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.

Read the full case history

GRAPHALLOY® Keeps Subsea Hose Reels Turning

Cleaning underwater piping was a problem for a leading oil company...until they installed GRAPHALLOY® bearings.

The oil company was upgrading their existing underwater piping. Before the old piping could be removed, it had to be cleaned and purged. The cleaning operation utilizes a set of four subsea hose reels that were mounted to a skid and dropped to the bottom of the ocean floor. The hoses flush the cleaning fluid through the pipes.

Subsea hose reel

This particular operation required a new, larger hose reel design. The babbitt-lined sleeve bearings used on previous hose reels would not be able to handle the increased load and, as such, superior bearings were needed. These bearings are crucial to successful operation because they permit the hose reel to turn without the use of oil or grease.

The oil company, working with engineers at Graphite Metallizing, decided to test two of the 163 Series Pillow Blocks with Bronze GRAPHALLOY® bushings in one of the larger hose reels. The test, which was performed in their assembly shop, required that the bushings operate at twice the estimated work load.

The test was successful. The GRAPHALLOY bushings had worked as expected and the shaft was not damaged.

As a result, the oil company ordered a large quantity of the GRAPHALLOY pillow blocks and installed them on hose reels that were shipped off-shore. GRAPHALLOY bushings are now specified on all of the company’s larger, maintenance-free hose reels.

Once again, GRAPHALLOY provides reliable, problem-free solutions for the most difficult applications.

GRAPHALLOY Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks Operate When Submerged

Graphite Metallizing Corporation announces a series of GRAPHALLOY^® self-lubricating bushings mounted in stainless steel pillow blocks. This series combines the corrosion-resistant and self-lubricating properties of GRAPHALLOY with the application and installation versatility of pillow blocks.

GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks

GRAPHALLOY Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks work exceptionally well when submerged in water, water-soluble chemicals and other corrosive or hostile liquids such as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor, and liquid gases. In these environments, plastic bearings may fail because of their tendency to soften or swell when submerged.

These pillow blocks are available in industry standard two-bolt configurations, come in a range of base dimensions, and can accommodate shaft diameters from .5" (12.7 mm) to 3.75" (95.2 mm). Like all GRAPHALLOY products, this series of stainless steel pillow blocks provides increased reliability and years of trouble-free operation.

GRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy, is formed from molten metal, graphite and carbon. It is a uniform, solid, self-lubricating bushing and bearing material that offers superior performance in hundreds of applications. GRAPHALLOY is well-suited for submerged or high temperature applications where grease, oil and plastics fail.

For more information about GRAPHALLOY products, visit the website at www.graphalloy.com, call us at 914-968-8400 or e-mail us at sales@graphalloy.com.

Pillow Block Assemblies Designed for Long-Life

Pillow Block and Flange Block Assemblies from Graphite Metallizing are equipped with a GRAPHALLOY ^® bushing and are designed for long-life operation. They are easy to install and will operate successfully under a variety of conditions.

Depending on the application, our Pillow Blocks and Flange Blocks are available as in split, solid, solid, self-aligning, cast iron, stainless steel and in a two-bolt or four-blot arrangement.

GRAPHALLOY Pillow Block and Flange Block Assemblies eliminate maintenance and frequent replacements while providing increased reliability.

Visit our website to learn more about GRAPHALLOY Pillow Blocks and Flange Blocks.

GRAPHALLOY® Extends Bearing Life in Paint Drying Oven

A paint drying oven at a brake shoe manufacturer was experiencing two months life from their roller bearings after being exposed to temperatures of 390ºF (200ºC). In spite of the water cooling system in the rollers, the bearing lubrication was failing and causing roller seizure and extensive maintenance costs.  

Self lubricating GRAPHALLOY^® 845 Series Pillow Blocks were installed, eliminating the need for constant lubrication and the need for the water cooling systems. The 845 Pillow Blocks have run for more than a year with no apparent wear. GRAPHALLOY provided a significant improvement in the life of the bearings.

GRAPHALLOY® Provides Pillow Block Solutions for Confined Areas

If you have conveyor applications with closely spaced roll or other confined applications, GRAPHALLOY® can provide a solution. The 845 and the 448 series pillow blocks are available with a tapped base, allowing for installation in areas where space is a factor. The 845 series provides a solution for normal duty applications while the 448 series is designed for heavier duty requirements.

Both designs provide the same advantages of all GRAPHALLOY pillow blocks:
• Self lubricating; requiring no grease or oil
• Work in temperatures ranging from -400°F to +1000°F
• Available in FDA accepted grades
• Can be used submerged
• Survives harsh chemicals including wash down applications

• Self aligning design

 • 845 series interchanges with traditional ball bearing design

Typical applications include ovens/furnaces, conveyors, dryers, submersed screens, food processing and more. If you have an application where these or other GRAPHALLOY products can be problems solvers, contact one of our application engineers.

Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks with GRAPHALLOY® Bushings Solve Underwater Bearing Problems

Graphite Metallizing Corporation has introduced a series of stainless steel pillow blocks fitted with self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY® bushings that resist attack from water and water-soluble chemicals, do not require lubrication and are corrosion-resistant.

GRAPHALLOY Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks are a key component of submerged physical therapy and conditioning equipment used by professional sports teams and college athletic departments. The ability of GRAPHALLOY bearings to provide trouble-free underwater operation without any lubrication has been a key factor in the success of this type of equipment, including underwater treadmills.

GRAPHALLOY is a graphite-metal alloy that has exceptional chemical, mechanical and tribological properties that provide a constant, low coefficient of friction. As a result, GRAPHALLOY works where traditional bearing materials often fail. In addition to being self-lubricating, GRAPHALLOY withstands high-temperatures up to 1000˚ F, 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 wear components improve reliability under conditions such as low speed operation, frequent starts and stops and switchovers from standby to continuous running. FDA accepted grades are available for food applications.

GRAPHALLOY products are available in standard designs including cylindrical bushings with or without grooves, single, double-flanged, split and metal backed bushings as well as pillow block and flange units. In addition, a high percentage of the products are produced to meet custom requirements.

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.

New GRAPHALLOY® Model 163 Pillow Blocks are Long-Wearing

GRAPHALLOY^® Pillow Blocks are Versatile and Eliminate the Need for Lubrication

Graphite Metallizing Corp., the manufacturer of self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY bushing materials, has developed Pillow Block Assemblies that can handle high temperature and submerged environments that do not permit the use of grease and oil.

GRAPHALLOY Pillow Block Model 163 is a rugged, easy-to-install design for moderate speed applications that will operate successfully under high or low load conditions. This heavy-duty unit is available in cast iron or stainless steel. A cast iron split-angle housing is also available.

Pillow Block Model 163 is suitable for high temperature applications such as ovens, drag-line conveyors and dampers. This pillow block also performs well in wet applications such as wash downs and submerged applications like plating tanks and industrial washers.

All GRAPHALLOY pillow blocks have a low coefficient of friction, can withstand submerged conditions and are chemically resistant and non-galling. Since the self lubricating properties of GRAPHALLOY are constant throughout the material, these pillow block assemblies will provide long life and reliable operation.

Graphite Metallizing has other pillow block models that meet a variety of speed and load conditions. They are available in a wide range of sizes and housing types, in two and four bolt arrangements as well as in solid, split and self-aligning configurations. Flange and custom models are also offered.