When It Is Beneficial to Use Tilting Pad Bearings

Bearings are used in machinery in a multitude of applications in the industrial and manufacturing industries, as well as many other industries. One particular bearing that is of interest is the tilting pad bearing. These bearings are also sometimes called pivot fluid bearings. The tilting pad bearing is unique in that it makes use of pads that rest on pivots. They are able to move in a tilting motion by freely rocking and sliding.

There is no shaft or bearing contact, because the unit uses an oil wedge to support the load. It is considered beneficial to use tilting pad bearings over fixed bearings in a number of applications. The main advantage of these bearings is that there are no cross-coupling forces, which can be destabilising. This particular type of bearing is extremely durable, and because the bearing pads rotate, they can make allowance for radial misalignment of the shaft.

When compared to fixed bearings, tilt bearings or fluid pivot bearings are considered far more stable and robust and are therefore a popular choice in many applications. However, it is important to ensure that you purchase a bearing of this kind from a reputable and reliable manufacturer or supplier.

Here are some of the characteristics of these bearings:

• Exceptional vibration control.
• Ability to handle loads in any direction.
• Minimal lifecycle costs, as the bearing has a simple design that is affordable to manufacture and maintain.
• Unlike regular bearings, tilting pad bearings do not exhibit fretting or distortion with long-term operation.
• Cooler pad operation, as each pad operates with a heat-convecting oil film.
• Good overload capacity as a result of the pads seating against the bearing’s shell in times of overload. This helps the bearing to provide the load-bearing capacity of a fixed bearing.
• Reduced operating noise as a result of the oil film behind each pad. This film isolates and dampens the operating noise.
• Greater efficiency and reduced power loss.

It is important to note that both standard and custom-designed or retrofit versions of tilt pad bearings are available on the market. These can be found right here at Technoslide, where we stock and custom design bearings according to our clients’ specifications.

If you are in the market for tilting pad bearings, take the time to discuss your needs and requirements with us at Technoslide. We are available via email and telephone and look forward to assisting you with finding just the right type of bearings for your application.