Consultative Engineering for Optimal Material Selection

In this blog post, we highlight TriStar’s application-focused, consultative engineering approach to finding the right plastic and composite bearing materials for each customer’s specific operating conditions.

For a broader look at bearings, bearings failure, and bearings materials, take a look at our Bearings 101 page here. Or keep reading to learn why choosing the right bearing material is a true engineering challenge—and why expert guidance matters.

Careful Component Selection Can Solve Engineering Problems

For fundamental mechanical components like bearings, bushings, and wear pads, material selection has a direct and measurable impact on system reliability. Options range from traditional greased metal bearings to advanced self-lubricating polymers and composite materials.

Even within a single category—such as polymer bearings—material formulations, fillers, reinforcements, and manufacturing methods can vary dramatically. These differences affect:

• Wear life and friction behavior
• Load capacity and deformation under stress
• Resistance to chemicals, moisture, or contamination
• Noise, vibration, and thermal performance

These factors don’t just influence the bearing itself, they often determine the long-term performance of the entire machine. Excessive heat, vibration, electrical conductivity, or lubricant failure can cascade into premature system-wide issues.

Why Treating Bearings as Commodity Parts Is Risky

All too often, bearings are treated as commodity components, selected based on habit, historical preference, or lowest upfront cost. In TriStar’s experience, this approach introduces significant risk.

• An improperly specified bearing can cause rapid, acute failure
• A sub-optimal bearing may quietly degrade performance over years, increasing maintenance costs, downtime, and energy consumption

These chronic issues are often misattributed to “normal wear,” when in reality they stem from misaligned material selection.

To be clear, there are cost-sensitive, low-performance applications where a basic material is sufficient. However, many industrial, aerospace, medical, food, and heavy-equipment applications demand materials selected specifically for the operating environment, duty cycle, and lifecycle expectations.

There is no universally “perfect” bearing material; only the right bearing for the task, environment, and budget. Identifying that solution requires engineering insight, not guesswork.

TriStar’s Approach: Consultative Engineering for Bearing Material Selection

TriStar works closely with customers to understand how, where, and why a bearing will be used before recommending a material.

Our engineers and technical sales teams evaluate:

• Load, speed, and PV requirements
• Motion type (rotary, oscillating, linear)
• Environmental exposure (chemicals, washdown, dust, moisture, vacuum)
• Shaft material, surface finish, and alignment
• Access for maintenance or lubrication

In many cases, TriStar engineers spend extended time onsite to observe real operating conditions, sometimes uncovering issues that were not evident during the design phase.

This consultative process allows us to specify bearing materials that are not only fit for purpose, but capable of:

• Eliminating lubrication-related failures
• Reducing vibration and noise
• Improving reliability in contamination-prone environments
• Extending service life and lowering total cost of ownership

For real-world examples of this approach in action, see our case study library here.

Expert Note from TriStar: Selecting a bearing is never just about friction values or load ratings in isolation. Our engineers evaluate how the bearing interacts with the entire system; shaft materials, housing tolerances, misalignment, thermal expansion, and environmental exposure. That system-level perspective is what allows plastic and composite bearings to outperform metal alternatives when they’re properly selected and applied.

Why Subtle Selection Errors Have Big Consequences

In some applications, even over-specifying a bearing can create problems. A material that is too stiff may fail to conform under load, leading to edge loading, uneven wear, or unexpected stress concentrations.

Within the same facility, or even the same machine, bearings may face vastly different operating conditions. Assuming a “one-material-fits-all” solution often leads to premature failure in at least part of the system.

Effective bearing selection matches material properties and component geometry to the exact conditions the bearing will face in service.

Key Operating Concerns That Drive Proper Bearing Selection

The following operating concerns illustrate why careful bearing material selection is not only good engineering, but good business. A marginally cheaper bearing can cost far more over time if it requires frequent replacement, relubrication, or downtime.

Common Considerations for Bearings, Bushings & Wear Pads

• Corrosion & Chemical Exposure: From underwater applications to aggressive cleaning chemicals in food processing, the wrong material can fail rapidly.
• Dusty and Dirty Environments: Grease attracts contaminants like a magnet. Once inside a bearing, abrasive debris accelerates wear and failure.
• Lubrication: Inadequate lubrication remains the number one cause of bearing failure. Self-lubricating bearings are essential for hard-to-reach or maintenance-free applications.
• Weight Reduction: Polymer bearings can be up to 5× lighter than steel, offering performance and efficiency benefits in moving systems.
• Noise & Vibration Control: Metal-on-metal contact amplifies vibration and noise. Self-lubricating polymers reduce NVH while protecting adjacent components.
• Temperature Management: While polymers have defined temperature limits, deformation and loss of structural integrity can occur well below melting points. Engineering evaluation is critical.

Each application balances these variables differently, underscoring the need for expert guidance.

An End-to-End Engineering Partnership

At TriStar, we take pride not only in our advanced, high-performance materials but in the engineering expertise behind every recommendation.

Our team supports customers from:

• Initial application review and material selection
• Component design and geometry optimization
• Surface treatments to improve bonding or performance
• Production, testing, and long-term support

This experience allows us to offer our clients a true end-to-end partnership.

From choosing the right polymer or composite bearing material to conducting surface treatments to ensure the right adhesion and bonding properties, we treat bearing selection as a real engineering problem; because it is one. Our enhanced materials division  provides expert support, even adapting our materials to specialized applications such as filtering membranes.

We work closely with clients to balance functional performance and financial objectives, identifying solutions that deliver the strongest possible return on investment over the component’s full lifecycle.

For a detailed look at some of our materials and their specific properties, visit our materials database here. To discuss your application directly with our engineering team, click the button below to get started.