Fluorogold® Slide Plates Bearings

FLUOROGOLD® SLIDE PLATE BEARINGS

FLUOROGOLD® slide bearings systems are engineered products of GRM Custom Products in Conroe, TX. They fill the need for simple and economical structural supports by allowing simultaneously for thermal, seismic and mechanical expansions and contractions. These systems operate with the lowest coefficient of friction over a broad range of temperatures.

FLUOROGOLD® is comprised of virgin PTFE (often referred to as Teflon™, registered Trademark of the Chemours Company) combined with special reinforcing agents. This blend yields a structural material that offers significantly higher mechanical properties than PTFE itself. Compressive creep is virtually eliminated, wear is substantially reduced, and initial deformation is decreased. However, the low friction and chemical inertness of PTFE are still retained.

This structural bearing surface is bonded to a back-up steel plate with a high temperature homogenous epoxy system that is cured under precise heat and pressure in hydraulic presses. All FLUOROGOLD® bearings are factory bonded using strictly controlled, semi-automated procedures, developed to eliminate poor quality field-made bonds. FLUOROGOLD® bearings can be obtained with elastomeric back-up which will enable the system to accept live-load rotations.

In all cases, a slide bearing system is composed of two elements. The upper element, with its FLUOROGOLD® face down, mates with the lower element with its FLUOROGOLD® face up. The system is normally designed so that the upper element is larger than the lower element by the dimension of the anticipated motion so that the lower element is under uniform load throughout movement and so that foreign matter will not collect on the lower element.

The maximum design pressure of FLUOROGOLD® Slide Bearings, without elastomeric backing is 2000psi (see pressure vs. temperature chart for specific design criteria). For neoprene backed bearings the maximum recommended pressure is 800psi (5.5MPa) and for the cotton duck reinforced elastomer it is 1500 psi (10.3MPa).