Tech Talk Blog

Slide plate bearings provide support and a low coefficient of friction while allowing an object to move (or slide) freely along a supporting surface. They consist of an upper and lower component, and can be used in both guided and free-moving applications.

Slide bearings are engineered to fit anywhere there is the potential or threat of movement, such as bridges, oil pipelines, building footplates, tank farms and petro chemical applications.  For example, the Alaskan pipeline, at roughly 800 miles long, could be subjected to a mile of liquid flow movement(hysteresis) within the structure.  It requires a bearing designed to resist corrosion, temperature extremes and rugged terrain.

Fluorogold slide bearings easily tolerate thermal expansion and liquid flow movement, and hold up well in cold temperatures.  They also absorb vibration and impact, making them a preferred bearing material for use in earthquake zones.

Fluorogold can also be customized to meet exact design requirements and offers outstanding chemical and electrical properties.  They’ve also been tested for and proven resistant to radiation, where neither the bearing strength nor the epoxy bond were impacted by doses as high as 10⁶ rads.

Share your experience with slide bearings.