Wheeler Industries, Inc. announces environmental benefits of aluminum alloy bearing products

Wheeler Industries, the country's leading aluminum bearings manufacturer, is helping companies achieve more reliable performance with lowered environmental impact by switching to Wheeler-manufactured aluminum fluid film bearings.

The harmful lead and cadmium content contained in leaded-bronze and Babbitted bearings, www.wheelerfluidfilmbearings.com/babbitt-bearings, has long been a source of concern for companies seeking to reduce their impact on the environment, yet needing a bearings material option, able to decrease cost and weight, at the same time offering improved strength and fatigue resistance. An increasing number of companies in the automotive, transportation, construction, packaging, oil prospecting and applications industries are finding that solution in the aluminum fluid film bearing products manufactured by Wheeler Industries.

Wheeler's aluminum alloy products are the solution businesses need to replace bearing alloys containing high levels of lead and cadmium. As one of the country's most respected industrial bearings manufacturers, Wheeler Industries has partnered with the aluminum industry in the development of application-specific alloys that enable them to produce RoHS-compliant, lightweight, readily available bearing replacements for outmoded toxic bearings.

As more companies make the commitment to "go green", aluminum bearings offer an excellent solution offering consistent, reliable performance with less environmental impact. As replacements for traditional bronze and Babbited bearings, aluminum alloys are a perfect match for sensitive industries, such as food processing. Since aluminum can easily be recycled, using aluminum fluid bearings offers companies a distinct economic advantage.

Aluminum fluid film bearings have numerous benefits unmatched by other bearing materials. They are one-third the weight of copper-based alloys, yet cost only one-fourth the material cost. Bearings constructed using aluminum alloys are very resistant to the corrosive agents found in lubricants, yet enjoy a high degree of mechanical compatibility with steel. Their ratings for conformability and embed-ability are very good. They offer superior fatigue strength, can withstand high-shock loads and feature high-speed capability.