Custom Machined Bronze Parts, Bronze Bushings and Self-Lubricating Sleeve Bearings
Maintenance-free Plain Bearings
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What a machined bronze part actually is
A cast bronze bearing supplier and a machine shop are two different businesses, and the phrase custom machined bronze parts sits at the join between them. Casting produces a near-net bar: a continuously cast solid or cored cylinder, a centrifugally cast large-diameter tube, or a sand-cast shape. Machining turns that bar into a finished component with a bore that runs true, a face that seats flat, an outside diameter that presses into a housing at the right interference, and whatever lubrication feature the duty demands.
In practice the work splits into eight operations, and the mix of them tells you what the part is for: turning to establish outside diameter and length; boring to set the running bore and its fit; grooving for oil and grease distribution; facing for the seating faces and flange back; milling for flats, keyways, anti-rotation lands and split-bushing cuts; drilling for lubrication ports, dowel holes, graphite plug holes and bolt circles; grinding where bore roundness and finish have to hold tighter than a single-point tool will manage; and deburring, which is not cosmetic — a raised burr at the bore edge wipes the oil film off a shaft on the first revolution and starts the wear that kills the bearing.
Form matters as much as operation. The catalogue of shapes that comes out of the same bar stock is short and highly standardised: a plain bronze sleeve bearing for pure radial support; a flanged bushing that locates axially in one part and removes the need for a separate thrust washer; a split bushing in two halves for shafts that cannot be dismantled, which is the normal situation on large mill and pump shafts; a thrust washer or thrust ring for face contact; and a bearing plate, wear strip or gib for linear and sliding contact. We also machine graphited plates and bars for flat sliding surfaces, where the same plug technology used in a round bore is applied to a flat face.
Two procurement notes are worth stating early, because they decide lead time and cost more than anything else on a drawing.
- Cored versus solid bar. A cored bar already contains the bore, so less material is turned into chips and wall thickness is more uniform. For large bushings, cored stock is usually both faster and cheaper. For small or heavily profiled parts, solid bar gives the machinist freedom to place the bore wherever the part needs it.
- Quantity shape. Prototypes and one-off repair bushings are usually cut from stock bar. Short runs may be near-net castings. Long runs justify pattern equipment or a dedicated mould, which pays back in machining time rather than in material cost.
Because so much of this work is replacement rather than new build, quoting from a worn sample is routine. A competent shop reverse-engineers from the worn part, but it should also ask for the shaft diameter, the housing bore and the failure mode, because a worn bushing tells you what was there, not what should have been there. A bushing that failed by seizure and one that failed by abrasive wear point to two different alloys even when the dimensions are identical.
custom machined bronze parts
bushing manufacturer
Example: Aluminum bronze, Manganese bronze, Tin bronze, C86300, C93200, C95400
Leaded tin bronzes: the workhorses
This is the family that most engineers mean when they say “bearing bronze”. Tin provides the hard load-bearing matrix; lead sits in it as a soft dispersed phase. That soft phase does three things at once. It acts as a built-in boundary lubricant and reduces the tendency to seize. It gives the bearing a degree of conformability, so it accommodates slight shaft misalignment and deflection, spreading load instead of concentrating it at an edge. And it embeds small contaminants — grit, scale, fibre, machining chips — below the running surface instead of dragging them across the shaft as an abrasive.
The trade-off is linear and predictable: more lead means better conformability, better embeddability and easier machining, but lower tensile strength, lower hardness and lower load capacity.
C93200 / SAE 660 — the general-purpose default
Cu 81–85, Sn 6.3–7.5, Pb 6–8, Zn 2–4. Minimum 241 MPa tensile and 138 MPa yield at 0.5 % extension, 10 % elongation, 65 HB typical, machinability index 70. It runs well against unhardened and imperfectly finished shafts, tolerates interrupted lubrication, and machines freely enough to hold a good bore finish without special tooling. Where a customer asks for “bearing bronze” without naming a grade, C93200 is almost always the intended answer. Continuous-cast bar is available solid and cored across a wide size range, which makes it the practical default for replacement sleeves and flanged bushings on general machinery, pumps, cylinders and press components.
C93700 / SAE 64 — more tin, more lead, harder duty
Cu 78–82, Sn 9–11, Pb 8–11. Minimum 241 MPa tensile, 60 HB typical, machinability index 80. The higher tin content buys better corrosion and oxidation resistance and a stronger matrix than C93200, while the higher lead keeps seizure resistance high. It is used where lubrication may be marginal or interrupted and where speeds are higher — a common specification for higher-speed, higher-load bearings and for pump and adjustment mechanisms exposed to wet, weakly corrosive service.
C93800 / SAE 67 — maximum forgiveness
Cu 75–79, Sn 6.3–7.5, Pb 13–16. Minimum 172 MPa tensile, 55 HB typical, machinability index 80. This is the least strong and most forgiving alloy in the group. Its value is shaft protection: when the bearing is deliberately made the sacrificial component, C93800 embeds damaging particles and takes up misalignment more readily than any other grade in this family. Specify it for slow, heavily loaded, poorly lubricated and dirty service where replacing a bushing is cheap and replacing a shaft or a roll journal is not.
C93400, C93600, C94100, C94300 — the higher-lead tail
These grades extend the same curve. C93600 (Cu ~81, Sn 6.5–8, Pb 11–13) sits between SAE 64 and SAE 67. C94100 (Pb 18–22, ~45–55 HB) and C94300 (Pb 23–27, ~48 HB) are the extreme end: maximum embeddability and anti-seizure behaviour at low hardness and modest strength, chosen for the dirtiest positions and slowest speeds. They exist for one reason — keeping an expensive counterface alive.
Cast alloy families at a glance
Six families cover almost every bronze bushing that crosses a machine shop. The table below gives the alloys we are asked for most often, on a continuous-cast basis, with minimum or typical values as noted. Read it as a shortlist, not a specification — the notes underneath the table explain the two traps that catch most first-time buyers.
| UNS | Common designation | Nominal composition (wt %) | Rm min / typ. | Rp0.2 | Elong. | Hardness typ. | Machin-ability index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C83600 | Leaded red brass, SAE 40 | Cu 84–86; Sn 4–6; Pb 4–6; Zn 4–6 | 207 min (sand) / ~310 typ. | ~145 MPa | 18 % | 60–72 HB | 84 |
| C84400 | Leaded semi-red brass | Cu 78–82; Sn 2.3–3.5; Pb 6–8; Zn 7–10 | ~255 typ. | ~110 MPa | 18–23 % | 55 HB | 90 |
| C93200 | Leaded tin bronze, SAE 660 | Cu 81–85; Sn 6.3–7.5; Pb 6–8; Zn 2–4 | 241 min | 138 min | 10 % min | 65 HB | 70 |
| C93700 | High-leaded tin bronze, SAE 64 | Cu 78–82; Sn 9–11; Pb 8–11 | 241 min | 138 min | 6–15 % | 60 HB | 80 |
| C93800 | High-leaded tin bronze, SAE 67 | Cu 75–79; Sn 6.3–7.5; Pb 13–16 | 172 min | 110 min | 5–12 % | 55 HB | 80 |
| C90300 | Tin bronze, SAE 620 | Cu 86–89; Sn 7.5–9; Zn 3–5 | 303 min | 152 min | 18 % | 70–77 HB | 30 |
| C90500 | Tin bronze, SAE 62 | Cu 86–89; Sn 9–11; Zn 1–3 | 303–352 | 152–200 | 10–18 % | 75–92 HB | 30 |
| C90700 | Tin bronze, SAE 65 | Cu 88–90; Sn 10–12 | 276–352 | 172–200 | 10–18 % | 80–95 HB | 20 |
| C92200 | Leaded tin bronze, SAE 622 | Cu 86–90; Sn 5.5–6.5; Pb 1–2; Zn 3–5 | 262 min | 131 min | 18 % | 65 HB | 42 |
| C86200 | Manganese bronze, SAE 430A | Cu 60–68; Zn 22–28; Al 3–5; Fe 2–4; Mn 2.5–5 | 620 min | 310 min | 18 % | 180 HB | 30 |
| C86300 | Manganese bronze, SAE 430B | Cu 60–66; Zn 22–28; Al 5–7.5; Fe 2–4; Mn 2.5–5 | 758 min | 427 min | 14 % | 210–225 HB | 8 |
| C86500 | Manganese bronze, SAE 43 | Cu 55–60; Zn 36–42; Al 0.5–1.5; Fe 0.4–2.0 | 448–483 | 172 min | 25 % | 130 HB | 26 |
| C95400 | Aluminum bronze, SAE 954 | Cu 83 min; Al 10–11.5; Fe 3–5; Ni 1.5 max | 586 min | 221 min | 12 % | 170 HB (195 HT) | 60 |
| C95500 | Nickel-aluminum bronze | Cu 78 min; Al 10–11.5; Fe 3–5; Ni 3–5.5; Mn 3.5 max | 655–690 | 290–303 | 10–12 % | 195 HB (230 HT) | 50 |
| C95800 | Nickel-aluminum bronze | Cu 79 min; Al 8.5–9.5; Fe 3.5–4.5; Ni 4–5; Mn 0.8–1.5 | 586 min | 241 min | 15 % | 159–175 HB | 50 |
| C95900 | Aluminum bronze, high-Al | Cu ~82; Al ~13; Fe ~4; Mn ~1 | ~620 | ~359 | ~1 % | 241 HB min | low |
Basis and caveats. Composition and minimum mechanical values follow published continuous-cast and cast-copper-alloy data (the C8xxxx series in UNS). Hardness figures are typical, not minimum, unless marked “min”. Machinability index is a comparative scale with free-cutting brass at 100 and is quoted for ranking only — it varies with temper, casting route and tooling. Values shown as ranges reflect the spread between continuous cast, centrifugal cast and sand cast routes and between as-cast and heat-treated condition. Density and thermal data for the alloys quoted most often: C93200 8.91 g/cm³, liquidus 977 °C / solidus 854 °C; C86300 7.83 g/cm³; C86500 8.33 g/cm³; C95400 ~7.45 g/cm³; C95500 ~7.53 g/cm³; C95800 ~7.64 g/cm³. Confirm all values against the supplier material test certificate for the specific heat and form.
Tin bronzes: strength and wear without lead
Take the lead out and the same Cu-Sn system becomes noticeably stronger, harder and more wear resistant — and much harder to machine. There is a reason the index column in Table 1 drops from 70–80 for the leaded grades to 20–30 here: the same soft phase that makes a leaded bronze easy to cut is also what makes a shaft easy on the bearing. Removing it improves load capacity and reduces the environmental and process restrictions associated with lead, at the cost of faster tool wear and less tolerance for misalignment.
C90300 / SAE 620
Cu 86–89, Sn 7.5–9, Zn 3–5, minimum 303 MPa tensile and 152 MPa yield with 18 % elongation at 70–77 HB. A general structural tin bronze used for sleeve bearings, pump bodies, gears, valves and steam fittings. It wears well against steel and is often chosen where a lead-free alloy is required but the load does not justify aluminum bronze.
C90500 / SAE 62 and C90700 / SAE 65
C90500 (Cu 86–89, Sn 9–11, Zn 1–3) reaches roughly 303–352 MPa tensile at 75–92 HB; C90700 (Cu 88–90, Sn 10–12) reaches 276–352 MPa at 80–95 HB. Both are harder and more wear resistant than C90300 and both are significantly harder to machine — C90700 at an index of 20 is one of the least free-cutting alloys on this page. They are specified for gear and worm-wheel service, piston rings, valve guides and pump impellers, and for bearings carrying high loads at relatively low speeds where the counterface is a hardened steel shaft. Machining cost should be priced into the decision, not discovered afterwards.
C90200, C91000, C91100, C91700
C90200 (Cu 86–89, Sn 6.5–8) is the leanest of the tin bronzes. C91000 and C91100 push tin up to 14–17 % and gain hardness — roughly 105–135 HB — but lose ductility almost completely, which limits them to applications where hardness is the whole objective. C91700 adds about 2 % nickel to raise strength and thermal stability while keeping corrosion resistance in wet service.
C92200, C92300, C92500, C92600, C92700, C92800, C92900, C94800
This group trades tin against lead, nickel and zinc to move along the same strength/forgiveness axis. C92200 (Cu 86–90, Sn 5.5–6.5, Pb 1–2) and C92300 sit at the low-lead end and are widely used for pressure-tight valve and hydraulic components; C92500 and C92800 run higher tin for hardness and wear resistance; C92900 adds about 3.5 % nickel and reaches around 100 HB, which makes it a useful substitute where a steel-backed bearing or a harder bore is needed; C92700 and C94800 fill the middle. When machining these, expect markedly better chip control than C90700 but worse than any leaded grade.
Red and semi-red brasses: corrosion, pressure, cost
C83600 — leaded red brass, SAE 40
Cu 84–86, Sn 4–6, Pb 4–6, Zn 4–6. This is the classic 85-5-5-5 composition. It casts and machines well, is pressure tight, and has good corrosion resistance in water and in many industrial chemicals. Tensile values are route dependent — roughly 207 MPa minimum in sand casting, rising to around 300–310 MPa for continuously cast material at 60–72 HB. Because of that spread, C83600 is a good illustration of why a drawing should state the casting route, not just the alloy: two parts made to the same alloy call-out can differ by 100 MPa in tensile strength depending on how the bar was produced.
Use it for pump and valve bodies and bushings, valve stems and seats, and water-system components. It is one of the few alloys here that performs well both as a structural valve casting and as a machined bushing.
C84400 — leaded semi-red brass
Cu 78–82 with lower tin (2.3–3.5) and higher lead (6–8) and zinc (7–10). Around 255 MPa typical tensile at 55 HB with a machinability index of 90 — the easiest alloy on this page to cut. It is a lower-cost general casting brass for hardware, fittings and general industrial components where load capacity is secondary to cost, castability and machinability. Do not specify it for a high-load bushing simply because it machines quickly.
Manganese bronzes: for extreme load and shock
The manganese bronzes are the strongest as-cast copper alloys in common bearing use, and the ones where “bronze” stops being a soft metal. They combine high tensile strength with high hardness and good abrasion resistance, which makes them the default choice for heavy static load, shock load and abrasive dust — and the worst choice where conformability or high-speed running matters.
C86300 / SAE 430B — the heavy-load specialist
Cu 60–66, Zn 22–28, Al 5–7.5, Fe 2–4, Mn 2.5–5. Minimum 758 MPa tensile and 427 MPa yield at 14 % elongation, 210–225 HB, density 7.83 g/cm³, machinability index 8. That index of 8 is not a typo: C86300 is roughly a ninth as free-cutting as free-cutting brass, and a ninth as free-cutting as C93200. It is machined because nothing softer will survive the application, and tooling, speeds and feeds must be planned for it.
Specify it for die-set guide bushings, press and forming wear plates, slide gibs, heavy structural pivots and couplings, and any position carrying high static load at low speed with shock and grit present. It performs at its strongest in static service; it is not an alloy for continuous high-speed rotation.
C86200 / SAE 430A and C86500 / SAE 43
C86200 (Cu 60–68) is the slightly leaner version — around 620 MPa tensile at 180 HB — and gives a better balance between strength and machinability for general high-strength parts. C86500 (Cu 55–60, Zn 36–42) is a lower-aluminum, higher-zinc manganese bronze with approximately 448–483 MPa tensile and 130 HB at 25 % elongation, so it is the most ductile of the three. It is machined more easily than C86300 and is used where toughness and impact resistance matter more than raw hardness. Earlier in the family, C86400 is a lower-alloy version used for general cast and machined parts where a full manganese bronze would be over-specified.
Aluminum bronzes: strength, heat and aggressive water
Aluminum bronzes add 9–13 % aluminum, with iron and often nickel. The result is high strength, high hardness, exceptional resistance to oxidation at elevated temperature and a protective oxide film that makes them the preferred family in seawater, brackish water, chlorides and many industrial chemicals. They are also the family that most often gets specified by people who then discover how they cut.
C95400 / SAE 954
Cu 83 min, Al 10–11.5, Fe 3–5, Ni 1.5 max. Continuous cast, as-cast: minimum 586 MPa tensile, 221 MPa yield, 12 % elongation, about 170 HB; heat treated, roughly 690 MPa and 310 MPa at 195 HB, with elongation falling to about 10 %. Density around 7.45 g/cm³ — noticeably lighter than a tin bronze, which matters on large parts. It is lead-free, weldable and brazeable, and its physical properties hold up at temperature: its compressive strength at around 260 °C is comparable to that of a tin bronze at room temperature. The standard choice for heavy earth-moving equipment pivots, roll-neck and machine-tool bearings, worm gears, pump parts and any bushing that must resist both high load and corrosion.
C95500 and C95800 — nickel-aluminum bronzes
C95500 (Cu 78 min, Al 10–11.5, Fe 3–5, Ni 3–5.5) reaches roughly 655–690 MPa tensile and 290–303 MPa yield at 195 HB as cast, or around 827 MPa and 470 MPa at 230 HB when heat treated. C95800 (Cu 79 min, Al 8.5–9.5, Ni 4–5) trades some aluminum for nickel and lands around 586 MPa and 241 MPa at 159–175 HB with 15 % elongation. C95800’s nickel-rich oxide film is specifically what makes it stand up to flowing seawater and to hot, slightly acidic process fluids — it resists the selective attack that strips aluminum out of a plain aluminum bronze and leaves a porous copper sponge behind.
Use C95500 where maximum strength under impact and high load is required together with corrosion resistance. Use C95800 where the environment is the dominant problem — pumps and valve internals handling seawater, brackish water, and wet acidic service. Both are available as centrifugally cast and continuously cast bar, and centrifugally cast material is normally preferred for large-diameter heavy-wall bushings because the process produces a denser, more uniform wall.
C95200 and C95900
C95200 (Cu 88, Al 9, Fe 3) is the leanest aluminum bronze, around 448 MPa tensile at 125–140 HB, with the highest ductility in the family and correspondingly the least wear resistance — a reasonable general-purpose corrosion-resistant bronze where load is moderate. At the far end, C95900 pushes aluminum to about 13 % and reaches roughly 241 HB minimum with very low elongation; it is a wear-plate and forming-die material, chosen for abrasion resistance against hard counterfaces rather than for conformability. It should not be used where misalignment or shock has to be absorbed.
Machining aluminum and manganese bronzes. There is no free-cutting-brass-referenced index that honestly describes these alloys. The practical statement is that they machine like a steel of similar hardness or harder, and that the numbers in Table 1 should be read as a ranking rather than as a productivity estimate. Expect heavier cutting forces, more tool wear, a strong tendency to work-harden at the cut, and the need for rigid setups and generous coolant. Where a design can be satisfied with a tin bronze, the machining time saved is usually larger than the material cost difference.
Oil-impregnated sintered bronze: the other self-lubricating answer
Cast bronze is one way to make a self-lubricating bearing. Powder metallurgy is the other, and it solves a different problem. Oil-impregnated sintered bronze — the SAE 841 designation, also referenced as ASTM B438 Grade 1 Type II and MPIF CT-1000-K26 — is compacted from copper and tin powder, sintered, and then vacuum-impregnated with oil. The interconnected porosity, typically 19 % or more by volume, holds the oil and releases it into the running clearance during rotation, then reabsorbs it when the shaft stops.
Typical published values: copper 87.5–90.5 %, tin 9.5–10.5 %, density 6.4–6.8 g/cm³, porosity 19 % minimum, tensile strength around 96 MPa (14 ksi), compressive yield around 76 MPa, elongation about 1 %, apparent hardness in the 45–70 HRH range. Note what those numbers mean. Sintered bronze is far weaker than any cast alloy in this document. It is a light-to-moderate load, moderate-to-high speed material that excels at quiet running, low cost and true maintenance-free operation in clean service. It is not a substitute for a cast bronze bushing in a heavy, slow, shock-loaded or dirty position, and it should not be pressed into duty it cannot take.
Where it wins: fractional-horsepower and small industrial motors, business machines, appliances, conveyors, water pumps, tool and hobby equipment, motion-control linkages, and agricultural and lawn equipment with intermittent duty. Bar and plate stock in sintered bronze is also machined into bearing plates and custom profiles, but the machined surface closes the surface porosity, so a machined sintered part loses some of the oil-reservoir behaviour its bore would have had. If the oil reservoir must survive machining, say so on the drawing.
For a cast bronze supplier, the useful framing is this: sintered bronze answers “no lubrication, light load, clean environment, high volume”. Graphite-plugged cast bronze answers “no lubrication, heavy load, hot or dirty environment, low speed”. They overlap in the middle and are not interchangeable at the extremes.
Self-lubricating variants: plugged, grooved, split
A cast bronze bushing becomes a self-lubricating bronze bearing through geometry, not chemistry. Three modifications do most of the work, and they are frequently combined.
Graphite plugged bushings
Holes are drilled into the running surface to a depth that leaves solid lubricant available through the wear life of the wall, and solid graphite plugs are pressed in. During running, friction and micro-motion release graphite particles which form a transfer film on the shaft; subsequent motion is largely graphite against graphite rather than bronze against steel. Because the lubricant is solid and full-depth, there is no film to deplete and nothing to re-grease.
The tuning parameter is plug area coverage. Published practice clusters in the 20–30 % band for general duty, with wider ranges quoted for specific motion types: roughly 25–40 % for oscillating or start-stop motion where the film is hardest to maintain, 20–30 % for low-speed continuous rotation, and 15–25 % for faster rotation where hydrodynamic action helps and load capacity should be protected. More graphite means lower friction and better dry running; less graphite means more load-bearing bronze. Coverage, plug diameter and pattern should be specified together, and where the load direction is fixed, the plug pattern should be biased to the loaded arc.
Reference envelopes for graphite-plugged cast bronze. Across published industry sources, dry sliding speeds are generally kept at or below about 0.5 m/s and dry PV limits fall in the range of approximately 1.0–2.5 MPa·m/s, with allowable static pressure of roughly 100–150 N/mm² dependent on the base alloy — aluminum and manganese bronzes at the top of that band, tin bronzes lower. Coefficient of friction in dry running is commonly quoted between about 0.05 and 0.15, moving with graphite coverage and load. These are industry reference envelopes, not design allowables; the real limit is a heat-balance question in the specific assembly, and PV must be calculated rather than assumed. A bushing rated for 150 N/mm² static load can still fail at 60 N/mm² if the shaft speed pushes the product past the thermal limit.
Grooved bushings
Oil and grease grooves distribute lubricant across the bearing length and stop a single oil hole from starving the ends of the bore. The standard patterns are well established and worth naming on a drawing, because the pattern has to match the motion: a straight axial groove feeds a rotating shaft from one end; a circular groove rings the bore and suits oscillating motion; a single loop or double loop combines distribution and reservoir volume; a figure-eight or double figure-eight keeps lubricant in the loaded zone; a right-hand or left-hand spiral drives lubricant in a chosen direction along the bore, which matters when the shaft carries a pumping or sealing function; and a straight-plus-circular combination puts a reservoir ring at one end of a feed path. Diamond and cross-hatched patterns are also used on flat wear plates to break up stick-slip.
Plugged and grooved together
In the most heavily loaded positions, graphite alone is not enough. The usual solution is a hybrid: graphite plugs for continuous dry lubrication, with a diamond or spiral groove pattern between them to carry EP grease during running-in and during peak-load events, after which the graphite takes over. The groove network also gives contaminants somewhere to go. This combination is what makes a plugged bushing work in slow, heavily loaded, intermittently maintained equipment.
Split bushings and wear plates
Splitting a bushing into halves allows it to be fitted around a shaft that stays assembled — standard practice on large pump, mill and marine shafts where dismantling the drive train is not an option. A split bushing is machined as a finished assembly, cut, and then often supplied banded or clamped so the bore diameter is correct when it is installed. The split line also becomes a contamination path and a place where the bore can pinch the shaft if the housing clearance is wrong; the split must be positioned out of the main load arc.
Wear plates, strips and gibs are the flat-face equivalents: the same alloys and the same plug technology applied to sliding faces rather than bores. They are machined to thickness, flatness and often a groove pattern, and they are the right answer when the motion is linear or the load is a face contact the round bushing cannot take.
Casting routes and why they change the numbers
A drawing that says only “C93200” is an incomplete drawing, because the same alloy is routinely supplied through three routes with materially different properties. This is not a formality — it is the single most common source of argument between a buyer and a supplier, and the “why is my bronze softer than the datasheet” question almost always traces back to it.
| Route | What it produces | Effect on the part | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous cast | Molten metal drawn through a water-cooled die; long solid and cored bar of consistent section. | Fine, uniform grain; low porosity; consistent properties along the length; good machinability and finish. | Bar, tube and plate stock; sleeves, flanged bushings and washers in small to medium sections; volume production with predictable cost. |
| Centrifugal cast | Metal poured into a rotating mould; dense wall on the outside, lighter structure toward the bore. | Good density and low porosity in heavy walls; uniform structure; capable of very large diameters and heavy wall thickness. | Large-diameter and thick-wall bushings, split bearings and mill-scale components where solid bar is impractical or uneconomic. |
| Sand cast | Metal poured into a sand mould; free shapes, flanges, ribs and near-net forms. | Coarser grain and higher porosity risk; properties generally lower than continuous or centrifugal cast; the most economical route to a non-round shape. | Complex geometry, low volume, prototypes, and parts where shape outweighs a modest loss in strength. |
Route selection typically moves minimum tensile strength on the order of 20–40 % for the same alloy — for example a leaded red brass at roughly 207 MPa minimum sand cast versus around 300 MPa continuously cast. Values are reference figures; confirm the route-specific requirement with the material test certificate.
Two consequences follow. First, when a design is strength-limited, the drawing should name both the alloy and the route, or state the required minimum values directly. Second, the outside skin of any casting is stronger and harder than its interior, so a part that is machined all over — which a bushing usually is — no longer carries the as-cast surface properties. This is why a certificate for the heat is not the same thing as an assurance about the part.
Heat treatment applies to part of the aluminum bronze family. C95400 and C95500 are commonly supplied either as-cast or quenched and tempered; heat treatment raises tensile and yield strength substantially while reducing elongation. Where a position is stress-critical, specify the temper as well as the alloy, because as-cast and heat-treated versions of the same designation are not interchangeable in a calculation.
Selection table by operating condition
Most alloy choices are settled by four questions: how fast, how hard, how hot, and how dirty. The table below is a starting point for a design conversation, not a substitute for a PV calculation.
| Operating condition | Starting alloy | Form / feature | Engineering reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow rotating, high radial load, lubricated | C93200 | Sleeve or flanged, grooved | Balanced strength, lubricity and conformability; easy to machine to a good bore. |
| High load with shock or impact at low speed | C86300, or C95400 if corrosion is also present | Heavy-wall bushing, wear plate, die bushing | Highest as-cast strength and hardness in the family; resists deformation under pounding. |
| Oscillating or start-stop, dry, high load | C95400 or C86300 with graphite plugs | Plugged bushing, 25–40 % coverage | Solid lubricant that does not drain away between movements. |
| Micro-motion or small-angle oscillation under load | C95400 with graphite plugs; avoid unplugged hardened bronze | Plugged, or consider a polymer composite overlay | Fretting is a transfer-film problem; hard bronze on hard steel in micro-motion tends to pick up and score. |
| Fast rotation with light load and clean service | SAE 841 sintered bronze | Plain or flanged sintered bushing | Porous reservoir feeds oil continuously and quietly; lower cost at volume. |
| Higher speed, low or interrupted lubrication | C93700 | Grooved sleeve | More tin raises matrix strength and corrosion resistance; high lead maintains seizure resistance. |
| Contaminated lubricant, dirty environment, sacrifice the bearing | C93800, C94100 or C94300 | Sleeve or flanged, thick wall | High lead embeds grit and accommodates misalignment to protect the shaft. |
| Wash-down, wet or weakly acidic service | C83600, C95400 or C95800 | Flanged bushing, plugged if ungreased | Copper-rich or aluminum-rich oxide films resist water and dilute acids better than leaded tin bronze. |
| Seawater, brackish water or brine with abrasion | C95800 or C95500 | Centrifugal cast, heavy wall, plugged if dry | Nickel stabilises the protective oxide and prevents selective aluminum loss in chloride service. |
| Continuous service above roughly 200 °C | C95400 or C95500 with high-temperature graphite | Plugged bushing; avoid leaded bases | Lead-bearing alloys soften and sweat at temperature; aluminum bronzes retain compressive strength far higher up the scale. |
| Face contact or axial thrust | C93200 or C86300 | Thrust washer, thrust ring or wear plate | Matches the family’s load behaviour to a flat sliding face. |
| Very large diameter, shaft cannot be dismantled | C93200 or C93700 | Centrifugal cast split bushing | Dense heavy wall in a form that installs around an assembled shaft. |
| Wear resistance against a hard, abrasive counterface | C95900 or C86300 | Wear plate, gib, forming die insert | Hardness and abrasion resistance are the objective; conformability is deliberately sacrificed. |
Starting points only. Final selection depends on shaft material and hardness, surface finish, clearance, duty cycle, heat balance, contaminant type and the consequence of failure. Confirm against the application’s calculated PV and the supplier material test certificate.
Full cast alloy index
The table below lists the cast bronze and brass designations a machined-parts shop is normally asked for, grouped by family, with the role each plays in a finished part. It is a routing reference for quoting, not a properties table — use Tables 1 and 3 for numbers and selection.
| UNS | Legacy designation | Family | Typical role in a machined part |
|---|---|---|---|
| C83600 | SAE 40 | Leaded red brass | Water and valve bushings, pump components, corrosion-resistant sleeves |
| C84400 | — | Leaded semi-red brass | Low-cost general castings and light-duty hardware bushings |
| C90200 | — | Tin bronze | Lean tin bronze for moderate load sleeve bearings |
| C90300 | SAE 620 | Tin bronze | Sleeve bearings, pump bodies, gears, valve components |
| C90500 | SAE 62 | Tin bronze | Gears, valve guides, pump impellers, higher-load bushings |
| C90700 | SAE 65 | Tin bronze | Hard, wear-resistant gear and bushing duty at low speed |
| C91000 | — | Tin bronze | High-hardness, low-ductility bearings and wear parts |
| C91100 | — | Tin bronze | As C91000, pushed further toward hardness |
| C91700 | — | Nickel tin bronze | Strength and thermal stability with wet-service corrosion resistance |
| C92200 | SAE 622 | Leaded tin bronze | Pressure-tight valve, hydraulic and steam fittings and bushings |
| C92300 | SAE 621 | Leaded tin bronze | Valve and pump components, moderate-load bearings |
| C92500 | SAE 640 | Leaded tin bronze | Higher-tin bearings and gears with improved wear resistance |
| C92600 | — | Leaded tin bronze | Commercial general-purpose bearing and fitting castings |
| C92700 | SAE 63 | Leaded tin bronze | Piston rings, bearings and general machine components |
| C92800 | — | Leaded tin bronze | High-tin, high-hardness bearings and wear parts |
| C92900 | — | Leaded nickel tin bronze | Harder bearing grade used as a substitute for steel-backed bearings |
| C93200 | SAE 660 | Leaded tin bronze | The general-purpose bushing, bearing, washer and wear-plate alloy |
| C93400 | — | Leaded tin bronze | Bearings, bushings, washers, pump components |
| C93600 | — | High-leaded tin bronze | Slow, heavily loaded bearings with impact |
| C93700 | SAE 64 | High-leaded tin bronze | Heavily loaded higher-speed bearings, wet corrosive service |
| C93800 | SAE 67 | High-leaded tin bronze | Maximum conformability and embeddability; sacrificial bearing |
| C94100 | — | High-leaded tin bronze | Dirtiest, slowest service where shaft protection dominates |
| C94300 | — | High-leaded tin bronze | Highest-lead grade; lowest speed and load, maximum forgiveness |
| C94800 | — | Leaded nickel tin bronze | Corrosion-resistant bushings and fittings with added strength |
| C86200 | SAE 430A | Manganese bronze | High-strength structural and heavy-load bearing components |
| C86300 | SAE 430B | Manganese bronze | Die bushings, heavy-load bushings, wear plates, slide gibs |
| C86400 | — | Manganese bronze | General high-strength cast and machined parts |
| C86500 | SAE 43 | Manganese bronze | Tough, impact-resistant structural and bearing components |
| C95400 | SAE 954 | Aluminum bronze | Heavy-load and elevated-temperature bushings, gears, wear plates |
| C95500 | — | Nickel-aluminum bronze | Maximum strength with seawater and abrasive-slurry resistance |
| C95800 | — | Nickel-aluminum bronze | Chloride and hot-acid service: pumps, valves, immersed pivots |
| C95900 | — | Aluminum bronze | Hard wear plates, gibs and forming-die inserts |
| SAE 841 | ASTM B438 Gr. 1 Type II | Sintered bronze | Oil-impregnated light-duty self-lubricating bushings and plates |
Where a legacy SAE or older ASTM designation appears alongside the UNS number, treat the correspondence as comparable rather than identical: designation systems were reissued over time and an old designation does not always carry the same composition limits as the current one. Confirm the required composition window, casting route and mechanical minimums on the purchase enquiry.
Machining and installation notes
Most bushing failures that reach a machine shop as a warranty claim are installation problems, not material problems. The following points are the ones that cause the most trouble.
Fits and clearance
- Housing. A press fit into an H7 housing bore is the normal arrangement for a cast bronze sleeve. Interference must be enough to prevent the bushing turning under load and to keep it from becoming loose when the housing warms up. Aluminum housings expand more than bronze, which reduces grip at temperature — a case where a mechanical anti-rotation feature is worth the extra machining.
- Shaft. A clearance or transition fit is usual, with running clearance set from the shaft diameter, the expected temperature rise and the thermal expansion of the pair. Where bronze runs against bronze, or against a rusted or damaged shaft journal, clearance has to be larger or the assembly will pick up.
- Clearance budget. Published practice for heavy sliding systems commonly lands at roughly 0.05–0.25 mm per side, increased for high speed or oscillation, with the total assembled clearance kept below about 0.5 mm. Treat this as an industry convention, not a design standard — the governing figure is the assembly’s own thermal and alignment analysis.
- Shaft hardness and finish. For graphite-plugged bushings, published guidance commonly recommends a shaft hardness of about 150 HB minimum for general service, rising to 45 HRC or harder where long life is required, and a shaft surface roughness no coarser than about Ra 0.8–1.6 µm. A rough shaft rasps the graphite film off faster than the plugs can replenish it, which is the most common reason a self-lubricating bushing underperforms its datasheet.
Installation practice
- Do not hammer the running surface. Press with a properly sized driver acting on the outside diameter or the end face, or use controlled thermal fitting. Direct impact on a bore burrs the edge, closes clearance and can crack the graphite plugs near the load zone.
- Position the plugs. Where the load direction is fixed, the graphite pattern should face the loaded arc. Plugs sitting in an unloaded region do most of their work in the wrong place. Where a bush is also grooved, the groove network and the plug pattern must be designed together so the groove does not run through the busiest plug row.
- Anti-rotation. Flats, dowel pins, keys or a flange bolt pattern prevent the bushing from rotating in its housing. This matters most when the interference fit is modest, when the housing is a different metal, or when the joint is expected to move only occasionally and could be frozen by corrosion.
- Chamfer and break every edge. A 1–2 mm × 45° lead chamfer at the bore entry, and a deburred edge everywhere else, is the cheapest insurance against a scored shaft. This applies just as much to a machined oil hole as to the bore itself.
- Run in before you rely on it. Giving a self-lubricating bushing a short running-in period with a light grease film helps the graphite transfer layer establish itself sooner and reduces the surface damage from the first few revolutions.
- Keep contamination out. Labyrinth seals, dust shields and filtered cooling water extend the life of any bronze bushing more than an alloy upgrade will. Large hard particles that get past a seal will embed in a soft bronze and act as a lap, wearing the shaft and changing the bore clearance.
What to put on the enquiry
A quotation request that gets a useful answer the first time states: the alloy or the required property envelope, the casting route if strength is critical, the finished dimensions and tolerances with the interface fits, the shaft material, hardness and surface finish, the load (static and dynamic), the speed and motion type, the operating temperature range, the environment and contaminant, whether the part must run dry and whether grooves, plugs, splits or a flange are required. Include the application and the failure mode of the part being replaced. A drawing alone rarely contains enough of this to choose an alloy, and the alloy is usually where the money is.
Application matrix: five markets
The five markets below were chosen because each one concentrates a different failure mode. The United States concentrates access-limited maintenance — equipment in places nobody wants to send a grease gun. Malaysia concentrates hot, wet, fibrous and abrasive process environments. South America concentrates large, slow, immersed machinery expected to run for decades. The Netherlands concentrates moving water infrastructure and sand-slurry abrasion. Mexico concentrates heavy metal forming, high-temperature process plant and large-scale water pumping. The alloy logic differs in each, which is the point of the matrix.
| Market | Dominant industries | Dominant service environment | Go-to alloys |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Oil and gas surface equipment, water and wastewater utilities, wind energy, moulding and press equipment, pulp and paper | Remote, hard to service; wash-down; heat; abrasion | C93200, C93800, C86300, C95400, SAE 841 |
| Malaysia | Rubber and glove manufacturing, electronics assembly and test, timber and plywood, palm oil milling, aggregate and cement, bulk ports | Hot and humid; fibrous and abrasive dust; salt atmosphere; dry-running clean rooms | C86300, C95400, C93200, C83600, SAE 841 |
| South America | Hydroelectric generation, pulp and paper, desalination and bulk water, ports and bulk terminals, grain handling, cement | Immersed and sediment-laden; alkaline; hot; decades-long service intervals | C95400, C95500, C95800, C86300 |
| Netherlands | Dredging and marine infrastructure, inland waterway locks and movable bridges, greenhouse technology, offshore wind, port transshipment | Sand and gravel slurry; brackish and seawater; negligible-speed movement under high load; humidity | C95500, C95800, C95400, C86300 |
| Mexico | Metal forming and die sets, cement and lime, aggregate crushing and screening, irrigation and water conveyance, appliance and HVAC manufacturing, structural steel fabrication | Shock and abrasion; high temperature and alkaline dust; water-lubricated; minimal lubrication access | C86300, C95400, C93200, C83600 |
United States — the access problem
American demand skews towards positions where re-lubrication is the enemy: equipment at a remote well site, a bushing two metres inside a machine guard, a bearing on a structure that requires a crane to reach. Self-lubricating cast bronze and sintered bronze both win here, and the deciding question is usually load: sintered bronze for light, fast, clean positions; graphite-plugged cast bronze for heavy, slow, dirty ones.
| Equipment / position | Service conditions | Recommended alloy & form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beam pumping unit — walking beam centre bearing, horsehead and equaliser bushings, crank-pin bushings | Slow oscillation, high load, weather-exposed, long service intervals; dusty or sandy sites | C93200 grooved sleeve, or C93800 where lubricant quality is poor and the shaft must be protected | Oscillating motion starves an oil film; a leaded bronze with good conformability tolerates it and embeds wind-borne grit. |
| Progressive-cavity and surface transfer pumps — drive-end bushings, gland and stuffing-box bushings | Abrasive fluid, vibration, limited access | C93700 sleeve; C95400 where sand loading is heavy | Higher tin resists corrosion from produced water; aluminum bronze takes the abrasive loading. |
| Water and wastewater treatment — sluice gate rollers, hinge and trunnion bushings, bar-screen pivots, screw-conveyor hanger bearings | Submerged or wash-down, no grease permitted near water, infrequent operation | C83600 or C95400 flanged bushing; graphite plugged where ungreased | Copper-rich alloys resist water and dilute acids; a plugged bore keeps a gate operable after years of standing still. |
| Onshore wind — pitch and yaw drive bushings and slider pads, nacelle and hatch hardware | Micro-motion under high load, wide temperature swing, cost of a service visit | C95400 plugged bushings and C86300 wear plates | High static load capacity with a solid lubricant that survives micro-motion and cold. |
| Injection moulding and die-casting machines — toggle-link bushings, tie-bar guide bushings, ejector-plate guides | High static load, slow reciprocation, oil mist undesirable near tooling | C86300 or C95400 plugged bushings | Combines high load capacity with dry running and no lubricant migration. |
| Press brakes, forming dies and die sets — guide-post bushings, wear plates, gibs | Shock load, abrasive scale, tight tolerance | C86300 die bushings and wear plates | Highest as-cast strength and hardness; resists deformation and edge loading under repeated impact. |
| Pulp and paper mills — woodyard chip-conveyor hanger bearings, lime kiln trunnion pads, dryer-section bearing housings | Hot, wet, alkaline, abrasive fibre; continuous operation | C95400 for hot and alkaline positions, C86300 for wear plates, C93200 for conveyors | Aluminum bronze holds strength at temperature and resists alkaline attack better than leaded tin bronze. |
| Agricultural and turf equipment — planter and implement pivots, gauge-wheel bushings, auger bearings | Dust, impact, no maintenance access, seasonal shutdown | SAE 841 sintered bronze for light pivots; C93200 or C95400 for load-bearing pivots | Cheap and quiet where loads are modest; cast bronze where impact and grit rule out a porous material. |
Malaysia — heat, fibre and humidity
Malaysian industry runs hot, wet and often fibrous or sugary. The recurring problems are lubricant that migrates and contaminates, grease that turns into an abrasive paste with dust, and free fatty acids that attack aluminum in a plain aluminum bronze. The selection logic tilts towards plugged bushings where grease is unwelcome, and towards nickel-bearing aluminum bronze where a hot acidic fluid is present.
| Equipment / position | Service conditions | Recommended alloy & form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm oil mill — steriliser door pivot and clutch-door bushings, nut cracker and ripple-mill shaft bushings, hydrocyclone de-sander wear inserts | Steam, condensate, fibrous dust, corrosive free fatty acids, 24-hour operation | C95800 or C95500 bushings and inserts; C86300 wear plates on high-abrasion faces | Nickel stabilises the protective oxide film and blocks the acid-and-steam attack that de-aluminises a plain aluminum bronze; the manganese bronze handles the abrasion. |
| Palm oil mill conveyors — steriliser, cake-breaker and fruit-elevator hanger bearings, FFB cage wheel hubs | Wet fibre, acid condensate, daily greasing unacceptable | C93200 or C93700 plugged bushings; split type for shafts that stay assembled | Graphite supplies dry lubrication where grease would contaminate product and attract fibre. |
| Rubber and glove manufacturing — dipping-line conveyor hanger bearings, tumbling-drum journals, mandrel-chain guides | Hot water and latex mist, wash-down, continuous duty | C93200 grooved sleeve or SAE 841 sintered bronze for light positions | Wash-down removes grease; a graphite-plugged or oil-impregnated bearing keeps running without re-lubrication. |
| Semiconductor and electronics assembly — test-handler pick-and-place cam bushings, lead-frame stamping die bushings, reflow conveyor bearings | Clean, dry, high cycle count, no lubricant release acceptable | C86300 die bushings; C93200 or sintered bronze for conveyor and indexing positions | Dry running without lubricant migration, with the load capacity a soft sintered bushing cannot provide. |
| Timber, plywood and veneer mills — veneer-lathe chuck and spindel bushings, dry-kiln trolley wheel bushings, log-conveyor hanger bearings | High temperature, steam, abrasive dust, heavy shock | C95400 bushings for hot positions; C86300 for trolley and wear positions | Aluminum bronze keeps its strength at kiln temperatures where a leaded tin bronze has already softened. |
| Aggregate, quarry and cement plants — crusher frame and toggle bushings, screen-deck pivots, conveyor pulley hanger bearings | Heavy shock, severe abrasive dust, minimal lubrication | C86300 or C95400 plugged bushings and wear plates | Hardness and impact resistance first; graphite removes the dependence on grease in a dust-filled environment. |
| Bulk ports and terminals — shiploader and unloader pivot bushings, crane sheave bushings, conveyor pulley bearings | Salt-laden atmosphere, high static load, infrequent maintenance windows | C95400 or C95500 bushings; C86300 for sheave and pivot wear faces | Corrosion resistance with high load capacity in a structure that is expensive to shut down. |
South America — large, slow, immersed, permanent
The South American pattern is scale. A hydroelectric plant, a kraft pulp mill or a coastal desalination train contains a small number of very large, very slow plain bearings that are expected to run for decades with service intervals measured in years. Weight and corrosion matter more than machinability, which pushes the selection towards aluminum bronzes and centrifugal cast heavy-wall forms.
| Equipment / position | Service conditions | Recommended alloy & form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydroelectric plant — turbine guide-vane and regulating-ring bushings, spillway gate trunnion bushings, trash-rack rake pivots | Immersed, sediment-laden water, very slow movement under high load, decades of service | C95400 or C95800, centrifugally cast, heavy wall; plugged where submerged and ungreased | Corrosion resistance plus high static load capacity; a solid lubricant keeps a gate that moves twice a year from seizing. |
| Pulp and paper — lime kiln trunnion and riding-ring pads, recausticising agitator bushings, woodyard chip-conveyor hanger bearings | High temperature, strongly alkaline, abrasive bark and grit | C95400 for kiln and alkaline positions; C86300 wear plates; C93200 for conveyors | Aluminum bronze keeps compressive strength at temperature and resists alkaline attack. |
| Coastal desalination and long-distance water conveyance — high-pressure pump bushings, valve-stem and actuator bushings, energy-recovery device bearings | Chloride-rich water, high pressure, continuous duty, tight maintenance windows | C95800 or C95500 bushings; plugged for ungreased valve positions | Nickel-aluminum bronze resists chloride-driven selective attack that degrades a plain aluminum bronze. |
| Ports and bulk terminals — ship unloader and loader pivots, stacker-reclaimer slewing bushings, crane sheave and drum bushings | Salt atmosphere, high static load, sand and ore dust | C95400 or C86300 bushings and wear plates | Combines corrosion resistance with the strength to take ore-handling shock loads. |
| Grain, oilseed and fertiliser terminals — elevator and auger hanger bearings, conveyor pulley bushings, gate and diverter pivots | Abrasive organic dust, outdoor exposure, seasonal peaks | C93200 grooved sleeve; C93800 where dust ingress is unavoidable | Embeddability protects the shaft when abrasive particles reach the bore. |
| Cement and clinker lines — roller-press and mill trunnion bushings, cooler grate drive pivots | High temperature, alkaline clinker dust, heavy load | C95400 or C86300 plugged bushings and wear plates | Hot, dusty and abrasive duty where grease cannot be relied on to stay in place. |
| Inland waterway and irrigation structures — gate hinge bushings, radial-gate arms, pump-set pivot bushings | Submerged or wet, infrequent operation, no routine lubrication | C83600 or C95400 flanged bushings, graphite plugged | Stays operable after long static periods; corrosion-resistant in fresh and slightly saline water. |
Cane milling tandems and their adjustment mechanisms remain a major South American application and are documented separately on this site’s sugar-mill application guide; they are not repeated here in order to keep this page focused on positions not already covered.
Netherlands — moving water and moving sand
Dutch demand is shaped by two facts: the country moves enormous volumes of sand and water, and much of the machinery that does it is slow, heavily loaded and permanently exposed to brackish conditions. Dredging equipment and waterway infrastructure are the two dominant categories, and both reward a self-lubricating aluminum bronze over anything that depends on grease surviving immersion.
| Equipment / position | Service conditions | Recommended alloy & form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutter suction dredgers — cutter-ladder pivot and ladder-winch bushings, spud carrier and spud guide bushings, A-frame sheave bushings | Sand and gravel slurry abrasion, brackish water, heavy shock, long shifts | C95500 or C95800 centrifugally cast heavy-wall bushings; C86300 wear plates on guide faces | Nickel-aluminum bronze resists abrasion plus chloride corrosion together; the manganese bronze handles sliding guide faces under shock. |
| Dredge and slurry pumps — bearing housings, shaft sleeves, gland bushings, ball-joint and pipeline liner rings | Continuous abrasive slurry, high pressure, erosion | C95500 bushings; C95400 liners where erosion is moderate | Strength and erosion resistance in a wet, abrasive, high-duty service. |
| Inland waterway locks — gate heel-post and trunnion bushings, mitre-gate pivot bushings, rolling-gate roller bushings | Submerged, negligible sliding speed, enormous static load, moved a few times a day | C95400 or C86300 graphite-plugged bushings | Plugged solid lubricant is the only lubrication that survives a submerged, rarely-moved joint over decades. |
| Movable bridges and storm-surge barriers — drawbridge pivot bushings, slide shoes and guide blocks, lifting-cylinder trunnions | Very high static load, extremely slow or no movement, exposed to weather and spray | C86300 plugged bushings and slide shoes; C95400 where corrosion dominates | Static load capacity plus a lubricant that will not be washed out between operations. |
| Greenhouse and horticultural technology — rail and gantry trolley bushings, pipe-rail hook bearings, climate-screen drum and motor bushings, sorting-line pivots | High humidity, continuous light duty, no grease permitted above crops | SAE 841 sintered bronze for light positions; C93200 plugged bushings for loaded ones | Grease-free operation in a humid, contamination-sensitive environment. |
| Offshore wind and installation — yaw and pitch drive bushings, installation-crane sheave bushings, monopile handling tool wear plates | Salt spray, high static load, micro-motion, service access by vessel only | C95800 or C95400 plugged bushings; C86300 wear plates | Corrosion resistance plus maintenance-free operation at a remote location. |
| Port transshipment and bulk handling — unloader pivots, stacker-reclaimer slewing rings, conveyor pulley hanger bearings | Salt atmosphere, ore and coal dust, 24-hour operation | C95400 bushings; C86300 wear plates | Resists both corrosion and abrasive dust under continuous duty. |
| Process and chemical plant — agitator bottom bearings, valve stems, wash-down linkages | Wet, mildly aggressive media, frequent cleaning | C95400 or C95800 plugged bushings | Corrosion-resistant base metal with a solid lubricant that is not removed by wash-down. |
Mexico — forming, heat and pumped water
Mexican demand clusters around heavy metal forming and high-temperature process plant, with a second cluster in large-scale water pumping and irrigation. Both reward an alloy that can take a shock without deforming and can survive a missed lubrication cycle. The dominant technical theme is that the hardest available bronze is usually the correct answer, and machining cost should be planned for rather than avoided.
| Equipment / position | Service conditions | Recommended alloy & form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal forming and stamping — die guide-post bushings, press slide gibs and wear plates, coil-line and feeder pivot bushings | Repeated shock, high static load, abrasive scale, minimal lubrication access | C86300 die bushings and wear plates; C95400 where corrosion accompanies wear | Highest as-cast strength and hardness; resists the deformation that eventually closes bore clearance on a softer grade. |
| Cement and lime plants — kiln trunnion and riding-ring pads, roller-press bushings, clinker-cooler grate drive pivots | High temperature, strongly alkaline dust, heavy continuous load | C95400 plugged bushings and pads | Aluminum bronze retains compressive strength at temperature and resists alkaline attack. |
| Aggregate crushing and screening — jaw and cone crusher frame and toggle bushings, screen-deck pivots, conveyor pulley bushings | Severe shock, abrasive dust, water spray for dust suppression | C86300 or C95400 bushings; C93200 for lighter conveyor positions | Impact and abrasion resistance with graphite lubrication that dust cannot displace. |
| Irrigation and water conveyance — deep-well and vertical-turbine pump line-shaft bushings, canal gate rollers, booster-pump bushings | Water-lubricated, sandy water, seasonal operation, remote sites | C83600 or C93200 sleeve bushings; C95400 where sand loading is high | Corrosion-resistant, runs on the pumped water itself, and tolerates grit in the flow. |
| Appliance and HVAC manufacturing — conveyor and transfer-line pivots, forming and assembly fixture bushings, press tooling | High cycle count, clean environment, minimal lubrication | C93200 grooved bushings; SAE 841 sintered bronze for light indexing positions | Free-machining, low-cost repeat parts with dependable dry or lightly lubricated running. |
| Structural steel and rebar fabrication — shear and bender pivot bushings, press-brake and punch-station pivots | Shock load, outdoor service, dust and scale | C86300 or C95400 plugged bushings | Heavy shock capacity with maintenance-free operation in a dusty shop. |
| Sugar-cane mills and process plants — mill housing guides, adjustment-mechanism bushings, conveyor and boiler-house positions | Very high load, abrasive bagasse fibre, wet and mildly acidic, poor lubrication access | C86300 graphite-plugged wear plates; C93700 flange bushings for adjustment mechanisms | Heavy static load capacity with a lubricant that fibre cannot carry away; documented in more detail in the sugar-mill application guide. |
custom bronze bushing, bronze sleeve bearing manufacturer, cast bronze bearing supplier
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Our market focus spans a vast range of project types – each one demanding unique, client-focused solutions.
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We are an established industry with deep general contracting, construction management and design-build experience in key areas: pump stations, wastewater treatment facilities and water treatment plants.
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Each of our projects demand unique, client-focused solutions.
