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

Cheryl Eberwein

Director, Corporate Communications

Telephone: 734-451-0020

cheryl.eberwein@fnst.com 32-caret
Cutout of a keyboard with enter key on which an envelope is shown

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

Email address*

Password*

* 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

First Name*

Last Name*

Company / Organization*

Email address*

Password*

* 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.

Email address*

* 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

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

Benchmark For New Elastomer Compounds

10.07.2023

ETU-free compound from Freudenberg Sealing Technologies for cross-linking chloroprene rubber.

Read more 32-caret

Material Expertise Automotive

A Union of Opposites: Heat-Conductive and Electrically Insulating

27.06.2023

New material with extensive applications for the automotive industry.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

Ultrafast Charging of Electric Cars with Innovative Battery Cooling

21.03.2023

New Freudenberg study: How compatible are sealing materials and cooling fluids?

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Is 2022 Automotive News PACE Award Finalist

20.09.2022

DIAvent Highflow is recognized as a top supplier innovation for improving lithium-ion battery safety in BEVs.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

Boost for E-Motors

14.09.2021

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies showcases new Thermally- Conductive, Electrically-Insulating (TCEI) Materials

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility

No More Side Effects

29.04.2021

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies presents a new generation of conductive seals for electric drives.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility Dynamic Seals

Quick Release

19.01.2021

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies makes lithium-ion batteries safer with rapid emergency degassing.

Read more 32-caret

Automotive E-Mobility Special Seals
Newsletter

First Hand News

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

Subscribe now!