GRAPHALLOY® self-lubricating bearings have proven their value in some of the toughest food processing environments. In one potato chip fryer application, GRAPHALLOY pillow blocks on the paddle wheel drive shaft ran continuously for over six years at 375°F — without grease, without failure, and without downtime. By eliminating lubrication needs and resisting both heat and caustic washdowns, these bearings delivered reliability that standard greased bearings couldn’t match. Today, the snack producer considers GRAPHALLOY standard equipment across their facility.

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Graphalloy vs. PEEK: Solving Premature Bearing Wear in Food-Grade Gear Pumps

 

A French precision-machining workshop was tasked with redesigning a horizontal gear pump used for dosing food-grade additives. Despite careful engineering, PEEK bushings in the pinion bearings wore out prematurely, jeopardizing product quality and production schedules.

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GRAPHALLOY Bearings Replace Ball Bearings in Damper Application

See how Graphalloy damper bearings helped a refinery in Italy reduce maintenance costs and eliminate high-temperature failures.

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GRAPHALLOY® Retrofit Delivers 15% More Flow and 80% Less Vibration in Overhung FCC Pumps

 An East-Coast refinery was living with chronic vibration and bi-weekly overhauls on its two-stage overhung feed pumps. Swapping the steel wear rings and bushings for GRAPHALLOY® self-lubricating parts turned the story around:

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Nuclear energy demands components that never flinch—whether they face 1000 °F (535 °C) steam, borated water, or unplanned dry-running events. GRAPHALLOY® self-lubricating bearings meet that challenge by combining the strength of metal with the lubricity of graphite.

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GRAPHALLOY® Bearings From Frequent Failures to Four Years of Reliability in Snack Food Fryers

 In their continuous fryer systems, manufactured by Heat & Control®, this producer faced recurring failures with greased ball bearings. Bearings used on belts and paddles in the fryers experienced extreme conditions:

• Exposure to 400°F
• Continuous splashing with hot oil
• Full submersion in cooking oil for certain locations

Despite regular re-greasing, the bearings on the hold-down belt had to be replaced every 3 to 4 months. Maintenance was costly, and unplanned downtime was disruptive.

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Graphalloy bearings are designed to perform where others fail — even in the harsh, cold, and corrosive conditions of seafood processing. From cryogenic lines to constant washdowns, they deliver lasting performance with zero maintenance.

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Graphalloy® Custom Babbitt-grade Bushings and Thrust Washers for North Sea Application

Pump company was designing and manufacturing a small end suction pump which uses a magnetic drive. They needed radial and axial bearings for the pump, which would be installed in a harsh environment – an oil & gas company’s off-shore platform in the North Sea.
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Graphalloy® “Can” Do It!

 In early January, a leading aluminum beer-can producer approached Graphalloy to upgrade the roller bearings in their heat-treating ovens. After installing our self-lubricating pillow block assemblies, they’ve enjoyed eight weeks of maintenance-free, grease-free operation with zero failures or contamination. Impressed by the results, they’ve requested a quote for 26 additional units to roll out the solution across their production line.

Learn more about how graphite-metal alloys can help you.