Bronze Bushes & Self-Lubricating Bearings for Rolling Mills, Tube Straighteners & Heavy Metal Forming

Bronze Bushes & Self-Lubricating Bearings for Rolling Mills, Tube Straighteners & Heavy Metal Forming

High-Performance Self-Lubricating Bronze Bushing Solutions & Technologies. Minimize downtime, extend service life, and reduce costs for dynamic applications.

Guide Bushes Graphite Spherical Plain Bearing

Bronze Bushes & Self-Lubricating Bearings for Rolling Mills, Tube Straighteners & Heavy Metal Forming

A sourcing and selection reference for buyers specifying copper-alloy bearing components — split column bushes, post bushes, graphite liner plates and roll carrier bushes — across steel, tube/pipe and metal-forming equipment. Send us your drawing; we manufacture to print in leaded tin bronze and phosphor bronze, plain or graphite-filled.

1. The bearing families you are sourcing

These four component types cover the vast majority of high-load, low-to-moderate-speed bearing points in rolling and forming machinery. They differ by material, lubrication concept and mounting form — not by one project.

Component family Base material Lubrication concept Typical form Best applied where
Split column bush Leaded tin bronze Greaseable / pre-lubricated Two-half (split) bearing Press columns, straightener uprights, large guide posts
Post bush Phosphor bronze Grease or maintenance-free option Solid cylindrical bush Guide posts, ram guides, platen pillars
Graphite liner plate Phosphor bronze + solid graphite Self-lubricating (oilless) Plate with graphite plugs Slideways, wear plates, sliding guides
Roll carrier bush Phosphor bronze + graphite Self-lubricating (oilless) Flanged bush Roll necks, roll carriers, roll stands

Material grades referenced are standard copper-alloy specifications (leaded tin bronze and high-tin phosphor bronze). Equivalent UNS / EN / DIN designations are supplied on request for drawing alignment.

2. Application locations — where these bearings are fitted

The table maps each bearing family to its application location and the specific fitment point inside the machine. Use it to confirm you are sourcing the right family before requesting a quote.

Application location Specific fitment point Recommended family Served industry
Straightener roll stand Roll carrier / roll neck bearing seat Roll carrier bush Tube & bar straightening
Straightener frame Upright column guide Split column bush Tube & bar straightening
Rolling mill stand Roll chock / roll neck bearing Roll carrier bush Hot & cold rolling
Rolling mill housing Backup roll guide column Split column bush Section, strip & rod mills
Forging / hydraulic press Column guide, ram post, platen pillar Split column bush, Post bush Metal forming & forging
Slideway & guide Sliding face, wear strip, gib Graphite liner plate All forming machinery
Continuous caster Guide roll bearing, alignment pivot Roll carrier bush Continuous casting
Heavy pivot / articulation Swing pin, knuckle, hinge eye Post bush, Roll carrier bush Mining, construction, marine
Feed & forming rolls Roll shaft bearing seat Post bush Tube, pipe & section mills

3. Industries covered — the full application scope

These components are not tied to a single machine. They serve every sector that runs heavy, slow-rotating or oscillating shafts under load:

Steel rolling
Section, strip, rod and plate mills — roll necks, chocks, housing columns.
Tube & pipe production
Straighteners, sizing stands, forming lines — roll carriers and frame guides.
Metal forming & forging
Presses, hammers, drawbenches — columns, rams, slideways.
Continuous casting
Caster guide rolls and alignment pivots under heat and slurry.
Heavy machinery
Cranes, excavators, stackers — swing and articulation pins.
Mining & mineral processing
Conveyor, crusher and screen pivots (non-explosive contact zones).
Civil & structural equipment
Bridges, gates, lifts — large slow-moving bearing points.
Marine & offshore
Hatches, rudders, deck machinery — corrosion-resisting bronze pivots.

4. Industry solution selection keywords

Grouped by buyer intent. These are the terms procurement engineers and maintenance specifiers search when re-sourcing worn or obsolete bronze bearing parts.

By function

self-lubricating bronze bearingoilless bronze bushgraphite filled bronze bush maintenance-free guide bushsplit bronze bearinghalf bearing bronze flanged bronze bushwear plate with graphitesliding liner plate

By material

leaded tin bronze bushphosphor bronze bearinggunmetal bearing CuSn10P1 bronze bushhigh-tin phosphor bronzecopper alloy sleeve bearing

By machine / application

rolling mill roll neck bearingtube straightener bearingpress column guide bush roll carrier bushcaster guide roll bearingforging press bush hydraulic press ram guideslideway wear plate

By procurement intent

custom bronze bush manufacturerbronze bearing to drawingobsolete bronze bush replacement bronze bearing quotebronze bush MOQbronze bearing lead time bronze MTCmaterial test certificate bronzematerial certificate bronzebronze bearing supplier

5. Procurement FAQ — what buyers ask before ordering

What do I need to send for a quote?

Your drawing (or sample), material grade, quantity, and the operating condition — load, speed, temperature and whether lubrication is available. We manufacture to print; material can be matched to your specified bronze grade or to an equivalent we certify.

Can you replace an obsolete or worn part?

Yes. Reverse-engineering from a sample or old drawing is standard. We confirm material, tolerance class and fit (e.g. light press, press or slip fit) before production.

Plain or graphite-filled?

Where a grease line exists or the point is accessible, plain bronze with grease grooves is cost-effective. Where the point is sealed, hot, or hard to service, specify graphite-filled (self-lubricating) to remove the lubrication dependency.

Certification & volume

Standard MTC (Material Test Certificate) per the specified material standard is issued with every order — chemical composition and mechanical properties verified against the bronze grade. Dimensional inspection reports are supplied on request. Low minimum order quantities apply for standard families; custom and split bearings are produced against your released drawing.

Request a quote or send your drawing

Share your bronze bearing drawing or sample and tell us the application location and operating load. We return a material-matched quotation with lead time and certification options — direct from the manufacturer, no middle layer.

Keywords for your RFQ: bronze bush to drawing · self-lubricating bronze bearing · split column bush · roll carrier bush · graphite liner plate · phosphor bronze / leaded tin bronze · MTC / material test certificate.

Equivalent Specifications

BS 1400 LPB1
BS EN 1982-2008 GC CC492K
CuSn7Zn2Pb3-C
Def Stan 02 830 Part 1
NES 830 Part 2
AS 1565-1985 C93100
AS 1565-1974 931D

Key Features

Good strength combined with low friction properties and good general corrosion resistance.

Typical Uses

Gears, bearings, bushings, wear / slide plates, worm wheels with moderately hard shafts, requiring moderately high loads, moderate to low speeds with less adequate lubrication and alignment than phosphor bronze.

Description Leaded Bronze
Nominal Composition CuSn5Pb9
Alloy Type cast

Typical Mechanical Properties

Tensile Strength (N/mm²) 290
Proof/Yield Strength (N/mm²) 150
Elongation (%) 15
Hardness Brinell 90
Impact Izod J20°C  

Typical Physical Properties

Density g/cm³ 8.8
Melting Temperature Range °C 850 – 1000
Thermal Conductivity W/mK 47
Electrical Resistivity μΩ.m15°C 16
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0-250°C 18
Relative Magnetic Permeability  
Coefficient of Friction  

 

Equivalent Specifications

BS 1400 AB1
BS EN 1982-2008 GC CC331G
CuAl10Fe2-C
ASTM B505 C95200
ASTM B148 C95200
ASTM B271 C95200
SAE68a
UNI 5273
DIN 1714 GK CuAl10Fe 2.0940.02

Key Features

Good strength, wear and corrosion-resistant. Requires adequate lubrication.
A general construction bearing alloy which can operate within the temperature range of -200°C to 200°C.
Maintains colour in urban industrial sulphur-polluted atmospheres. Can be used in sea water applications.

Typical Uses

Gears, worm wheels, valve guides and seats and structural applications.
Can be used in application where high concentrations of sulphur dioxide are encountered such as chimneys.
Has high strength and is resistant to stress corrosion cracking.

Description Aluminium Bronze
Nominal Composition CuAl10Fe3
Alloy Type cast

Typical Mechanical Properties

Tensile Strength (N/mm²) 560
Proof/Yield Strength (N/mm²) 200
Elongation (%) 25
Hardness Brinell 130
Impact Izod J20°C 41

Typical Physical Properties

Density g/cm³ 7.6
Melting Temperature Range °C 1040 – 1050
Thermal Conductivity W/mK 61
Electrical Resistivity μΩ.m15°C 0.13
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0-250°C 17
Relative Magnetic Permeability 1.2
Coefficient of Friction  

Base Material Options: AB1 or LPB1

The line specifies two possible heavy-duty bearing bronzes, depending on your application’s focus:

 
 
Property / Specification AB1 (Aluminium Bronze) LPB1 (Leaded Phosphor Bronze)
Equivalent Standards BS 1400 AB1, CC331G (CuAl10Fe2-C), ASTM B505 C95200 BS 1400 LPB1, CC492K (CuSn7Zn2Pb3-C), ASTM C93100
Core Material Strengths Very high tensile strength, extreme wear resistance, and outstanding corrosion/oxidation protection. Excellent low-friction characteristics, excellent conformability, and reliable performance with less-than-ideal lubrication.
Primary Load/Speed Heavy, high-stress loads; performs well at elevated temperatures. Moderate loads; excels at low-to-moderate speeds.

3. Lubrication: + Graphite

This indicates a self-lubricating design (often referred to as oilless bronze or graphite-plugged bearings).

  • Holes are precision-machined into the AB1 or LPB1 bronze matrix.

  • These holes are filled with solid graphite plugs.

  • How it works: As the shaft rotates against the bushing, microscopic particles of graphite are transferred to the mating surface. This creates a continuous, dry, low-friction lubrication film, eliminating the need for routine oil or grease.

⚙️ Typical Applications

This exact material matrix is highly requested for severe operating conditions where manual maintenance is impossible or fluids fail:

  • Marine & Offshore: Underwater machinery, rudder bushings, and winches (due to AB1’s saltwater resistance).

  • High-Temperature Environments: Industrial ovens, drying kilns, and steel mill equipment where conventional oils would burn off.

  • Heavy Infrastructure: Dam gates, bridge crane slide plates, and heavy-duty structural hinges.

AB1 & LPB1 Bronze Graphite Liner, Plate & Bush — Tube Straightener Spare Parts

Bronze spare-part reference for roll-type tube and bar straighteners: graphite liner plates, wear plates and bushes, supplied in AB1 leaded tin bronze and LPB1 phosphor bronze — plain or graphite-filled (self-lubricating). Manufactured to your drawing, with standard MTC per material standard.

1. Product forms — liner, plate & bush

Three form families cover every bronze wearing point in a straightener. Each is available in both AB1 and LPB1, plain or with solid graphite for oilless operation.

Product form Material options Lubrication Tube straightener fitment
Graphite liner / liner plate LPB1 phosphor bronze + solid graphite Self-lubricating (oilless) Slideways, guide faces, wear strips
Wear plate AB1 or LPB1 Grease, or graphite-filled Sliding guides, pressure-screw faces
Bush (roll carrier) LPB1 + graphite, or plain AB1/LPB1 Self-lubricating or grease Roll neck / roll carrier bearing seat
Split column bush AB1 leaded tin bronze Greaseable Frame upright / column guide
Post bush AB1 or LPB1 Grease or oilless Guide post, ram, adjuster screw

2. Application locations inside a tube straightener

Where each form is fitted — application location (应用部位) and the specific fitment point (具体应用部位).

Application location Specific fitment point Recommended form Material
Machine frame Upright / column guide Split column bush AB1
Roll assembly Roll carrier / roll neck bearing seat Bush (roll carrier) LPB1 + graphite
Roll stand Slideway / guide face Graphite liner plate LPB1 + graphite
Adjustment mechanism Pressure screw / adjuster post Post bush AB1 or LPB1
Entry / exit section Guide shoe / wear face Wear plate AB1 or LPB1
Crosshead / bottom beam Guide slide Graphite liner plate LPB1 + graphite

3. AB1 vs LPB1 — material selection

AB1 — leaded tin bronze
Free-machining, strong anti-seizure and embeddability. Best for larger split bearings and column guides where load is moderate and service access exists for greasing.
LPB1 — phosphor bronze
High-tin, higher strength and wear resistance. Best for high-load roll carrier bushes and graphite-filled self-lubricating liner plates where lubrication is limited.

Both are standard copper-alloy grades; equivalent UNS / EN / DIN designations are supplied for drawing alignment. Choose graphite-filled when the point is sealed, hot, or hard to service.

4. Selection keywords (选型关键词)

By machine

tube straightener spare partstube straightener bearingbar straightener bush roll straightening machine partsstraightener roll carrier bushtube straightener liner plate

By product form

graphite liner platebronze wear platebronze bush tube straightener self-lubricating linersplit column bushroll carrier bush

By material

AB1 bronzeLPB1 bronzephosphor bronze straightener leaded tin bronze bushCuSn10P1 bronze

By procurement intent

tube straightener spare parts supplierbronze spare parts to drawingobsolete straightener parts replacement bronze MTCbronze bush MOQbronze bearing lead timematerial test certificate bronze

5. Procurement FAQ

Do you cover the whole straightener, or single parts?

Single worn or obsolete parts are the typical order — liner plates, bushes and column guides are reverse-engineered from your sample or drawing, then matched to AB1 or LPB1.

Plain or graphite-filled?

Points with an accessible grease line: plain bronze with grooves is cost-effective. Sealed, hot or hard-to-reach points: specify graphite-filled (oilless) to remove the lubrication dependency.

Certification & volume

Standard MTC per the specified material standard is issued with every order — chemical composition and mechanical properties verified against the bronze grade. Dimensional reports on request. Low MOQ for standard forms; custom and split parts run against your released drawing.

Send your tube straightener drawing or sample

Tell us the application location and operating load. We return a material-matched quotation (AB1 or LPB1, plain or graphite-filled) with lead time and MTC options — direct from the manufacturer.

RFQ keywords: tube straightener spare parts · graphite liner plate · roll carrier bush · split column bush · AB1 / LPB1 bronze · MTC / material test certificate.

Solid-lubricant bearings: alloy data, operating limits, and the positions we decline

Copper-base bearings and graphite slide plates for slow, heavily loaded, poorly lubricated joints. This page gives the alloy data, the limits that decide the answer, and — deliberately — the applications we will not supply.

01Two alloys, one difference that matters

Both are cast copper alloys with published compositions. The choice between them is not about hardness or weight — it is about the environment and the paperwork.

  AB1 · aluminium bronze LPB1 · leaded phosphor bronze
BS 1400 designation AB1 LPB1
Nominal composition CuAl10Fe3 CuSn7PbP
Tensile / proof strength 560 / 200 MPa 290 / 150 MPa
Hardness, Brinell 130 90
Elongation 25% 15%
Density 7.6 g/cm³ 8.8 g/cm³
Thermal expansion, 0–250 °C 17 ×10⁻⁶/K 18 ×10⁻⁶/K
Lead content ≤ 0.03% 2.0 – 3.8%
Metal temperature limit −200 … +200 °C not stated by source
Cross-references EN 1982 CC331G CuAl10Fe2-C
ASTM B505 / B148 / B271 C95200
SAE 68a · DIN 1714 GK CuAl10Fe		 EN 1982 CC492K CuSn7Zn2Pb3-C
AS 1565 C93100 / 931D
Def Stan 02 830 Part 1

How to read this table

AB1 carries load and resists corrosion. Its oxide film is self-repairing, which is why it holds up in wet, oxidising service where a copper-zinc alloy does not.

LPB1 tolerates bad conditions. Its lead phase provides embeddability and anti-galling when lubrication is poor or alignment is imperfect. It is the cheaper of the two, and the right choice for shielded, lubricated joints with poor geometry.

LPB1 is a leaded alloy. For potable water contact, export to the EU or North America, or any no-lead clause, LPB1 is out. AB1 is effectively lead-free.

02Four limits that decide the answer

Material selection is arithmetic before it is preference. Check these four, in this order.

Limit Value Consequence
Speed ≤ 0.5 m/s
dry		 The transfer film is a boundary film. Above 0.5 m/s, friction heat is generated faster than the solid lubricant can release it. This is the usual failure cause, not load.
Pressure × velocity ≤ 1.5 MPa·m/s
dry, rated value		 Design at 50–70% of the rated value and derate for temperature. Published graphite PV figures vary by an order of magnitude between sources; use our tested value for your grade, not a catalogue number.
Mating shaft hardness ≥ HRC 40 A softer shaft lets the bronze matrix gall it. Also specify shaft roughness Ra 0.4–1.6 μm — a mirror-finished shaft prevents the transfer film from adhering.
Graphite coverage 20 – 30%
of sliding area		 Through-holes, not blind holes. Over-plugging reduces the load-carrying section of the matrix; under-plugging starves the film.

03Selecting by condition, not by machine

Machine names are not design inputs. These five conditions are.

Condition Base alloy Governing constraint
Wet, oxidising, with scale or debris; heavy static load; slow movement AB1 Corrosion resistance and compressive strength
Lubricated joint, poor alignment, moderate load, low speed LPB1 Embeddability and anti-galling under boundary lubrication
Potable water, food contact, or lead-restricted application AB1 Lead content — LPB1 is excluded
Elevated temperature above +200 °C Neither Aluminium bronze loses strength. Move to a different material class
Continuous rotation above 0.5 m/s Neither A hydrodynamic film, not a solid lubricant. This is a bearing change, not a material change

04What we will not supply

Three refusals, stated up front

1. Solid graphite as a primary load-bearing liner in rolling contact. The arithmetic is unforgiving: at 100 MPa contact pressure and 0.8 m/s surface speed the product is 80 MPa·m/s, against a graphite ceiling that no supplier publishes above 8. No grade of graphite closes that gap, and no bronze grade changes it. If a customer asks us to put a graphite plate where the load and speed are that high, the answer is no — with the numbers attached.

2. Copper-zinc alloys in continuously wetted service. Above roughly 15% zinc, brass suffers dezincification. The remaining porous copper layer can retain close to the original dimensions while retaining only a fraction of the strength. A routine bore measurement will not find it.

3. A bearing without a mating definition. If the shaft hardness, surface finish, fit and housing bore are not specified, we cannot guarantee the result, and we do not accept the order on that basis. A bearing and its shaft are one specification.

05Material designation on documents

Three rules that keep an order unambiguous across borders and laboratories.

  • Always write the composition, not just the trade name. BS 1400 AB1 (CuAl10Fe3), or its national equivalent — not “aluminium bronze”. Alloy names are not unique across systems.
  • Do not write “equivalent to”. EN 1982 CC331G specifies CuAl10Fe2; AB1 specifies CuAl10Fe3. Different iron content. State both designations and let the reader decide.
  • Certificates are per heat. An EN 10204 3.1 certificate states chemical analysis, mechanical properties and heat or batch number, with results tied to that heat. Batch-level chemistry combined with single-heat mechanicals is a 2.2 document, not a 3.1. One heat, one certificate.

06What to send for a quotation

Required Why it changes the answer
Drawing or dimensioned sketch Determines wall thickness, hence load capacity
Load, and whether static or moving Determines the alloy and whether a solid lubricant is admissible
Sliding speed or oscillation frequency and angle The single most decisive input — see §02
Temperature and environment Wet, dry, dusty, immersed, or heated
Shaft material, hardness, finish Sets the minimum shaft hardness and the fit
Quantity per year Determines casting route and stock
 

Metal Bushing (Lubricated Metal) -Self-Lubricating Bushing Materials

Bushings are specialized, self-lubricating metal components widely utilized across various industries due to their durability and low maintenance requirements. Self-lubricating metal bushings are engineered to function without additional lubrication in numerous applications, thereby minimizing maintenance needs. These bushings are available in various series and configurations, such as flanged bushings and split bearings, to meet specific application requirements.

Metal-Polymer Anti-Friction Plain Bearings

Metal-Polymer Composite Self-lubricating Bushing Material

Steel Back + Porous Bronze Sinter + PTFE

Metal-Polymer Plain Bearings Grease Lubricated
Metal-Polymer Plain Bearings Grease Lubricated
Bronze Bearings made of CuSn8 with Lubrication Indents
Bronze Bearings and Bronze Sleeve Bushings made of CuSn8 with Lubrication Indents
Cast Bronze Bushings with Solid Lubricant Inserts
Cast Bronze Bearings with Solid Lubricant Inserts
Bimetal Plain Bearings
Steel + CuPb10Sn10 with indents
Steel Bronze Bushing
Steel Backing and Bronze Overlay
Compare prices and delivery times, then place your order directly online or request a quotation.

lubrication-free Bearing bushing products

Self-lubricating Bushing For High Performance And Low Maintenance