Flange Bearings

A flange bearing, often referred to as a flange bushing or flange bearing, is a bronze sintered bushings with oil impregnation. It is characterized by a flange that plays a critical role in supporting loads while allowing for the smooth movement of the mating shaft within the bearing. This unique design sets it apart from traditional cylindrical sleeve bearings and makes it a preferred choice in a wide range of applications.

Application Considerations

When using flange bearings, it's essential to consider several factors to ensure optimal performance:

Load Capacity: Evaluate the specific load requirements of your application - how much weight will the axial load force onto the application? This will influence the size of your bearing.
Speed: At what speed will the shaft move within the bearing? This is important to evaluate to ensure the bearing will withstand that motion.
Shaft Material: Consider the shaft material and how that will interact with the bronze bearing. The bearing is designed to fail first, so the shaft should typically be made from a harder material.
Environmental Conditions: Think about the environment of the application. Will it be exposed to natural corrosive elements like weather or sun damage or dirt and debris? Will it be exposed to chemical contaminants? This will help you plan for the application's lifespan and replacement schedule.

Benefits

There are several key benefits of incorporating flanged bearings into your applications:

Smooth Shaft Movement: The bearing allows the shaft to slide smoothly and freely within its aligned position.
Size Variety: Available in both metric and inch sizes, flange bearings accommodate a wide range of applications.
Low Maintenance: Because the bearing is impregnated with oil, it requires significantly less maintenance than other shaft-supportive fasteners.
Load Distribution: The flange serves as a load-bearing surface for other components, ensuring efficient load distribution and minimizing wear.
Reduced Friction: The oil-impregnated design of flanged bearings reduces friction and elongates the lifespan of both the bearing and the mating components.

What is the Difference Between a Flange Bearing and a Plain Bearing?

Flange bearings feature a unique flange design that provides a load-bearing surface for axial loads, making them ideal for applications where load distribution is critical. Plain bearings - or sleeve bearings - lack the axial load-bearing capability but are ideal for bearing radial loads.

What is the Difference Between a Bearing and Bushing?

It is likely you will see a flange bearing - or any type of bearing - interchangeably labeled as a bushing of the same kind. The "difference" between a bushing and a bearing is a common confusion the fastener industry.

In short, a bushing is the overarching term for the fastener family and is designed to reduce friction between a bore and shaft, manipulate the size of the bore, or guide the motion of the shaft. A bearing performs those functions but is also designed to bear the load of an application. Some types of bearings, like a ball bearing, are also well suited to allow high-speed motion.