Custom plain bearings
The demand for custom non-standard plain bearings is increasing. We can manufacture copper alloy materials to meet China’s national standards as well as the ASTM (UNS, SAE), EU, and JIS standards.
Bespoke plain bearings
viiplus collaborates with customers to find tailored solutions, offering plain bearings in various materials, sizes, tolerances, and designs.
Timely Delivery
Committed to meeting tight deadlines without compromising on quality, we ensure reliable and efficient production timelines.
Versatility
Capable of handling both small-scale and high-volume orders, we provide seamless support for projects of any size. Additionally, we can develop custom copper alloy materials based on specific customer requirements and drawings.
Specialized in Custom Bearings & Bushings
When a standard catalog bearing cannot survive your load, speed, or environment, VIIPLUS engineers a custom bearing built to your exact specification. From a single prototype to production runs, we machine and cast custom bushings in bronze, brass, aluminum bronze, and self-lubricating composites — delivered with full material traceability. Talk to an OEM bearing manufacturer that turns drawings into reliable, maintenance-light components.
Off-the-shelf bushings are a compromise. They force your design to fit a limited range of sizes, alloys, and lubrication systems. A made to order bushing removes that compromise: the geometry, material, and lubrication are matched to the application instead of the other way around. Below is the complete picture of how VIIPLUS designs, manufactures, and certifies custom bronze bearings and non standard bushings — and how to start a drawing to delivery project today.
The business case is straightforward. A correctly specified custom bearing lasts longer, runs cooler, and needs less maintenance than a forced-fit standard part — which means fewer unplanned stoppages and lower total cost of ownership. For OEMs, build-to-print supply also removes sourcing risk: one qualified partner handles the drawing, the alloy, the certificate, and the repeat order. For maintenance and repair teams, a non standard bushing is often the only way to keep legacy or imported equipment running when the original part is obsolete.
Custom Machined Bronze Parts & Bearings
Custom Bearing Capabilities, Custom Bearings & Bushings
VIIPLUS is a full-spectrum custom bearing manufacturer covering ten plain-bearing families: composite self-lubricating bushings, boundary-lubricated bushings, bimetal bushings, oil-sintered bushings, solid graphite-lubricated bushings, steel bushings, cast bronze bushings, wrapped bronze bushings, spherical plain bearings, and filament-wound bearings. That breadth lets us recommend the right technology rather than forcing your problem into one process.
VIIPLUS — Custom & OEM plain bearings and bushings, from drawing to delivery.
Oilless Bushing Material, Machining Parts
Custom Bearings & Self-Lubricating Bronze Bushing to Client Specifications
Discover the complete material selection and application matrix for oilless bronze bushings. Compare CuZn25Al5, CuAl10Ni, and ASTM/EN equivalents for heavy-duty industrial friction solutions.
Custom Bearing Capabilities
CNC Precision Machining
Our CNC workshop turns, bores, mills, drills, taps, reams, and centerless-grinds to tight tolerances. Typical capacity includes turning up to 75″ diameter, boring from 0.0937″, and finished lengths up to 50″, with 5-axis capability for complex geometry. We cut oil grooves, grease reservoirs, and graphite-plug pockets in customer-specified patterns — the details that determine real-world bearing life.
Casting — Continuous, Centrifugal & Sand
For larger or near-net-shape parts we cast in-house. Continuous casting delivers uniform grain structure for sleeves and plates; centrifugal casting produces dense, porosity-free rings; sand casting handles one-offs and low volumes. Casting lets us start from the optimal alloy and minimize machining waste.
Non-Standard & Special Geometry
Demand for non standard bushings keeps rising as equipment gets more specialized. We produce special dimensions, integral-shaft bearings (reducing tolerance stack-up), split bearings, spherical seats, and hybrid parts that combine a bushing with a flange, thrust face, or wear plate in a single component.
Low-Volume & Prototype Runs
Custom does not mean high-volume-only. Prototypes and small batches are a core part of our business: we validate fit and performance early, then scale to production with the same drawings and process controls. This de-risks your design before commit.
Quality is built into every step, not bolted on at the end. Incoming alloy is verified against the order, in-process checks track dimensions at key operations, and final inspection confirms bore, OD, length, clearance, and surface finish before packaging. The result is a custom bushing that matches the drawing the first time and again on every reorder.
type of Custom Bearings & Bushings, Flanged Bearings, Custom Oilless Bronze Bushings, Custom Sliding Bearing
Custom Bearings & Bushings Materials & Alloys We Machine
Materials & Alloys We Machine
Material choice drives load capacity, corrosion resistance, and service life. We machine and cast a wide copper-alloy portfolio and select composites for dry-running duty. Below are the grades we work with most often — the exact standard (ASTM, DIN, EN, GB, JIS) is matched to your specification and documented on the certificate.
| Alloy / Family | Common Designation | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Tin bronze (leaded) | C93200 / SAE 660, RG7 | General bearings, bushings, gears |
| Tin bronze | C90700, CuSn12 (DIN 1705) | Wear parts, marine, pumps |
| Wrapped bronze | CuSn8 / CuSn8P | Grease-pocket bushings, high contamination |
| High-tensile brass | CuZn25Al5Mn4Fe3 (CC762S) | Heavy-duty machine components |
| Manganese bronze | C86300 | High-strength, heavy loads |
| Aluminum bronze | CuAl10Fe5Ni5-C, C95400, C95500 | Seawater, corrosion, high temp |
| Self-lubricating composite | PTFE/steel-backed, FB090 | Maintenance-free, dry running |
| Graphite-plugged bronze | Solid bronze + graphite plugs | Oven, foundry, no-oil duty |
| Bimetal | Steel-backed bronze (CuSn10P1 etc.) | High load, thin-wall housings |
Beyond these, we produce custom bronze bearings in special copper alloys (cupronickel, silicon bronze) and can source customer-specified equivalents.
Choosing the right alloy is a trade-off between load, speed, corrosion, and temperature. Tin bronzes (C93200, C90700) are the workhorses for general wear and moderate load. High-tensile brasses and manganese bronzes (CuZn25Al5Mn4Fe3, C86300) take heavier duty and shock. Aluminum bronzes (CuAl10Fe5Ni5-C, C95400) win in seawater and high-temperature service. Where relubrication is impossible, self-lubricating composites or graphite-plugged bronze remove the oil line entirely. If you are unsure, our engineers will shortlist two or three candidates from your operating envelope — see the Bearing Bronze Alloy Selection Guide.
Material Selection
Bronze Alloy Composition
Casting
Centrifugal casting, continuous casting
Machining
Precision Machining
Quality Inspection
Material Testing, Surface Inspection
Plain Bearing Materials: Types, Properties & Selection
Material families at a glance
Allowable limits are indicative. “Allowable P (max)” is the permissible surface pressure; “Allowable v (max)” is the sliding speed; temperature is the continuous-duty range unless noted.
Material family
Sliding layer / backing
Lubrication
Allowable P (max) [N/mm²]
Allowable v (max) [m/s]
Temp. [°C]
Matched duty
Sintered bronze, oil-impregnated
Porous CuSn8 + graphite, impregnated oil
Oil reservoir (self)
14 (static) / 5 (dyn.)
2
−40 … +150
Low–moderate load, intermittent
Cast bronze, graphite-plugged
CuSn12 / CuSn7ZnPb with graphite plugs
Graphite plugs
50
0.5 (dry)
−50 … +300
Heavy load, oscillating
Bimetal, steel-backed
Steel + CuPb / bronze lining
Thin oil film
120
10
−40 … +200
High-speed rotation
PTFE composite
Steel + sintered bronze + PTFE
PTFE film (self)
140 (static) / 50 (dyn.)
5 (dry)
−200 … +280
Maintenance-free, wide range
POM composite
Steel + bronze + polyacetal (POM)
Grease / oil
70
2.5
−40 … +120
Grease-lubricated, water
Metal-graphite (VSB)
Special brass + embedded solid graphite
Solid graphite
100
0.5 (dry)
−50 … +300
Oscillating, tilting, low-speed
Thermoplastic polymer
POM / PA / PEEK sleeve
None / water
20
1
−50 … +250*
Corrosion / chemical duty
*Upper limit depends on the specific polymer grade (e.g. PEEK sustains the higher end). Confirm per grade.
Material families at a glance
Allowable limits are indicative. “Allowable P (max)” is the permissible surface pressure; “Allowable v (max)” is the sliding speed; temperature is the continuous-duty range unless noted.
| Material family | Sliding layer / backing | Lubrication | Allowable P (max) [N/mm²] | Allowable v (max) [m/s] | Temp. [°C] | Matched duty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sintered bronze, oil-impregnated | Porous CuSn8 + graphite, impregnated oil | Oil reservoir (self) | 14 (static) / 5 (dyn.) | 2 | −40 … +150 | Low–moderate load, intermittent |
| Cast bronze, graphite-plugged | CuSn12 / CuSn7ZnPb with graphite plugs | Graphite plugs | 50 | 0.5 (dry) | −50 … +300 | Heavy load, oscillating |
| Bimetal, steel-backed | Steel + CuPb / bronze lining | Thin oil film | 120 | 10 | −40 … +200 | High-speed rotation |
| PTFE composite | Steel + sintered bronze + PTFE | PTFE film (self) | 140 (static) / 50 (dyn.) | 5 (dry) | −200 … +280 | Maintenance-free, wide range |
| POM composite | Steel + bronze + polyacetal (POM) | Grease / oil | 70 | 2.5 | −40 … +120 | Grease-lubricated, water |
| Metal-graphite (VSB) | Special brass + embedded solid graphite | Solid graphite | 100 | 0.5 (dry) | −50 … +300 | Oscillating, tilting, low-speed |
| Thermoplastic polymer | POM / PA / PEEK sleeve | None / water | 20 | 1 | −50 … +250* | Corrosion / chemical duty |
*Upper limit depends on the specific polymer grade (e.g. PEEK sustains the higher end). Confirm per grade.
VIIPLUS Industries Served, Custom Bearings & Bushings Material
Custom bearings from VIIPLUS operate across demanding sectors:
- Marine — propeller shafts, rudders, winches; corrosion-resistant aluminum and manganese bronzes.
- Heavy equipment & construction — cranes, excavators, crushers; high-load graphite and cast bronze.
- Energy — wind, hydro, and power-generation components needing long, maintenance-light life.
- Industrial machinery — pumps, compressors, conveyors, presses. low-volume, high-reliability parts on request.
Across all of these, the value of a custom bearing is the same: it is engineered for the duty cycle rather than adapted to it. That translates into longer service intervals, quieter operation, and fewer emergency replacements — the outcomes that matter most to plant managers and OEM procurement alike.
