TriStar has always been proud to assist manufacturers of equipment used by our military and first responders. Recently, one of our customers came to us looking for a self-lubricating, high load bearing option for one of the fire truck units they designed.
Supporting First Responders with Advanced Material Solutions
This truck is one that you would typically see in multi-alarm fires where long extensions for ladders or snorkel buckets are required. Many of these units can extend nearly 100 feet, making them critical man-lift systems that demand robust materials capable of withstanding impact, vibration, and cantilevered loads.
TriStar’s engineering department worked with the customer’s design team to determine load conditions, speeds, temperature variables, and other potential environmental conditions. Since the end goal here was to replace a bronze bushing with a no-lubrication solution, our engineers looked at our Ultracomp and CJ materials first. Ultimately, we chose the Ultracomp product because it offers multiple self-lubricating additives to deliver the best results in dry use.
Why Ultracomp Was the Right Choice
The location of these bearings is in the main pivot point, where the ladder or boom attaches to the truck body, so everything is ─ literally ─ "hanging" on these locations. After testing was completed, the customer was happy with the results and is incorporating the Ultracomp UC200 material into this critical location on the apparatus.
This, incidentally, is just one of many locations on fire equipment where TriStar has been able to help solve problems by eliminating the need for grease, decreasing friction on sliding surfaces, and even supplying seals for the foam pumps on specialty engines.
Critical Applications and Proven Results
TriStar’s products have consistently demonstrated reliability in the most challenging operating conditions. If you have a design in need of review, reach out to our engineering team so we can assist you in selecting the ideal solution tailored to your needs.