Frequently Asked Questions

Submit a request for quotation (RFQ) through the site with the grade, form and sizes you need, together with quantities and your delivery location. We review the specification and return pricing, availability and lead time. Pricing and lead times are quoted per project rather than listed as fixed figures, because they depend on grade, size, quantity and current stock.

Give the material grade (BP25 bronze, FP20 iron, SO16 alloy or composite friction plate), the form (cylindrical, flanged, blank or plate), the full dimensions, and the quantity required. For custom parts include a drawing or the bore, outside diameter, length and, for flanged bushes, the collar diameter and flange thickness. Noting the application, shaft material, speed, load and operating temperature helps us confirm the right grade and oil.

Yes. Where no catalogue bush fits, we supply solid and hollow bearing blanks in BP25, FP20 and SO16 for machining into bespoke bearings, and friction plates are cut to shape from the standard 375 by 375 mm plate. Send your dimensions or drawing with an RFQ and we will advise the most suitable grade and blank.

Lead times are quoted per project. Catalogue sizes held in stock ship sooner than bespoke parts machined from blanks or non-standard runs. We confirm a firm lead time with your quotation once the specification and quantity are known.

Minimum quantities depend on the grade, size and whether the part is a catalogue item or machined to order. Tell us the quantity you need in your RFQ and we will confirm what is practical and the price at that volume.

BP25 sintered bronze is the general-purpose choice for moderate-speed rotary and oscillating duty. FP20 sintered iron is more economical and suits slower, more heavily loaded or intermittent motion. SO16 is a specialised alloy grade supplied as blanks for bespoke bearings. If you share the load, speed, temperature and environment, we will recommend the grade and the matching impregnation oil.

A bushing is a cylindrical bearing for a rotating or oscillating shaft, supplied as a plain sleeve or with a locating flange. A friction plate is a flat self-lubricating composite element for planar or linear sliding, such as wear pads, gib strips and slide ways, supplied as a 375 by 375 mm plate in thicknesses from 4 to 20 mm and cut to shape.

Cylindrical bronze BP25 bushes run from 2 mm bore up to 125 mm, and cylindrical iron FP20 from 3 mm to 100 mm. Flanged bushes in both grades run from 3 mm bore to 60 mm. For larger or non-standard geometries we supply blanks with outside diameters up to 175 mm for machining.

Within their design envelope, yes. The pores are charged with oil during manufacture, and the bearing releases and reabsorbs that oil as it warms and cools, so it runs maintenance-free in many applications. For very long life or demanding duty, an occasional re-oil with the matching impregnation oil extends service further.

TURBO T100 is used for BP25 bronze and FP20 iron, and METADOP is the dedicated oil for the SO16 alloy grade. For hygienic areas we offer a food-grade oil, PE1152, and for wide-temperature duty PE1116, which is rated from minus 40 to plus 150 degrees Celsius. Use the matching oil when re-impregnating a bush that has been cleaned.

Yes. Bushes can be impregnated with the food-grade PE1152 oil for food, packaging and hygienic machinery, and with the PE1116 oil where the service temperature ranges from minus 40 to plus 150 degrees Celsius. Specify the environment in your RFQ so we impregnate with the correct oil from the outset.

The sintered bushes follow the recognised dimensional standards for the type, principally ISO 2795 for sintered bushes and DIN 1850 for bush dimensions, which is why they interchange with equivalent parts from other manufacturers. Confirmed material and performance figures for a specific grade and size are provided per project.

As a typical characteristic of the class, sintered bronze bushings run to around 100 degrees Celsius continuous on standard oil, with special oils widening that window. Load and speed are governed together by the PV limit, so a bearing carries more load at low speed than at high speed. We confirm the safe limits for your specific grade, size and duty rather than quoting blanket ratings.

No. Reaming, drilling or turning the running bore smears the metal and closes the surface pores, cutting the bearing off from its own oil. If the bore needs correcting after press-fit, use ball sizing or a burnishing pin, which restores the diameter without destroying the porosity.

Yes. We can advise on housing tolerance and lead-in, press-fit technique, allowing for bore close-in, shaft finish and clearance, and running-in. See our installation guide for the full procedure, and raise anything specific to your assembly with your RFQ.

Delivery arrangements and destinations are confirmed with your quotation. Include your location and required quantities in the RFQ and we will provide shipping options and the associated lead time alongside the price.

Applied within their limits — below the material's PV rating, within temperature, in a reasonably clean environment — oil-impregnated sintered bushings are maintenance-free for the service life of the assembly, commonly tens of thousands of running hours. Life falls sharply once the PV limit or temperature is exceeded, or once the impregnated oil is depleted and the bearing runs dry, so correct grade selection is the main driver of longevity.

PV is the product of bearing pressure P (contact stress on the projected area) and sliding velocity V. It is the primary limit for any plain bearing: staying below the material's PV rating keeps frictional heat low enough for the impregnated oil film to keep working. Oil-impregnated sintered bronze is typically rated around 1.8 N/mm²·m/s (about 50,000 psi·fpm) for continuous running, with the allowable pressure reduced at higher speeds. Send load, speed and temperature and we confirm the grade.

Yes. When a thin-wall sintered bushing is pressed into a housing, its bore contracts by roughly 70–90% of the diametral interference of the press fit. Size the housing bore and the pre-fit inside diameter so the finished bore lands within tolerance, or ream/burnish the bore to size after fitting. Tell us your housing bore and shaft fit and we will advise the correct pre-fit dimensions.

The impregnated oil lets them start and run with no added lubrication, so to the user they run effectively dry. Genuinely oil-free or high-vacuum service — where oil would outgas or is not permitted — calls for a dry, solid-lubricant grade instead (for example PTFE-lined metal-polymer or graphite-plugged bearings). Describe the environment and we cross-reference the right maintenance-free bearing from the multi-brand range.