RECENT ADVANCES IN DRY BEARINGS.

The chief disadvantages of plastic bearings are their plastic creep under load, low temperature resistance in some cases, low thermal conductivity, high coefficient of thermal expansion and the difficulty of fixing the bearing in a housing. These disadvantages are most often overcome by the use of a thin layer of plastic on a steel backing. This increases the load-carrying capacity and the thermal conductivity, decreases the effect of thermal expansion and allows location of the bearing by interference fit. Requirements for automotive application are high production and low cost so that a standard range can be maintained in stock.