NHBB Technology Blog
Occasionally, we publish articles about advancements in bearing technology. We've gathered these articles all in one place for your convenient access.
NHBB Develops Wear Sensor for Flight-Critical Bearing System
NHBB has developed a wear sensor for the INVINSYS® brand of pitch link control bearings that enables helicopter maintenance personnel to easily and quickly determine the operating status of these flight-critical bearings using a wireless scanner. The added value created by NHBB’s patented wear sensor further establishes the INVINSYS brand as the leading bearing innovation within helicopter… Read more
Categories: R&S Bearing Solutions, Self-Lubricating Liner Technology, Wear Sensor Technology
Choosing the Right Corrosion Resistant Bearing Alloy for Highly Corrosive Medical Applications
Extremely corrosive operating environments require a thorough analysis of bearing ring materials to specify the most suitable option. While a majority of situations might ultimately call for the most common and reliable stainless steel, AISI 440C, specific applications demand a more resistant alloy, especially those that regularly expose bearings to high levels of contaminants, water vapor, or… Read more
Categories: Bearing Materials, Miniature & Instrument Ball Bearing Solutions
NHBB’s New Landing Gear Test Rig Performs Full Spectrum Simulation
This spring, the New Product Development Center (NPDC) unveiled its brand new landing gear test rig and began running its first series of wear tests of self-lubricating bushings. The new rig expands the NPDC’s product development capabilities to include the testing of the axial sliding motion of landing gear struts. The rig, which NHBB designed and built in-house, is programmable to simulate… Read more
Categories: New Product Development and Testing, R&S Bearing Solutions
Improved Aero Engine Bearing Performance the Target of NHBB’s Rolling Element Test Rigs
Comprehensive product development and testing of rolling element bearings has become a noteworthy technical capability of New Hampshire Ball Bearings (NHBB). For well over three years now, NHBB’s New Product Development Center (NPDC) has been partnering with NHBB HiTech Division and CEROBEAR GmbH to support the next-generation aero engine development initiatives of a select group of customers… Read more
Categories: New Product Development and Testing, Precision Ball and Roller Bearing Solutions
NHBB’s Vulkyn® Liner Extends High-Temperature Limits
NHBB’s Vulkyn® brand of high-temperature fabric liner performs better than NHBB first reported. Last year, NHBB announced that Vulkyn raised the maximum operating temperature of NHBB's high-temperature self-lubricating liners by 25°F.
Additional testing at higher temperatures has confirmed that it’s actually an increase of 75°F. When tested to 700°F, Vulkyn exhibits 0.006 inches of… Read more
Categories: New Product Development and Testing, R&S Bearing Solutions, Self-Lubricating Liner Technology
NHBB Awarded Patent for Longer Lasting High-Speed Ball Bearing Design
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) awarded NHBB a patent for a high-speed angular contact bearing containing a unique retainer design that reduces retainer wear and increases bearing life by up to 50% in high-speed and ultra-high-speed applications.
Retainer wear is the leading cause of high speed bearing failure, and preexisting retainer designs had yet to fully… Read more
Categories: Cage and Separator Design, Miniature & Instrument Ball Bearing Solutions
NHBB’s Oscimax® Now a Family of Machineable Liner Solutions
NHBB has developed and launched four new versions of the Oscimax® brand of machineable self-lubricating liner technology, which, along with the original version, Oscimax XT, now covers the full range of friction and life requirements for NHBB’s aerospace customers. The four new versions include two low friction options (Oscimax XY and XZ), a specific formulation for landing gear applications (… Read more
Categories: Machineable Liner Technology, R&S Bearing Solutions, Self-Lubricating Liner Technology
Q&A with Dick Ray: Oscimax® Machineable Self-lubricating Liner Technology
Dick Ray is NHBB’s director of applications engineering and new product development. He oversees the activities of the New Product Development Center (NPDC), the division responsible for developing Oscimax®. Below, Dick answers some commonly asked questions about NHBB’s latest innovation:
What is Oscimax®?
Oscimax® is a uniquely advanced self-lubricating liner… Read more
Categories: Machineable Liner Technology, R&S Bearing Solutions, Self-Lubricating Liner Technology
NHBB Launches a Machineable Self-Lubricating Liner Solution
NHBB is pleased to announce it has successfully developed and brought to market a machineable self-lubricating liner system. The company has secured its first approval necessary to offer the technology to the global aerospace industry, and it has established manufacturing capabilities for the first of several planned production phases. The solution named Oscimax® is rapidly earning a… Read more
Categories: Machineable Liner Technology, R&S Bearing Solutions, Self-Lubricating Liner Technology
NHBB Launches High-Temperature Liner Technology
Vulkyn® 650 is NHBB's newest high-temperature fabric liner technology. This innovative fabric liner system for plain bushings and spherical bearings establishes a higher threshold for bearing performance within high-temperature applications.
As the suffix 650 suggests, the new liner solution provides reduced wear of less than 0.006 inches at 650°F after approximately 325,000 cycles.… Read more
Categories: R&S Bearing Solutions, Self-Lubricating Liner Technology