Composite dry sliding bearings – maintenance-free and space-saving

SKF rod endsRod ends have been designed for usein construction and control rod linkages,for the end of a piston rod or thebase of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinderswhere tractive and compressiveloads have to be transmitted at thesame time as alignment movementshave to be accommodated. A rod endis basically an eye-shaped head withintegral shank (the housing) and a selfaligningbearing. Most SKF rod endsincorporate a standard spherical plainbearing which is held in the housingbore by staking at both sides or byretaining rings. The wide range of SKFrod ends contains products suitablefor heavy alternating loads as well asfor operation without maintenance.The SKF rod ends requiring maintenanceare available with the slidingcontact surface combinations steelon-steeland steel-on-bronze, themajority being steel-on-steel rod ends.These rod ends generally require periodicrelubrication. The high wear resistanceof the sliding surfaces makessteel-on-steel rod ends especially suitablefor arrangements where loads ofalternating direction or relatively heavystatic loads have to be accommodated.Under such operating conditionsbut where lubricant starvation may beencountered, steel-on-bronze rodends are recommended.SKF maintenance-free rod ends areproduced with three different slidingcontact surface combinations, dependingon size and series. These three slidingcontact surface combinations are• steel/sinter bronze composite,• steel/PTFE fabric, and• steel/PTFE composite.The sliding layers of modern materials,which have very low friction, arethe same as those used for SKF maintenance-freespherical plain bearings.AssortmentThe SKF assortment comprises rodends with female or male thread (leftorright-hand) and also with weldingshank. The latter are only available assteel-on-steel rod ends as standard.The assortment covers a pin diameterrange between 5 and 200 mm.Further informationFor detailed information about SKFrod ends please refer to CD-ROM4700 “SKF Interactive EngineeringCatalogue” or brochure 4407 “SKFspherical plain bearings and rod ends”.43