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.
GGB's Bearing Solutions for Compressor Vanes
With the continual pressure of global competition, companies must always be on the lookout for cost savings in order to keep their prices low. To achieve this goal, they often turn to the manufacturing floor for efficiencies and productivity gains. While those efforts are laudable and necessary, they often overlook the opportunity presented by going back even further, to the design stage.
One such company was a manufacturer of centrifugal compressors, which pressurize gas to transport it at a high flow capacity. An integral part of the centrifugal compressor is comprised of inlet guide vane valves to ensure that the gas entering the compressor is directed to the impeller blades at the correct angle. The company had been using four to six bearings per inlet guide vane valve to provide structural support. Looking for improvements, the manufacturer turned to GGB for a bearing solution that allowed a reduction in housing size.
With smaller dimensions than the bearings the manufacturer had been using, GGB’s GAR-MAX® fiber reinforced composite bearings successfully passed the manufacturer’s performance tests and saved money when they began designing compressors with reduced housing sizes.
GAR-MAX® fiber reinforced composite bearings consist of a self-lubricating liner backed by continuously wound high-strength fiberglass. These high-strength fibers provide GAR-MAX® bearings with a high load capacity (210 MPa static load and 140 MPa dynamic load) and the ability to operate in temperatures ranging from -195ºC to 160ºC (-320ºF to 320ºF).
In addition to their great structural strength, GAR-MAX® plain bearings have an inert nature that makes them resistant to corrosive environments and unaffected by common industry gases. This, coupled with their maintenance-free, self-lubricating design, gives GAR-MAX® journal bearings a much longer service life than traditional ball bearings.
GAR-MAX® fiber reinforced composite bearings provide the following benefits over ball bearings when used for inlet guide vane valves:
Our experts are ready to help you find the right solution for your specific application.