Deck Equipment Bearings



ThorPlas-Blue Grease-Free Deck Machinery Bearings

 

ThorPlas-Blue Grease-Free Deck Machinery Bearings

ThorPlas self aligning bearinglo res


Ensuring reliable operation of all equipment installed above the waterline is a tough issue for any ship’s crew. Originally developed to replace greased bronze bearings, ThorPlas-Blue is life-time lubricated – lubricants in the homogeneous polymer ensure a low, stable coefficient of friction, even as the bearing wears, while offering long bearing wear life with no maintenance.

When a non-corroding pin or shaft liner is included as part of the conversion as recommended, ThorPlas-Blue does not require greasing to ensure smooth operation. The lubricants formulated throughout the homogenous ThorPlas-Blue polymer matrix ensure a low, stable coefficient of friction, even as the bearing wears. In applications where movement is infrequent and there is significant exposure to salt water spray, if space permits, high performance Thorseal lip seals can be considered to prevent the ingress of seawater and possible buildup of salt deposits in the bearing. Wear rates are very low compared to greased bronze ensuring long life and dramatically reduced maintenance costs.

A Thordon solution has also been developed for the live end of a hydraulic steering system. The ThorPlas-Blue Self Aligning Bearing (SAB) solves the problem of less than desirable alignment tolerances in the hydraulic steering system design.  As most bearings in the steering system are greased sleeve type bushings, there is no allowance for vertical movement of the tiller pins. The ThorPlas-Blue SAB allows the bearing to tolerate small angular misalignment resulting from deflection or improper mounting. The bearing can also handle other damaging factors such as vibration, corrosion, and pollution.

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Design

Bearing Size Icon

The final (fully finished) sizing of a Thordon elastomer or ThorPlas bearing can be determined by using the Thordon Bearing Sizing Calculation Program.

You cannot run the Thordon Bearing Sizing Calculation Program Version 2017, Release 10 without a User Registration Number. Once you have a User Registration Number you can download the Program below and enter it when prompted.

Click here to Request a Bearing Sizing Program User Registration Number

If you have a Bearing Sizing Program User Registration Number, you can download the program here



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    Thordon Workboat NewsWorks 2021

    Thordon’s web-based newsletter specifically developed for marine users of oil-free and grease-free bearings in the workboat sector. This newsletter includes feature articles that highlight our successes in the Workboat industry with TG100 shaft seals, RiverTough tailshaft bearings, and other pollution-free Thordon products on the US Inland Waterways, Latin America and around the world.
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  • Austin Sperry and Sandy Thomson

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    Apr 12, 2022
    Thordon Bearings has signed a multi-vessel supply agreement for a range of water-lubricated and grease-free bearings for installation to several fleet boats under construction at the FMT Shipyard & Repair facility in Louisiana, U.S.A. for workboat owner Maritime Partners.
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    Mar 29, 2021
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