The Bristol Port Company has reconfirmed its confidence in the exceptional sealing capabilities of Orkot TLMM and TXMM composite bearing materials by recently choosing it for upgrades on two gates at the Avonmouth Dock in addition to its proven use in gates at the Royal Portbury Dock.
“Orkot works, and in a highly stressed environment this is extremely important,” says Port Infrastructure Manager Dave Ridout.
This non-asbestos non-corroding and low wear material is compliant with both stainless steel as used on the Royal Portbury Dock and granite as used on the Avonmouth dock. It was chosen for the gate heel post bearings, mitre pads and head bearings for both docks. On the mitre gates (lock gates) the bearings fit on the heel post and run against the quoin. The latest use has been as the bearing material for the top hinge bearing.
Main benefits of these materials include good sealing capabilities, meaning reduced water loss, especially on stainless steel, combined with ease of manufacture. The Port reports cost-savings from use of the Orkot materials as bearings, since the original bearings were coming loose and had to be replaced by divers.
TXMM is manufactured from medium weave fabrics with excellent mechanical strength and has a unique low friction bearing surface incorporating molybdenum disulphide and PTFE. Recommended for use where a combination of strength and very low friction is required, it can run completely dry and eliminate stick-slip in many applications.
As well as greatly reducing the coefficient of friction, the material’s elastic properties allow for bearing deformation under heavy loads or misalignment, which distributes the load over a larger contact area thus reducing the bearing contact stress.
Benefits of Orkot TLMM advanced reinforced polymer marine material, also incorporating solid lubricants, include exceptional wear resistance and virtually no swell in water, providing great dimensional stability, tolerating edge loading and misalignment even with the heaviest loads.
ENDS
Orkot Marine Bearings is one of the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions companies
Further information on Trelleborg is available from www.trelleborg.com
Trelleborg is a global industrial group. Operations are based on spearhead competence within polymer materials and a high level of industrial know how, combined with functional solutions and systems designed to meet the needs of our customers. The Trelleborg Group has annual sales of approximately SEK 22.5 billion, with about 21, 000 employees in 40 countries. Trelleborg consists of five business areas: Trelleborg Automotive, Trelleborg Wheel Systems, Trelleborg Engineered Systems, Trelleborg Building Systems and Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. The Trelleborg share has been quoted on the A list of Stockholmsbörsen since 1964.
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