Hydrodynamic Bearings for Turbomachinery | Journal, Thrust and Tilting Pad Bearings

Custom Engineered Bearings Manufactured or Rebabitted for Turbines, Generators, Pumps, Power plants and rotary equipment

We are a globally competitive hydrodynamic bearing manufacturer for compressors, pumps, turbines and generators. Our hydrodynamic bearings are manufactured out of two facilities in South Korea that are both ISO 9001, and ISO14001 certified.

 

Putting a large focus on research and development, and keeping majority of the manufacturing processes in-house including heat treatment is our advantage to staying competitive. Our 40 years of experience as a specialized hydrodynamic bearing manufacturer have placed us as one of the few bearing suppliers that meet the nuclear power industry standards.

 

Our main scope of bearing business includes designing and manufacturing fixed geometry bearings (journal bearings and thrust bearings), tilting pad bearings and bearing assemblies as well as bearings for extreme conditions like high temperature and high speed conditions. Our material capability includes Babbitt white metal, PEEK, Tegostar and more.

Hydrodynamic Bearing Manufacturer

As a hydrodynamic metal bearing, bearing components and assembly manufacturer and repairer in S.Korea, we have been providing fixed geometry bearings and tilting pad bearings to wide range of oil and gas and power generation industry serving companies with nuclear plant certified bearing quality. Our hydrodynamic bearings serve renewable energy, nuclear energy, thermal  requirements in the market including nuclear industry, thermal, petrochemical industry and other turbomachinery application that requires critical rotational support.

 

Our two manufacturing factories are near Busan port, South Korea and are both certified of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The R&D center which is also based in Busan is where a team of engineers co-develop and co-design bearings, and bearing material with their clients, and what produced multiple design and manufacturing patents for hydrodynamic bearings. We are one of the few suppliers that was able to meet the expectations and requirements of all six core power plants in South Korea under KEPCO, supplying all of the bearings required for one of the new nuclear power plants in South Korea. We carefully design each hydrodynamic bearing by going over all the design parameters for optimum offset, preload, steady load, dynamic load, L/D ratio and clearance for each application.

 

Our patented manufacturing method for radial bearing and thrust bearings, patented design for bearings with load and eccentricity requirement, and enhancement of bonding strength allow us to produce quality parts for applications that require high precision, strength, support and finishing quality.

 

Our core competencies include designing and manufacturing, as well as repairing or rebabbitting of fluid film journal bearings, and thrust bearings, tilting pad bearings, turbine bearing assemblies, compressor bearings, white metal babbitt bearings, PEEK bearings for high temperature and bearing components.

Hydrodynamic Bearings Advantages

Hydrodynamic bearings are used for larger, faster and stronger rotating equipment that requires stronger support for the rotating parts. These include steam turbine, gas turbines, marine shafts, pumps and motor that run on speed higher than 3000 RPM, or machinery running over 500 HP. Hydrodynamic bearings provide support for turbomachinery with a longer life time than ball bearing or roller bearings from the lubrication that prevents contact between the rotating parts of the bearings. In addition, hydrodynamic bearings can operate through the critical speed while maintaining optimum stability and suppress vibration while reducing noise.

Applications of Hydrodynamic Bearings

Applications of our hydrodynamic bearings include gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, heavy machinery rotary shafts with high speed requirements, hydroelectric turbines, large and heavy pumps, compressors, large engines, and etc.

Babbitt hydrodynamic bearings for nuclear power plant main shafts
Hydrodynamic Bearings Assembly on Hydroturbine
Hydrodynamic Bearings for Marine Shaft

Fixed Geometry Bearings

Fixed Geometry Journal Bearings

Hydrodynamic journal bearing designing and manufacturing capability includes multi-lobe bearings, elliptical bearings, pressure dam bearings, offset half bearings, and tilting pad bearings considering the rotor dynamic characteristics. Our hydrodynamic journal bearings are used for gas and steam turbines, gearboxes, compressors and pumps.

Pressure Dam Bearing | Journal Bearing Manufacturing

Pressure Dam Bearing

Lobe Journal Bearing

Lobe Journal Bearing

Offset Half Bearing, Journal bearing, Hydrodynamic Bearing

Offset Half Bearing

Elliptical Bearing

Elliptical Bearing

Fluid Film Thrust Bearings

Our fixed geometry thrust bearing capability includes plain thrust bearings, tapered thrust bearings, side-walled tapered thrust bearings that considers the design requirements.

Double Tapered Thrust Copper Plate Bearing

Double Tapered Copper Thrust Plate Bearing

Double Tapered Thrust Steel Plate Bearing

Double Tapered Steel Thrust Plate Bearing

Hydrodynamic Tilting Pad Bearings

Tilting pad bearings allows bearing pads inside to move about a pivot, following the movement of the shaft to retain its own equilibrium position, eliminating potential instability. Our tilting pad bearings are custom manufactured to have different number of pads, preload, pivot offset, type of pivot and orientation of the pads (LBP-load between pivots and LOP-load on pivots). Tilting pad journal bearings are applied to high speed and high performance compressors, as well as steam turbines, gas turbines and pumps, boosting dynamic stability of the rotors. We can supply the full customized pad bearing assembly, as well as the parts inside such as the casing and the pads.

Base Metal

  • ASTM A105
  • B50A517B2
  • SF440A
  • SC450
  • S20C-N, etc

White (Babbitt) Metal

  • ASTM B23 Gr2
  • B21A14
  • WJ2
  • Tegostar
  • WL2, etc

Tilting Pad Journal Bearing Specification

Shaft Diameter (A)Bearing Length (B)Seal Cover Diameter (C)Fit Diameter (D)Fit Length (E)Overall Length (G)Maximum Load (N)
LOP BearingLBP Bearing
40.016.079.084.016.032.010931768
50.020.095.0100.020.036.017082763
60.024.0115.0120.024.044.024593978
70.028.0130.0135.028.048.033475416
80.032.0138.0148.032.052.043717073
90.036.0152.0162.036.056.055328952
100.040.0167.0180.040.070.0720011650
120.048.0199.0212.048.078.01036816775
140.056.0226.0239.056.086.01411222833
160.064.0248.0266.064.0100.01843229823
180.072.0275.0293.072.0108.02332837745
200.080.0317.0335.080.0116.03028048993
220.088.0352.0372.088.0138.03663959282
240.096.0379.0399.096.0146.04360370550
260.0104.0401.0426.0104.0164.05117382798
280.0112.0410.0435.0112.0172.05934996026
300.0120.0455.0480.0120.0180.068130110234

Tilting Pad Thrust Bearing Specification

Bearing SizeBearing OD (mm^2)Bearing ID (mm^2)Pad Thickness (mm^2)Housing OD (mm^2)Bearing Height (mm^2)Key Length (mm^2)Bearing Area (mm^2)
6 inch152.482.619.0162.052.316.811850
8 inch203.2109.525.4212.768.323.921068
9 inch228.1124.028.6238.176.223.926664
10.5 inch266.7144.531.8279.485.928.536293
12 inch304.8165.135.0317.595.330.247403

Nuclear and Thermal Power Plants – Gas and Steam Turbine and Generator Bearings

As one of the first company in Korea to manufacture and supply hydrodynamic bearings to the Nuclear industry in the beginning and as a Q level quality holder from KEPCO Nuclear power, we have been contributing to the nuclear industry, hydroelectric industry, thermal industry and other power generation industry with our generator bearings (journal and tilting pad), and turbine bearings and assemblies (journal and tilting pad). One of our specialty is the Babbitt bearings for the main turbine shafts. We manufacture all bearings in house and provide refurbishing and rebabbitting of your current bearings in house.

Journal bearing capability: diameter up to 1,500 mm ID and length up to 2000 mm

Thrust bearing capability: 2565 mm OD

Tilting Pad Bearing Assembly for Steam Turbine

Tilting Pad Bearing Assembly for Steam Turbine

Journal Bearing Assembly for Steam Turbine

Journal Bearing Assembly for Steam Turbine

Generator Bearing

Generator Bearing

Elliptical Bearing

Elliptical Bearing

Lower Tilting 2 Pad Bearing for Gas Turbine

Lower Tilting 2 Pad Bearing for Gas Turbine

Thrust Bearing for Turbines

Thrust Bearing

Self-equalizing Tilting pad Thrust Bearing

Self-Equalizing Tilting Pad Thrust Bearing

Thrust Pad Bearing

Non-Equalizing Tilting Pad Thrust Bearing

Hydrodynamic Bearings for Pumps and Compressors

Booster Pump Bearing

Booster Pump Bearing

Compressor Thrust Bearing

Compressor Thrust Bearing

Pump Sleeve Bearing

Pump Sleeve Bearing

Tilting Journal Pad Bearing

Tilting Journal Pad Bearing

Guide Pad Bearing

Guide Pad Bearing

Fan Sleeve Bearings

Fan Sleeve Bearing

Lube Oil Tank Bearing

Lube Oil Tank Bearing

Labyrinth Seal

Labyrinth Seal

Bushing Bearing

Bushing Bearing

Thrust Pad Bearing

Thrust Pad Bearing

Pedestal Bearing

Pedestal Bearing

Repair, Analysis and Rebabbitting

Our manufacturer is a quality class I certificate holder for nuclear power plant services that have an in-depth experience providing analysis, repair or rebabbitting services on-site for reactor coolant pumps and turbo-machinery repairs. Our 2 manufacturing and R&D facilities provide rapid bearing restoration that minimizes our clients’ operation costs for power plants. Because rebabbitting restores the bearings close to its original state, lots of clients choose to rebabbitt or repair the bearings instead of getting a new bearing manufactured. Find more information about our hydrodynamic bearing rebabbitting services in the Bearing Repair, Analysis and Rebabbitting tab.

Fluid Film Bearing Design and Manufacturing Patents

  • Aluminum-tin coating bearings for diesel engines by plasma
  • Thrust bearing for geared reducer
  • Radial bearing manufacturing method
  • Thrust bearing manufacturing method
  • Design patent for hydro power application cylindrical turbine guide bearing for low load and low eccentricity performance improvements.

GE OEM Hydrodynamic Bearing for Nuclear Power Plants

As a qualified GE OEM manufacturer and with wide range of experience manufacturing hydrodynamic bearings with GE specifications, we have been supplying bearing assemblies and components to clients in the Nuclear Power industry.

 

Bearing Shell Liner Project

For Kori Nuclear Power Plant – S.Korea

The first step to the Bearing shell liner project is the material selection and inspection. After tinning process, we run centrifugal casting with our centrifugal casting machine in house.Post centrifugal casting of the bearing shell liner, we conduct an ultra scan WM inspection for any anomalies in the wall of the bearing shell liner. After rough machining and final machining, dimensional inspection measures and checks the dimension, angle, curvature, preload and etc and then a nondestructive testing.

Bearing Shell Liner GE OEM Process

Generator Bearing Project – 7FH2/324 Type Generator Bearing Assembly

For Doosan Heavy Industries

Our manufacturer has experiences providing exclusive supply of bearings to nuclear plant projects including over 80 sets of generator bearing assemblies. From material inspection, centrifugal casting, ultrasonic inspection, and through each machining steps of multiple machining and assemblies, all process are controlled and processed in house and are shipped out when all our inspection test results satisfy the requirements.

GE OEM Generator Bearing Assembly Project

Tilting Pad Bearing Projects for Gas Turbines

Manufacturing tilting pad bearings for the gas turbines depends on the type of bearing required, number of pads, preload, type of pivot and orientation, pivot offset, and etc. They are used for high performance compressors and turbines and pumps for dynamic stability. Our most common base metal are ASTM A105, B50A517B2, SF440A, SC450, and S20C-N, and babbitt metal, ASTM B23 Gr2, B21A14, WJ2, Tegostar, WL2.

 

The cases below focus specifically on tilting pad projects for gas turbines, but contact us for other applications.

4 Pad Tilting Pad Journal Bearing Project

Our tilting pad journal bearing for the gas turbine manufacturer required 4 pads that go inside the bearing. This 4 pad tilting pad journal bearing was made through gravity casting, then each pad was ultrasound WM inspected.Then the 4 pad tilting bearing was machined before going through the dimensional inspection. When the bearing was cleared in dimensional check, the assembled tilting pad journal bearing went through assembly clearance check and machined clearance check to determine and mediate the gap between the inner diameter of the bearing installed and the outer diameter of the journal. After PT inspection, the tilting pad bearings were packaged and shipped out.

Gas Turbine Bearings Project

Tilting Pad Bearing Project with 2 Lower Pads (Half Tilting Pad Bearing)

This tilting pad baring with 2 lower pads for the bottom half of the tilting pad bearing was first made with tinning and then gravity casting. We conducted chalmers test on the specimens to measure the bond strength between the babbitt lining and the backing material and then a contact check. This tilting pad bearing with 2 lower pads are machined and then relief machined before a PT check and dimensional check.

Tilting Pad Bearing project for Gas turbine

Journal Bearing Repair, Analysis and Rebabbitting Services

Our manufacturer is a quality class I certificate holder for nuclear power plant services that have an in-depth experience providing analysis, repair or rebabbitting services on-site for reactor coolant pumps and turbo-machinery repairs. Our 2 manufacturing and R&D facilities provide rapid bearing restoration that minimizes our clients’ operation costs for power plants. Because rebabbitting restores the bearings close to its original state, lots of clients choose to rebabbitt or repair the bearings instead of getting a new bearing manufactured. Sending in the original housing or casings for rebabbitting saves up to 50% of the cost in comparison to manufacturing a new bearing assembly.

 

Our bearing repair and rebabbitting process involves the removal of damaged babbitt metal, and rebabbitting a new babbitt metal (or white metal). This process takes a little as 4 days only. Journal bearing repairs involve bearing failure analysis and bearing retrofit designing.

Journal Bearing Rebabbitting LPR Global
RCP Bearing Retrofitting Analysis | Hydrodynamic Bearings

Major Hydrodynamic Bearing Clients

  • Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems – Steam and gas turbines
  • Doosan Heavy Industries – EPC and power generation equipment and parts provider for the power generation industry (turbines and generators)
  • Toshiba Energy Systems – Steam turbines and generators for power generation industry
  • Posco – Multinational steel provider
  • Westinghouse – Large motors, nuclear power plants
  • Alstom – Multinational rail transportation systems provider; Former power generation product provider
  • Hyundai Steel – Second largest EAF steel provider globally
  • Hyundai Heavy Industries – Shipbuilding, offshore, and EPC company
  • GS Energy – Oil refinery and power generation
  • TMEIC – Power electronics, electric motors, and drives
  • Bharat Heavy Electricals – India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer
  • Asia Cement Co. Ltd – South Korean cement, dry moltal, remicon supplier, formerly Halla Cement
  • Kumho Petrochemical Co., Ltd – Multinational chemical supplier, petrochemical plant
  • Hanwha Chemical & Energy – Chemical company, supplier of polysilicon, PO, PVC ,etc
  • Hyosung Goodsprings – Centrifugal pumps for petrochemical and refinery plants, thermal and nuclear power plants
  • The Linde Group – Multinational chemical company and one of the largest industrial gas company
  • Lafarge – French supplier of cement, concrete and construction aggregates

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