37-ecat E-Catalog
80-services Services
39-magazine Magazine
36-downloads Downloads
35-contact Contact
47-chevron-right
20-close First-Hand News?

Obtain news and background information about sealing technology, get in touch with innovative products – subscribe to the free e-mail newsletter.

Zero Friction Bearing Material for Improved Lubrication

Plymouth, Mich. (USA), December 3, 2019. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed an optimized design for its proven Levitorq axial thrust washers. Through a new “scoop” feature, the enhanced Levitorq design is able to collect and push lubrication under the washer to enable higher critical speeds and enhanced performance. Levitorq is part of the company’s Low Emission Sealing Solutions (LESS) product portfolio.

The original Levitorq design was created to reduce weight, decrease friction, improve thickness/flatness control and often provide a cost benefit to the customer. It relies on the principles of hydrodynamic oil film technology and is designed to create a surface on which a bearing can roll, or a load can be applied. Traditionally, thrust washers are made from metals, but Freudenberg has used its material expertise and design knowledge, along with proprietary software and testing capabilities, to develop design alternatives in thermoplastic or thermoset materials that allow engineers to replace heavy metal thrust washers.

In pushing thrust washer technology further, Freudenberg engineers and material scientists looked at a variety of application parameters to optimize design performance, including thrust load, rotation speed, temperature, counter surface characteristics, lubricant type and availability of the lubricant. A team of experts developed several scoop designs based on the types and availability of lubricants used in powertrain applications. These designs help optimize the availability of lubrication at the inner diameter, thus improving lubrication across the washer.

Nine Times the Pumping Ability, Three Times the Critical Speed

FST Levitorq optimized design

Pressurized or splash lubrication from the outer diameter is challenging to address because of limited fluid availability to remove heat. Recent design and material innovations from Freudenberg have enabled the use of polymeric thrust washers for such applications. The new Levitorq scoop feature significantly affects performance as it enables the application to use available fluid more effectively. Also, polymeric materials are designed to have low friction coefficients even in dry running conditions. These materials have dry friction coefficient one tenth of metal thrust washers.

Critical speed is when loss of pumping ability occurs due to centrifugal force. In a comparison between Freudenberg’s patent-pending D11 polymer thrust washer and its traditional thrust washer, the effectiveness of the new scoop design becomes obvious. The new polymeric thrust washers have nine times the pumping ability and three times the critical speed.

These designs are ideal for applications with limited or splash lubrication. The scoop feature is able to successfully move fluid under the washer to enable the application to run at higher critical speeds – up to 10,000 rpm – and pressures without failure.

An Exciting New Industrial Solution

“This patent-pending design is ideal for transmissions and driveline components, as well as a number of industrial applications,” said Ray L. Szparagowski, Technical Director Automotive and High Performance Plastics at Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies. Freudenberg-NOK runs the business operations for Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in the Americas.

“Our new Levitorq thrust bearings have the potential to optimize lubrication in most applications, so the possibilities are very broad and exciting.”

Freudenberg’s LESS portfolio of engine, transmission and E-Mobility products includes a variety of seals, gaskets, encoders, accumulators, sealing modules and lightweight housings. These products have been uniquely engineered to reduce friction and weight, cut fuel consumption, ease installation challenges and lower emissions. First developed and benchmarked for automotive applications, Freudenberg has been able to leverage its LESS technology for other industrial applications resulting in a significantly shortened development cycle.

Cheryl Eberwein

Director, Corporate Communications

Telephone: +1 734 354 5373

cheryl.eberwein@fnst.com 32-caret

News Service

You can subscribe to the Freudenberg Sealing Technologies news alert service, bringing you the news as soon as they are published. You can always unsubscribe from this service.

Subscribe now! 32-caret

Login with your access data

* mandatory field

Forgot your password? Click here to reset.

Or

Don’t have an account yet? Register now!

You've logged in successfully.

Register and get access to exclusive content

Your benefits

  • Download exclusive documents such as Solution Sheets
  • Live Webinare/On-Demand Recordings on the beverage and food industry
  • Virtual tours of production facilities
  • Resistance tools for selecting the right material

Security Level

* mandatory field

Or

Do you already have an account? Continue to Login.

Thank you. Your subscription was successful.

We have sent you an e-mail. Please click on the included activation link to complete the registration.

We have sent you an email. Please click on the included link to assign a new password.

Have you forgotten your password?

Please enter your email address to reset it.

* mandatory field

The form has been successfully sent.

We have sent you an email. Please click on the included link to assign a new password.

Further Articles With These Taggings

Corteco Strengthens Ambitions in Southeast Europe

19.03.2024

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ aftermarket unit opens a warehouse in Turkey and a sales office in Serbia.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive Sustainability

Major Orders From Car Manufacturers: Huge Interest In DIAvent

27.02.2024

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies triples production capacity for its intelligent pressure compensation element in Germany and the USA.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

Running On 100 Percent Green Power

15.02.2024

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is inaugurating a new green plant in Parets del Vallès, Spain.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive Sustainability

Major Boost in Order Volume: High-Performance Rod Seal for Portable Insulin Pump

31.01.2024

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies expands cooperation with Swiss medical technology specialist Ypsomed.

Read more 32-caret

Dynamic Seals

A Very Hot Item: Thermoplastics For Up To 1,200 Degrees Celsius

17.01.2024

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies develops extremely temperature-resistant plastics for electric cars.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility Material Expertise

Long Live The Battery!

06.12.2023

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies produces one million foldable gaskets in Langres, France.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

What’s in The Box

24.10.2023

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies installs advanced battery test lab at its North American headquarters.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

Innovation for Electric Vehicles: The Tightest of Seals

12.09.2023

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies presents an impermeable rectangular busbar overmold.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

Thermal Barriers: More Safety for Electric Cars – Now Also in 3D

22.08.2023

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is launching customized three-dimensional safety components for batteries.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility
Newsletter

First Hand News

Best of all, keep up with the latest developments
with the Freudenberg Sealing Technologies newsletter.

Subscribe now!