Withstanding Extreme Forces,  
High Heat and Heavy Shock Loads
Swindon Bearings Limited (SBL) discusses the adoption of plain bearings within UK 
industry, comparing it with their established use in Japan.
The global heavy manufacturing 
landscape relies on plain bearings 
(bushes, sliding plates and journal 
bearings) to withstand extreme forces, 
high heat and heavy shock loads. 
However, adoption rates of these 
components are divergent between 
countries, with the UK market having 
room to benefit further from the 
technology. This can be understood 
through the lens of SANKYO OILLESS, 
a manufacturer of solid-lubricant-
embedded sliding technology since 
the 1960s.
Systemic Integration Driven by 
SANKYO OILLESS
In Japan, plain bearings are not an 
afterthought; they are engineered into 
heavy equipment at the design stage. 
SANKYO OILLESS INDUSTRY, INC. helped 
establish this paradigm by developing 
solid-lubricant-embedded bearing 
technology using materials such as 
bronze, steel and special alloys combined 
with lubricant plugs or a sintered 
composition. During sliding, the solid 
lubricant transfers to the mating surface, 
helping to reduce friction and wear. This 
can provide a maintenance-free solution 
within specified operating conditions, 
whilst being highly resistant to factors 
which would lead to failure in ball or 
roller bearings.
Japanese engineering education places 
a pronounced emphasis on tribology - the 
science of friction, wear and lubrication. 
The domestic pioneering of solid-
lubricant-embedded bushings ensured 
self-lubrication became a concept which 
was a common part of mechanical 
engineering education. As a result, 
Japanese designers enter the workforce 
viewing sliding interfaces as an active 
parameter, rather than simply a one-off 
solution to a performance issue.
In the UK, tribology is also an established 
engineering discipline and there is huge 
expertise, but the choice between rolling-
element and plain-bearing technologies 
can be influenced by established design 
practices, engineer familiarity and the 
existing specification of the machinery. 
This can mean that plain bearings are 
sometimes considered as a solution 
to a practical problem rather than a 
consideration evaluated at the initial 
design stage. 
Plain bearing technology is widespread in 
Japanese heavy industry where engineers 
have long used it to reduce maintenance 
requirements across capital machinery.
Steel Mills & Heavy Forging:  
Continuous casting machines, hot-rolling 
mills and furnaces operate in high-
temperature, contaminated environments 
where conventional grease lubrication 
can become difficult, unreliable or 
maintenance-intensive. Bushings release 
solid lubricant onto the journal surface 
dynamically despite rising temperatures, 
helping to prevent wear even under 
immense loads, scale, water, shock 
and contamination.
Heavy Press Dies & Automation:
Japanese automotive press dies 
commonly use SANKYO cam units, wear 
plates and guide bushings to maintain 
continuous, high-cycle stamping without 
manual relubrication stops.
Injection Moulding & Die Casting: 
High-tonnage plastic injection moulding 
machines and metal die-casting tools 
deploy solid-lubricant ejector guide 
bushings and core-puller slides. 
Eliminating liquid grease prevents 
thermal degradation in high-heat moulds 
and protects plastic parts from oil 
stain defects.
Mining & Heavy Material Handling:  
Jaw crushers, heavy conveyor pivots 
and bucket-wheel excavators operate in 
abrasive and high-vibration conditions 
that are challenging for sealed ball 
bearings. Dense bronze-matrix bushings 
resist dust ingress and absorb heavy 
shock loads that would otherwise cause 
damage to rolling-element surfaces.
Pipe & Tube Manufacturing:  
Forming, transfer and handling 
equipment is exposed to repetitive 
movement, scale and contamination. 
Self-lubricating bushes and wear plates 
can offer improved resistance and longer 
service life.
Hydropower & Dams:  
Gates, linkages and guide systems 
operate slowly under high static 
loads, where self-lubricating bushes 
and plates can reduce the need for 
external lubricants close to water where 
contamination is an issue.
Offshore & Marine Equipment:  
Deck machinery, lifting systems, hinges 
and pivots are exposed to water, 
corrosion, heavy loads and difficult 
maintenance conditions.
Custom components
SANKYO productions
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