GRAPHALLOY Outperforms Traditional Bearings and Bushings in Ovens, Kilns and Dampers

GRAPHALLOY^®, a graphite/metal alloy, is ideally suited to applications where temperatures are too high to permit the use of oil or other lubricants.

GRAPHALLOY bearings and bushings will not soften at high temperatures or extrude under load. Many grades are suitable for temperatures to 750°F (400°C) in air. In addition, special grades provide service up to 1000°F (535°C) and higher in non-oxidizing atmospheres.

Use GRAPHALLOY bearings and bushings in bakery and industrial ovens, glass plants, conveyors, dryers, kilns, kiln cars, stokers, soot blowers, oil guns, gypsum board and veneer dryers ...wherever temperatures are too high to permit the use of oil or greases.

Click here to learn more about the GRAPHALLOY product line for extreme and high temperatures. 

Graphite Metallizing Issues New Catalog of Products

Graphite Metallizing Corporation, the manufacturer of self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY^® bushing materials, announces the release of a new catalog of its products. The catalog provides a thorough introduction to the company's highly regarded line of bearings and bushings which thrive in harsh environments.

“This will enable potential customers to learn about the advantages of GRAPHALLOY and why it can reduce downtime and provide years of maintenance-free operation," says Eben Walker, General Manager of Graphite Metallizing.

The catalog includes a list of industries and applications that are well-suited for GRAPHALLOY products. Additionally,there is comprehensive explanation of its features and benefits, particularly its success in high temperature and submerged industrial environments.

GRAPHALLOY, a graphite-metal alloy, is available in over 100 grades with specific properties that meet a wide range of engineering solutions and specifications. Most GRAPHALLOY products are custom designed to the unique requirements of the specific application. The engineers at Graphite Metallizing have extensive experience with all types of industrial machinery and will work customers to design the appropriate solution.

FDA accepted grades of GRAPHALLOY are available for use in food service equipment. NSF® International has certified two grades of GRAPHALLOY material for use in municipal well pumps and water treatment plant applications.

For a copy of this new catalog, contact sales@graphalloy.com.

The GRAPHALLOY® Solution to High Heat and Heavy Loads

The annealing furnace at a Pennsylvania metal manufacturer had an interior temperature in the range of 1200°F (650°C). Bearings supporting the pinch rolls were located outside the furnace walls and reached temperatures up to 750°F (400°C) due to heat transmitted through the furnace wall by the shaft.
The heat transmitted by the shaft through the oven wall to the bearing was causing lubrication failure. In addition, the movement (linear expansion) of the shaft caused problems well beyond the capability of any standard ball or roller bearing arrangement.

GRAPHALLOY ^® high temperature bearings were installed in a metal adapter designed to fit the original bearing housings and solved the problem without a major redesign. With minimal investment, bearings failures and associated maintenance costs were reduced.

High Temperature Bearings for Ovens, Conveyors, Furnaces and Dryers

GRAPHALLOY^® High Temperature Bearings are ideally suited to applications where temperatures are too high to permit the use of oil or other lubricants. These bearings will not soften at extreme temperatures or extrude under load. Many grades are suitable for temperatures to 750°F (400°C) in air. In addition, special grades provide service up to 1000°F (535°C) and higher in non-oxidizing atmospheres.

GRAPHALLOY - a graphite/metal alloy – bearings can be used in bakery and industrial ovens, glass plants, conveyors, dryers, kilns, kiln cars, stokers, soot blowers, oil guns, gypsum board and veneer dryers.

The GRAPHALLOY bearing product line for extreme and high temperatures includes:

• Screw Conveyor Bearings
• 2-Bolt Pillow Block Bearings
• Inserts for Pillow Blocks and Flange Blocks 

Click below for examples of how GRAPHALLOY bearings have solved problems, reduced costs and downtime and increased productivity in high temperature applications:

• Cam Followers for Glass Ceramic Manufacturer
• Replacing Ball Bearings in High Temperature Oven Carts
• High Heat Spells Problems for Traditional Bearings

Visit www.graphalloy.com for more information.

High Expectations in High Temperatures

Modern Pumping Today
September 2013 

Many industrial applications have experienced success with GRAPHALLOY® in high temperatures. A mill reclaiming metals such as titanium feeds metal powders into a drum heated to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (816 degrees Celsius). The drive shaft spinning the drum is supported by two Graphalloy Pillow Blocks. In addition, GRAPHALLOY Bushings are in the twelve wheels that support the drum as well as the worm gear. This application demonstrates the ability of the bushings to perform in extreme temperatures.

Also, a Midwestern steel mill was using these bushings for the horizontal rollers in their cooling beds. The bushings were thriving under severe heat and water spray conditions. Because of the success with the horizontal rollers, the mill wanted to consider GRAPHALLOY Flange Bearings for another application: the vertical guide rollers along the sides of the cooling beds used to keep the hot steel from running off the sides. Guide rollers remain static until a piece of hot steel slams up against them, at which time they are expected to turn instantly to guide the steel back onto the cooling bed. This mill had been using conventional greased rolling element bearings in the vertical guides that were lasting only a few months. Based on the success with the vertical rollers, the mill has since retro-fitted additional lines with GRAPHALLOY.

GRAPHALLOY can be the solution to the toughest bearing, bushing, thrust washer, cam follower, or pillow block bearing design problem. It is available in over one hundred grades with specific properties that meet a wide range of engineering solutions and specifications. FDA accepted grades of GRAPHALLOY are available for food contact equipment. NSF® International has certified two grades of material for use in municipal well pumps and water treatment plant applications.

In some applications, GRAPHALLOY bearings have operated for up to twenty years without maintenance. Standard designs are available but most products are custom designed to the unique requirements of the specific application. ISO 9001:2008 certified as well as NSF/ANSI 61 certified, the company serves a broad range of industries with standard and custom quality bearings, bushings, and related products.

To read the full article, please click here.

Oil Field Flares Operate Successfully with GRAPHALLOY® High Temperature Bearings

Graphite Metallizing Corporation announces GRAPHALLOY® high temperature bearings for use in gas burn-off flares. These bearings are uniquely suited to help control the volatility of flares at oil and natural gas production sites.

This innovative development resulted from a customer requirement to overcome design problems in a control linkage. The high heat of these flares was causing bushing lubrication failures and this, in turn, caused the flare control systems to fail. These repeated failures resulted in unacceptable maintenance and replacement costs.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations require that oil field flares destroy the volatile organic compounds emitted into the atmosphere in an environmentally friendly manner. To meet these requirements, oil field operators must use flares at their production sites that provide a "clean" burn. These flares must operate reliably at remote sites under all conditions.
Given the loss of lubrication within the faulty linkage, it became obvious that flare controls and gas burn-offs were not meeting EPA regulations nor providing clean burns
.
The flare manufacturer tested other bearing materials. None met the challenge until GRAPHALLOY®, the high temperature self-lubricating graphite/metal alloy material was tested, approved and put to work.

Result? Custom produced GRAPHALLOY® Bearings were retrofitted to 1,000s of existing flares and are now standard on the new systems. Today, the bearings operate successfully - no stoppages!

Similar gas burn-off flares are also commonly found at refineries, chemical plants and natural gas processors.

Hot, Cold, Wet, Dry...GRAPHALLOY® Bearings Work When Others Fail

GRAPHALLOY^® bearings handle harsh environments, corrosive liquids and temperature extremes with ease.









Hot:  works at high temperatures where oil-based lubricants burn off or oxidize and plastics fail. Operating temperatures to 750ºF (400ºC). Special grades provide reliable service op to 1000°F (535°C) in non-oxidizing atmospheres. Will not gum or seize.

Cold: does not congeal or solidify at low temperatures or cryogenic conditions. Maintains self-lubrication.

Wet:  operates submerged. Will not swell or wash out. Withstands a wide variety of hostile fluids.

Dry: works without lubrication. Survives run dry applications. Eliminates galling or seizing in hot and dry conditions. Will not attract dust.

These bearings, bushings and components are self-lubricating, corrosion-resistant and non-galling. They operate for long periods under a wide variety of conditions, reduce maintenance and provide increased reliability.

GRAPHALLOY delivers simple solutions to troublesome design and maintenance problems.

Graphite Metallizing Celebrates 100 Years of Quality and Service

Graphite Metallizing Corporation of Yonkers, NY celebrates its 100th anniversary of solving tough bearing problems.

The company began in 1913 when two engineers developed a method for putting molten metal into carbon to create a new material called GRAPHALLOY®, a graphite/metal alloy. Over the years, Graphite Metallizing developed additional grades of GRAPHALLOY to address new applications. Today, GRAPHALLOY customers are comprised of major industrial companies around the world who demand the highest level of quality and service.

GRAPHALLOY is a proprietary material that has exceptional mechanical, chemical, and tribological properties. As a result, GRAPHALLOY works where traditional bearing materials often fail. In addition to being self-lubricating, GRAPHALLOY withstands high-temperatures, performs well under cryogenic conditions, can survive dry running pumps and maintains its integrity even when submerged in hostile liquids such as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor and liquid gases.

GRAPHALLOY can be custom-designed for specific application dimensions and tolerances. GRAPHALLOY standard and custom designed products provide lifetime cost savings and significant operating advantages over conventional bushings and bearings.

Eben Walker, General Manager of Graphite Metallizing said: “It’s amazing that even after 100 years and producing over 150 grades of GRAPHALLOY, our customers and our engineers continue to find new applications for this versatile material.”

GRAPHALLOY Bearings are FDA Accepted

GRAPHALLOY^® bearings are key ingredients for minimal maintenance and uninterrupted production in food contact equipment. The FDA has accepted GRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy, for use in ovens, conveyors, pumps and mixers.

• Self-lubricating; works without external lubrication
• Operate in extreme temperatures (-450° F to +750° F/-240° C to +400° C)
• Avoid loss of lubricant in steam/pressure washes
• Contain no oil or grease
• Can be immersed in liquids without contaminating food production
• Operate submerged in low viscosity and corrosive liquids

High heat applications challenge the life and durability of conventional bearings. In cold, wet environments, bearings often cannot hold lubrication. Use of GRAPHALLOY bearings can solve these problems and, as a result, reduce downtime and lost production.

For more information about the success of GRAPHALLOY in food applications, please read our Pizza Oven Case History and our Seafood Processing Plant Case History.

High Temperature Damper Solutions

A power company in North Carolina was having problems with their ID fan dampers between the electrostatic precipitator and the stack.  The high temperature for the flue gas (approximately 300° F) coming out of the precipitator was baking the grease in the bearing. 

This gas contained some fly ash that was causing clutch failures in the damper actuation system and required emergency maintenance to avoid shut down of the boiler. GRAPHALLOY^® 845 inserts were installed to replace the ball bearings. 

The dampers have run trouble free for more than two years.

GRAPHALLOY Solves Problems in High Temperature Steel Mill Cooling Bed

A Midwestern steel mill was using GRAPHALLOY® bushings for the horizontal rollers in their cooling beds. The bushings were thriving under severe heat and water spray conditions. 

Because of this success, the mill was considering using GRAPHALLOY flange bearings for another application: the vertical guide rollers along the sides of the cooling beds that were used to keep the hot steel from running off the sides. 

These guide rollers remain static until a piece of hot steel slams up against them. At this moment, they are expected to turn instantly to guide the steel back onto the cooling bed. This mill had been using conventional greased rolling element bearings in the vertical guides that were lasting only a few months. GRAPHALLOY proved to be successful on the vertical rollers as well and the mill has since retro-fitted additional lines with GRAPHALLOY.

GRAPHALLOY® Bearings Cook Up Savings in Heat Treat Ovens

A spring manufacturer was experiencing problems in their heat treat oven. The bearings in an overhead conveyor required weekly lubrication as well as replacement three times a year.  Self lubricating GRAPHALLOY® bushings were installed eliminating the weekly lubrication and the expensive down time.

The spring manufacturer estimates cost savings of approximately $14,000 in lubrication alone. Additional savings were generated by the elimination of the shut down time.

GRAPHALLOY® Attending International Exhibition in 2012

SEPEM Industries
Practical solutions on operation, maintenance and development to energy, chemicals, wood and furniture, metallurgy, plastics, rubber and various other sectors. For more information about this conference, please click here.

January 31, 2012 - February 2, 2012
Avignon Sud Parc des expositions
Avignon, France

Bearings That Can Handle The Heat

The bearings on the dampers controlling airflow to two 535-MW coal-fired units at a power plant couldn’t handle the heat. High-temperature bearings solved the problem.

The inlet-air section of a utility boiler is a harsh environment for the dampers that control the flow of preheated air into the combustors. Over time, the hot air dries out the lubricant in the metal bearings, or roller elements, that control the movement of the dampers, causing the dampers to seize.

This was a problem at the Sioux Power Plant of Ameren UE (Union Electric), near St. Louis. The plant has two 535-MW, coal-fired units, each of which has 10 cyclone burners. There are two dampers on each burner -- a control damper and a shut-off -- for a total of 40 secondary air dampers. “On average, we had a bearing problem about every two months,” says James Riegerix, general supervisor at the plant.

Ameren has solved the problem by replacing the lubricated steel bearings with self-lubricating bearings made from GRAPHALLOY®, a graphite/metal alloy by Graphite Metallizing Corp., Yonkers, N.Y. All of the bearings for one boiler were replaced in the spring of 2004, and those in the other unit were replaced a year later. Both installations were completed during planned plant outages, which normally are scheduled every two years. So far, there have been no problems with the new bearings, says Riegerix.

He adds that when the changeover was done, the installers found a single bearing from Graphite Metallizing that had been put in a few years earlier. It was still in such good condition it was not changed.

Read more...

Steel Mill Customer Orders Largest GRAPHALLOY® Split Pillow Block Bushing Ever Made

A Graphite Metallizing steel mill customer recently installed 12 “super-sized” GRAPHALLOY^® bushings for the main drive shaft in their quench tank.

The Model 478 GRAPHALLOY split pillow block design has a bore ID of 6.00 inches — the largest ever produced by Graphite Metallizing. These pillow blocks are used to support the sprockets that drive the chains pulling molten billets through the quench tank. Each of the dozen pillow blocks that the mill ordered weighs more than 250 lbs. and must function under difficult operating conditions: complete submersion in heated, contaminated water while supporting 10,000 lb. loads at 10 RPM.

GRAPHALLOY bushings can withstand temperatures ranging from cryogenic to 1000° F/535° C) and are dimensionally stable even when submerged or under load. They can be used to solve difficult application problems involving high temperatures, as well as acidic, corrosive and wash-down environments. Because of their long life and self-lubricating qualities, they are especially suitable for installations that cannot be accessed easily, or where performing regular maintenance is difficult.

Graphite Metallizing Corp., established in 1913, produces GRAPHALLOY a graphite/metal alloy bearing material used in the manufacture of self-lubricating bearings and components for machinery and process systems.

GRAPHALLOY® Takes a Stand Against Heat and Sand

A foundry that specialized in ferrous and non-ferrous shell molded castings had a bearing problem. The high heat and sand in their molding machines were destroying their brass bushings and stopping their production. GRAPHALLOY^®, manufactured by Graphite Metallizing Corp.,provided a solution for this difficult problem.

During production, a casting pattern was mounted to the bottom plate of the machine. Sand was added to the plate. The plate was then rolled back to the center position and the oven lowered over the mold to bake the pattern. The bushings in the arms lowering the oven were exposed to 500°F degrees as well as grit and sand.

As a result of these harsh operating conditions, the brass bushings lowering the oven over the mold were only lasting 2 - 4 weeks. Replacing these bushings required two men - working for nearly two  hours - to make the repair.

The local Graphite Metallizing engineering representative was contacted. A recommendation was made to replace the brass bushings in the arms that raise and lower the oven with GRAPHALLOY Grade 212 High Temperature Bushings.

After the GRAPHALLOY bushings had been in use for 14 months, there was only .003 wear. The company was so pleased with the performance of the GRAPHALLOY bushings that additional orders were placed for all 13 of their molding machines. One of the maintenance repairmen estimated that he was personally saving 30 hours a month.

Once again, GRAPHALLOY proved to be the answer for difficult, high temperature applications.

GRAPHALLOY® Bearings for High Temperature, Environmentally Sensitive Designs

Graphite Metallizing Corporation is pleased to announce a family of Tin Based Babbitt GRAPHALLOY® materials for high temperature bearing applications up to 350° F (175° C). These tin based babbitt materials are available in NSF® certified grades for drinking water and are FDA accepted. They will perform reliably as self-lubricating bearings in submerged and dry applications.


GRAPHALLOY (a graphite/metal alloy) Tin Based Babbitt offers many advantages. It is environmentally safe to machine and use, while effectively eliminating the need for grease or oil. By eliminating liquid lubricants, contamination and maintenance can also be reduced.

GRAPHALLOY Tin Based Babbitt materials can often replace plastics because they offer superior heat dissipation and will not melt or cold flow. In low temperature applications (-400° F /-205° C), these bearings solve lubrication problems caused by the viscosity of grease and oil that often prevents proper operation of equipment.


GRAPHALLOY Tin Based Babbitt provides all of the performance benefits of traditional babbitt materials without the environmental concerns. It can be used in potable water, food applications and traditional low temperature applications. GRAPHALLOY bearings and bushings are a proven solution for the most challenging plant maintenance and new equipment design.


Used in the manufacture of bushings, bearings and other components for machinery and process equipment, GRAPHALLOY materials are self-lubricating, impervious to temperature extremes (from -400° F to +1000° F/-205° C to 535° C) and thrive in harsh environments where other bearings fail. Graphite Metallizing Corporation has been producing GRAPHALLOY since 1913.

Food Manufacturer Asks "If Your Bearings Are As Good As You Say They Are..."

GRAPHALLOY® was presented with a challenge from one of the largest food manufacturers in the country. Their frozen food division, specializing in frozen pizza, was experiencing difficulties with the operation of their bakery ovens. The conventional oil-lubricated bearings being used in the ovens were lasting only one week. The customer was replacing 16 to 20 burned-out bearings every seven days for over one year.

As a prime supplier to the school lunch program, this food manufacturer was producing pizza in high volume. They were baking two shifts per day plus a third shift for cleaning, seven days a week. To maintain this level of production, the bakery was using two continuous belt-type ovens with an operating temperature of 525° F (275° C).

The bakery had problems keeping the belt tracking straight as it rolled through the long ovens. On several occasions, the belts and entire sections of the oven were damaged when the belts veered off the track. The customer devised a system of cam follower roller guides to keep the belts on track. The cam followers were mounted on an adjustable bracket with slotted holes to keep the rollers in contact with the belt.

Despite these efforts, the bearings continued to fail. This customer eventually contacted us through our website (www.graphalloy.com) with an email that began, "If your bearings are as good as you say they are...". Sensing their frustration, the local sales representative for Graphite Metallizing met with the customer to evaluate their problem and recommend a solution. Within a few weeks, GRAPHALLOY 1217-24-120.3 cam followers were installed. More than four months later, these cam followers were not showing any signs of wear.

Once again, GRAPHALLOY has exceeded expectations.

In addition to bakery ovens, GRAPHALLOY bearings may be used in dryers, grills, bottling plants and packaging equipment - anywhere grease and oil might fail. GRAPHALLOY bearings also withstand steam cleaning operations without any loss of performance.

Self Lubricating Bushings Offer Dependable Performance

Graphite Metallizing Corp. announces the 117 Series of GRAPHALLOY® bushings which deliver dependable performance in high temperature applications. GRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy, is formed from molten metal, graphite and carbon. It is a uniform, solid, self-lubricating bushing and bearing material. The 117 Series excels in bakery ovens, heat treat furnaces, glass plants, potato chip and bagel factories, dampers, stokers and wherever grease, oil and plastic bushings fail or prove troublesome.

In addition, the 117 Series of GRAPHALLOY bushings provides a convenient, pre-engineered solution for plant maintenance and new equipment design requirements. The 117 Series is available in two primary grades for high temperatures, both with FDA acceptance as well as for low temperatures.

All GRAPHALLOY products work where oil-based lubricants oxidize or where plastics fail. Many grades are suitable for temperatures to 750°F in air, and special grades provide reliable service up to 1000°F and higher in non-oxidizing atmospheres.

GRAPHALLOY® at International Exhibitions

Graphite Metallizing Corporation will be sponsoring a booth at the following international exhibit:

Middle East Turbine Symposium (METS)
February 13 -16, 2011
Doha, Qatar
Booth #520

Graphite Metallizing Corporation just returned from the SEPEM Industries exhibition in Douai, France.