from the conferences organized by TANGER Ltd.
The main factor for operating characteristics of sliding bearing is a quality of the lining surface. For low friction and better functionality, the coating of sliding surface is commonly used. The material of coating is usually alloys based on tin or copper. The main methods of coating application of these materials are centrifugal and static casting. The adhesion of such lining is based on the diffusion of tin into steel substrate. In production, the usage of casting technology is limited by proportions and weight of bearings. As alternative technologies of bearing lining deposition, the technologies of thermal spraying and laser cladding can be suggested. In the paper, the first phase of this study is described. The coating was applied by flame spraying, arc spraying and by laser cladding. The materials are tin composition, called also Babbitt, and aluminum bronze. The effect of spray parameters was investigated and the optimal parameters for the spraying were searched. Basic characteristics of the coating, such a microstructure, hardness, surface roughness and adhesion, were tested. Real applicability of coating has also been evaluated. All these technologies were found suitable for deposition of bearing linings with satisfactory microstructural and mechanical characteristics. Such coating could be suitable for hard-working bearing where long-life is required.
Keywords: Thermal spraying, laser cladding, sliding bearing, coating© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.