Marine integral rubber bearings are an important component widely used in ship shaft systems. The following is a detailed introduction:

Structural characteristics

Marine integral rubber bearings are usually composed of rubber layers and metal bushings or shells. The rubber layer is generally made of wear-resistant and seawater corrosion-resistant rubber materials, such as nitrile rubber, which directly contacts the shaft neck and plays a role in supporting and reducing friction. The metal liner or shell provides support and fixation for the rubber layer, ensuring the overall structural strength of the bearing and enabling it to withstand various forces generated by the ship's shaft system during operation

working principle

Based on the elasticity and self-lubricating properties of rubber, when the ship's shaft system rotates, the rubber layer surface of the journal and rubber bearing comes into contact, and the rubber layer undergoes elastic deformation, forming a very thin water film between the journal and rubber layer. This water film plays a role in lubrication and isolation, converting the dry friction between the journal and the rubber layer into water film friction, greatly reducing the friction coefficient, reducing wear, extending the service life of bearings and journals, and also improving the transmission efficiency of the ship's shaft system.

advantage

Good wear resistance and shock absorption: Rubber material itself has good wear resistance and can withstand long-term friction of the shaft neck without being easily damaged. At the same time, the elasticity of rubber can effectively absorb the vibrations and impacts generated by ships during navigation, reduce the impact on the shaft system and ship structure, and improve the comfort of ships and the reliability of equipment

Good corrosion resistance: Due to the long-term navigation of ships in seawater, the corrosiveness of seawater is strong, and rubber has excellent corrosion resistance to seawater, which can work stably in harsh marine environments for a long time without additional anti-corrosion measures, reducing maintenance costs

Simple structure and easy installation: The integrated structure makes the installation process of rubber bearings relatively simple, without the need for complex assembly processes and high-precision installation equipment. At the same time, rubber bearings are lightweight, easy to handle and install, and can improve the efficiency of ship construction and maintenance.

Good environmental performance: Compared with traditional oil lubricated bearings, water lubricated rubber bearings do not require the use of lubricating oil, avoiding the pollution caused by lubricating oil leakage to the marine environment and meeting the environmental requirements of modern ships.

shortcoming

Limited working temperature range: The performance of rubber materials is greatly affected by temperature, and the working temperature range of general marine integral rubber bearings is relatively narrow. In high temperature environments, the elasticity and wear resistance of rubber will decrease, which may lead to premature failure of bearings; In low temperature environments, rubber will become hard and brittle, affecting its shock absorption performance and lubrication effect

Relatively low load-bearing capacity: Although rubber bearings can withstand certain loads, their load-bearing capacity is still relatively low compared to some metal bearings. In the shaft system of large or high-power vessels, it may be necessary to use multiple rubber bearing combinations or larger sized rubber bearings to meet the load-bearing requirements.

High requirements for water quality: Water lubricated rubber bearings require clean seawater or fresh water as a lubricant. If the water contains impurities or particulate matter such as sediment, it may enter the gap between the shaft neck and the rubber layer, exacerbating wear and affecting the normal operation of the bearing. Therefore, it is necessary to equip corresponding filtering devices to ensure water quality.

application area

Marine integral rubber bearings are widely used in various types of ships, including cargo ships, passenger ships, oil tankers, warships, etc. In the shaft system of a ship, rubber bearings are usually installed inside the stern tube to support the weight of the stern shaft and transmit the thrust of the propeller, ensuring the normal navigation of the ship

In addition to the field of ships, rubber bearings are also used in some equipment related to ships, such as ship axial flow pumps, deep well pumps, etc., to support the rotation of pump shafts, improve the operational efficiency and reliability of equipment