Experimental study on the effects of bearing wall thickness and bearing length on the frictional characteristics of sintered bearings

Experiments were conducted on bronze sintered bearings to determine the effect of bearing wall thickness and bearing length on the coefficient of friction. Parameters such as the radial clearance, the surface roughness of the shaft and the lubricating oil were kept constant in all the test bearings during the experiments. It was found that the coefficient of friction increases with the wall thickness and decreases with an increase in bearing length. It is felt that the above result will be useful for the users of sintered bearings in making a judicious selection of the wall thickness and the length of the bearing such that the selection results in a larger bearing metal volume to store more lubricating oil giving a longer life and a reduced coefficient of friction. © 1985.