Babbitt bearings are used in critical industrial applications like turbines, large motors, fans and blowers. They can be found in power plants, on military ships and in all industrial manufacturing facilities.
Babbitt bearing failure often occurs because of maintenance issues: Lubrication deficiencies, contamination, mechanical alignment or vibration issues. With monitoring and proper lubrication, Babbitt bearings prove to be long-lasting.
There are two methods for Babbitt bearing manufacturing:
— Pouring the bearing: In this process, the shell or outer diameter of the bearing is properly cleaned and tinned. There is a center fixture installed symmetrically to allow equal space on the inner diameter of the shell to allow for machine processes. Molten Babbitt is then poured into the void. Once cooled, it can also be machined, if needed.
— Spin casting the bearing: In this process, the shell of the bearing is properly cleaned and tinned. It is then squeezed between two plates and placed into a rotating machine. As the bearing spins, a tube is placed into the center of the bearing and molten Babbitt is centrifugally cast to the inner diameter of the shell. The spin cast method ensures the highest reliability.