for high pressure applications with slow speed oscillating or full rotationmotion where frictional heat generation is minimal. A thin layer (0.045 (1.0 mm)to 0.090 (2.0 mm)) of SXL or HPSXL is polymerized into a bronze housingcreating a bearing design with a high shape factor able to withstand highoperating pressures, yet still offering all the advantages of Thordon as the bearingwear surface.

Thordon Wear Strips: Thordon SXL and HPSXL can be supplied in strip orsheet form, or molded to the exact requirements of the application. The stripscan be secured using molded inserts and conventional fasteners or bonded inplace using a Thordon approved adhesive.

Thor-Tape: Thordon SXL is also available as Thor-Tape, a product suppliedin a range of thicknesses up to 0.125" (3.2 mm) and widths up to 12" (300 mm).Wear strips can be easily fabricated in the field by cutting SXL Thor-Tape tothe required size and bonding it in place. Existing metallic bushings can bequickly converted to a grease free, low friction TRAXL design by boring, coldbonding Thor-Tape in place and machining the inside diameter. The maximumdesign pressures using this method are not as high as factory polymerized TRAXLbearings, but are within the working range of many applications.

General: In any bearing application it is critical that thefrictional heat generated is either absorbed and dissipated by the surrounding mechanisms or conducted away by a lubricant or coolant. For full rotation applications, PVT(Pressure, Velocity, Time) graphs have been developed to determine the suitability of a Thordon bearing for anapplication. These graphs and other technical information on recommended running clearances, sizing calculations,physical properties etc. are contained in the Thordon BearingsEngineering Manual.

Design Pressure: Guidelines for maximum recommendeddesign pressures for various Thordon bearing options arelisted below. In limited motion applications the frictional heat produced is easily dissipated over time and the criticalselection criteria is maximum design pressure. Maximumdesign pressures for full rotation bearings operating in fluids or with lubrication are higher. Please contact ThordonBearings for more information.

Lubrication: Most Thordon industrial bearing applicationsrun either dry, with no external lubrication, or wet wherethere is some lubrication, and quite often abrasion, fromthe medium the bearing is submerged in. Thordon bearingsystems designed for full rotation applications perform well

when it is feasible to supply water to the bearing to act as a lubricant and coolant. Thordon bearings can also belubricated with grease or oil, however, the resulting smallimprovements in performance are usually not consideredsufficient to offset the additional costs and environmentalissues involved.

Temperature Limits: The maximum temperature forThordon operating in a dry environment is 225F (105C).In the presence of water the maximum operating temperatureis 140F (60C). The minimum operating temperature ofThordon is -80F (-60C).

Chemical Resistance: Thordon is non-corrosive and can beused in a wide range of chemicals including oil, and mild acidor caustic solutions (pH 5-10).

Mating Surface: Most common mating surfaces willperform well in conjunction with a Thordon bearing. If shaftcorrosion is a concern, then a non-corrosive material such asstainless steel or bronze should be used in way of the bearing.This will prevent corrosion from ruining the surface finish ofthe shaft and damaging the bearing. The recommendedsurface finish of the shaft is 16 to 32 m-inches (0.4 to 0.8 m-metres) but surface finishes up to 63 m-inches (1.6 m-metres)will perform satisfactorily.

Grade Full Rotation Limited Motion Peak StaticMPa psi MPa psi MPa psi

SXL 1.7 250 6.9 1000HPSXL 2.0 300 8.6 1250SXL TRAXL 55.0 8000 70.0 10000HPSXL TRAXL 70.0 10000 87.5 12500SXL TRAXL (field bonded) 20.0 3000 27.5 4000HPSXL TRAXL (field bonded) 25.0 3750 34.0 4500SXL THOR-TAPE (field bonded) 13.5 2000 18.5 2700

Application and Design Information

Note: Thordon bearings have been successfully specified in many applications with pressures in excess of these recommended values. Please contact Thordon Bearings for further information.

Independent abrasive wear comparison tests conducted at University of Western Ontario.

Maximum Recommended Design Pressures Operating Dry

Typical Bearing Abrasive Wear Rates

SXL HPSXL Delrin Epoxy Phenolic

Material

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A member of the Thomson-Gordon Group3225 Mainway, Burlington, Ontario Canada L7M 1A6

Tel (905) 335-1440 Fax (905) 335-4033 Telex 061-8705E-mail info@thordonbearings.comTBIB 02/98/10000 MF Printed in Canada

ISO 9002;CGSBRegistration #93649

Your local Thordon Distributor:

Customer Focused To SupportYour Immediate and Future Needs

Supply and Service: Geared to provide quick response tocustomer needs, Thordon Bearings understands the importance ofquick delivery and reduced down time. Industrial bearing systemscan be designed, produced to the exact requirements of thecustomer and shipped quickly.

Distribution: With Thordon bearings specified all around theworld, an extensive distribution network has been establishedin over 50 countries. Inventories of common bearing sizes arestocked by local Thordon Distributors and are backed up by largeregional and head office Thordon stocks.

Application Engineering: Thordon Bearings in-house engineerswork closely with customers to provide innovative bearing systemdesigns that meet or exceed the technical requirements of the application.

Manufacturing: Thordons modern polymer processing facilityis staffed with experienced and dedicated employees. Bearings up to 70 (1.8 m) in diameter have been supplied and bearings

up to 48 (1.2 m) O.D. with lengths up to 216 (5.5 m) can bemachined in-house. A modern, fully equipped machine shop offersthe speed and precision required to meet the delivery demands ofour quality conscious customers.

Quality: Thordon Bearings Inc. is a Canadian companymanufacturing to ISO 9002 Quality System requirements. Work is currently underway to upgrade to ISO 9001 standards.With over 25 years experience in elastomeric bearing design,application engineering and manufacturing, Thordonindustrial bearings are recognized worldwide for both quality and performance.

Research and Development: Thordon bearings are beingcontinuously tested by our Bearing Test Facility. The Facilityevaluates new designs and applications before they are put intoservice. Ongoing testing not only allows for design refinements,but ensures quality and performance after installation.

Visit our web site at http://www.thordonbearings.com

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