Self-lubricating solutions

Every Bushingo bearing is built around a single principle: hold the lubricant inside the bearing wall rather than on it. Oil-impregnated sintered bushings are pressed and sintered from metal powder, leaving an interconnected pore network — typically in the order of 20–25% of the volume in sintered bronze — which is then vacuum-impregnated with lubricating oil.

In service the mechanism is self-regulating. As the shaft turns, hydrodynamic pressure and frictional heat draw a thin film of oil out of the pores and onto the sliding surface; when motion stops and the bearing cools, capillary action reabsorbs the oil back into the matrix. The result is continuous lubrication with no grease points, no drip trays and no scheduled re-greasing.

• Dry-running and maintenance-free across the normal working life of the bearing
• Quiet, low-friction running that suits oscillating, intermittent and slow-rotation duty
• No stray external lubricant — cleaner for food, packaging and sealed mechanisms

The catalogue spans four functional groups, each available in the material grade best suited to its duty. Flanged and cylindrical bushings cover the vast majority of standard plain-bearing positions, while bearing blanks and friction plates address bespoke geometry and flat-sliding applications.

Grade selection is the first decision in any self-lubricating bearing specification. Bushingo standardises on three sintered families whose dimensional conventions follow the established practice for sintered bushes under ISO 2795 and DIN 1850.

As a class, sintered bronze bushings of this type typically operate to around 100 °C continuous on standard mineral impregnation; high-temperature impregnation oils extend that range where the application demands it.

The standard range is deliberately broad so that most positions can be filled from stock geometry rather than a special. All dimensions below are drawn directly from the published size tables.

Flanged bushings carry a defined collar diameter and flange thickness at each size, which locates the bearing axially against a housing face.

Not every position matches a catalogue bush. Where the bore, wall thickness or length falls outside the standard tables, Bushingo supplies self-lubricating stock ready to finish-machine.

• Hollow bearing blanks in BP25, FP20 and SO16 — pre-bored billets that turn and bore into custom bushings while retaining their impregnated pore structure.
• Solid bearing blanks in BP25, FP20 and SO16 — solid billets from Ø 20 to Ø 145 mm for thrust washers, flanged specials and short bushes.

For flat sliding, the self-lubricating friction plates are supplied as 375 × 375 mm sheets across a range of thicknesses from 4 to 20 mm, in three material grades. They cut and drill readily into wear pads, slide guides and thrust faces that share the same maintenance-free behaviour as the bushings.

A sintered bearing is only as good as the oil held in its pores. Bushingo supplies impregnation oils matched to each grade, so that re-impregnated or specially finished parts perform as intended.

• TURBO T100 — impregnation oil formulated for BP25 bronze and FP20 iron bushings.
• METADOP — impregnation oil matched to the SO16 alloy grade.
• PE1152 food-grade oil — a highly refined white medicinal oil for sintered bearings on food-industry equipment, formulated to meet FDA 21 CFR 178.3570 for incidental food contact. Supplied in 1-litre packs.
• PE1116 high-temperature oil — extends the usable operating window across a −40 °C to +150 °C range for hot or cold-service positions.