Introduction

Backed by 60 years of experience in the self-lubricated bearing field along with rigorous research and development, our bronze bearings are a high-quality product that incorporates the latest developments and improvements.

We have complete manufacturing facilities, including our own foundry. Our foundry is highly specialized, and its entire production is concentrated on COSMEC XL™ bearings. Our machine shops are customized to manufacture our products. Our lubrication processes are unique with specially designed hydraulic presses to provide “hydra-therm” molding of the lubricant with the metal.

Rigid quality assurance procedures are supervised from the raw material, in ingot form, to the final product.

The selection of the proper bearing material is a matter of engineering mechanics. The success of a self-lubricating bearing system is in the lubrication. Research in this field has enabled Cosmec to produce specially compounded proprietary lubricant formulas that provide low friction and durability.

COSMEC XL™ lubricants are extruded through dyes and thermally molded at pressures up to 20,000 psi (138 MPa) into engineered overlapping recesses in the bearing, providing complete coverage in the direction of motion.

COSMEC XL™ lubricants, due to their laminar-lattice crystalline structure and low planar shear strength, provide a low coefficient of friction by translation of movement along crystallographic planes within the lubricant itself. (The action is much like the results when an eccentric force is exerted on a deck of playing cards.) Pressure cannot destroy or damage the crystalline planes of the lubricant.

The reservoirs of lubricant, which are integrally molded with the bearing metal, project slightly above the bearing surface. With motion between mating surfaces, a heavy friction-reducing film is developed on intermediate areas of the bearing and on the mating surface.

In operation, the lubricant becomes embedded and bonded through pressure to the microscopic surface asperities of the mating surface.

These features are reasons why COSMEC XL™ bearings excel and others fail when subjected to heavy loads and slow surface velocities.

COSMEC XL™ bearings can be used in the following applications: