Babbitt bearings are found in heavy industrial machinery, such as compressors, turbines, electric motors, large power generators – anything high speed that rotates. Babbitt bearings are often times called centrifugal castings and their terms can be used interchangeably. Basically, Babbitt bearings are made when a mold is continuously rotated at a high speed while molten metal is poured into the mold with a special machine that guarantees an oxidation free environment. The molten metal is thrown toward the inside of the mold walls from the G forces inside. After cooling, the molten metal solidifies. Babbitt bearings are made of tin, antimony and copper. Babbitt is soft but strong enough to resist the bearing load. Once cooled, any impurities that have appeared in the casting process are machined away.
City Machine Technologies, Inc. has specialized in this industry and performs all services in-house under the trade name CMT CentriCast. We have perfected the centrifugal casting of all sizes of Babbitt bearings. All Babbitt used is virgin ASTM B23-49 Grade 2 tin-based metal with certification.