GGB tribological solutions move the industrial world one step closer to the future. Our products are used in tens of thousands of critical applications every day—around the planet. Our goal is to provide reliable, maintenance-free surface solutions for almost any application—no matter where those demands take our products.
GGB's diverse polymer coating solutions encompass some of the most state-of-the-art coating technologies available. Our TriboShield® product line includes seven standard formulations that cover the full spectrum of mechanical, thermal and chemical capabilities offered by today's coating materials. They can also be applied to nearly any surface, regardless of shape or material, making their potential almost endless. And when it comes to working with and enhancing the performance of your existing bearing and polymer coatings solutions, our TriboMate product line is specifically designed to be paired up— all leading to enhanced performance.
The excellent low friction and high wear resistance performance of GGB metal-polymer bearings make them ideal for hundreds of applications in numerous and diverse industries. Depending upon application requirements, metal-polymer composite bearings can be produced in many shapes and sizes.
GGB's Engineered Plastic Polymer bearings provide excellent wear resistance and low friction in both dry and lubricated operating conditions over a wide range of applications. Engineered plastic bearings are made from thermoplastic bearing material processed by injection moulding. This production method enables us to produce unlimited dimensions in accordance to our standard, and also parts with special designs and features.
GGB's Fiber Reinforced Composite products typically consists of a filament-wound, fiberglass-impregnated, epoxy backing with a variety of low-friction wear-resistant bearing linings. These self-lubricating fiber reinforced composite bearings are particularly effective in applications where the relative motion is not sufficient to promote circulation of the oil or grease used with more conventional bearings. GGB Fiber Reinforced Composite bearings are available as bushes, plates, bearing segments and special forms, depending on the particular material type.
Bimetal and metal bearings offer excellent corrosion resistance in industrial outdoor applications and in water, marine and offshore environments. GGB offers a broad range of sizes, forms and materials in monometallic and bimetallic bearings.
Engineered as a solution to conquer misalignment reduction when high demands are placed on bearings, GGB's UNI, MINI and EXALIGN® self-aligning shaft bearing assemblies offer improved equipment performance under standard bearing assemblies by reducing stress and friction. Offering superior performance in a wide variety of applications, GGB's self-aligning assemblies are available in both standard and custom configurations.
GGB has been putting the world in motion for over 120 years with industry-leading tribological bearings, coatings and assemblies. From Polymer Coatings and Metal-Polymer bearings to Fiber Reinforced Composite bearings and self-aligning shaft bearing assemblies, our solutions are specifically designed to reduce friction and optimize performance and durability.
Tribology is the science of wear, friction and lubrication, and encompasses how interacting surfaces and other tribo-elements behave in relative motion in natural and artificial systems. This includes bearing design and lubrication.
GGB’s TriboU is intended to provide the working engineer, who may or may not be a user of GGB’s surface engineered solutions, to understand and implement basic tribological concepts in the design, manufacture and use of industrial equipment.
At GGB, we aren’t afraid to take risks for our customers. We are passionate about the work we do and believe that same passion contributes to the level of innovation that can enhance human potential. We take pride in working closely with customers in the early stage of a design to think broadly and boldly, and to expand beyond traditional surface engineered solutions. We offer reliable partnerships based on trust, compassion, determination, collaboration and respect.
GGB seeks out collaborative, long-term relationships with each one of our customers. Our diverse expertise gives us a deep understanding of the challenges you face. When you partner with us early, our GGB engineering team is able to review your assemblies and make sure both the bearing and surrounding components are optimized for performance and cost-effectiveness.
Case Study
Energy
Annual traffic through the Panama Canal has grown from 1,000 ships when the canal first opened, to nearly 15,000 ships in 2014.
During that time, annual traffic through the canal has grown from 1,000 ships when the canal first opened, to nearly 15,000 ships in 2014. In addition to this overwhelming growth, the Panama Canal could no longer accommodate large, modern ships. For these reasons, the Panama Canal Authority recently underwent the largest expansion project since its original construction.
In June 2016, the Third Set of Locks project, as it is also known, completed construction of a new set of locks on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway, creating a third lane of traffic and doubling the cargo capacity of the waterway. The expanded canal provides the world's shippers, retailers, manufacturers and consumers with greater shipping options, better maritime service, enhanced logistics and supply-chain reliability.
To support the expansion, GGB developed GGB-DB® cast bronze hemispherical bearings, a new type of pintle bearing for refurbishment of the miter gates in the Panama Canal’s lock system. Among the requirements specified for the new hydro bearings were 25-year service life, abrasion-resistance, underwater operability and ease of assembly and operation. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stipulated the use of self-lubricating bearings rather than greased bronze bearings to eliminate water contamination.
GGB-DB® cast bronze bearings play a crucial role in delivering reliable performance while protecting the existing ecosystem. Their unique design provides trusted and consistent movement and they are grease free – eliminating unwanted contamination to the environment.
Following the initial product development and installation, GGB was recently awarded a third contract to supply four additional pintle bearings for underwater miter gates. To date, GGB has provided a total of 10 pintle bearings, enough to refurbish five miter gates.
Currently, there is no defined timeline to conclude the replacement of all greased bronze pintle bearings at the Panama Canal. However, it’s expected to be a multi-year rollout, considering there are approximately 90 miter gates at the Panama Canal.
GGB had to submit certified, third-party test results to have its bearings considered for the project. After correlating the specified needs with the functional requirements of the bearings and extensive study of various materials, the company selected an advanced polymer resin with PTFE fibers.
GGB developed a GGB-DB® cast bronze hemispherical bearing lined with the new material in the form of embedded, solid lubricant plugs protruding above and covering 70 percent of the surface area.
This configuration not only allowed for efficient flushing of the bearing via integral cleaning grooves, but also enhanced its structural integrity and facilitated its production.
Quarter-scale prototypes were submitted to Powertech Labs for testing, which yielded excellent results in terms of static/dynamic friction, axial/horizontal direct wear and temperature resistance. Full-size bearings were then produced for finite element analysis, which confirmed that contact pressure and shear force were well within their mechanical properties with a sufficient margin of safety.
In addition to hydropower applications, the new bearings are also suitable for use in bridges, telescopes and other applications involving pivoting movements and requiring high axial load resistance.
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