Federal-Mogul Powertrain's self-lubricating deva.tex 552 Marine composite bearing material has been certified by ship and offshore classification society DNV GL.
deva.tex 552 Marine is constructed using a composite that will not corrode, reduces weight, lowers friction and slows wear rates while still matching load rates of many metallic materials, Federal-Mogul reports. Dynamic load capacity is 140 MPa, and static 230 MPa.
The marine industry is seeking lower and more consistent friction levels from self-lubricated bearings, and deva.tex 552 marks a move away from traditional metal bearings towards composite materials.
“We are delighted to receive validation of deva.tex 552 technology in the form of certification from DNV GL,” comments Gian Maria Olivetti, Chief Technology Officer, Federal-Mogul Powertrain. “deva.tex 552 Marine is the first composite bearing material in the world with such a complex test matrix under offshore conditions.”
The DNV GL assessment includes several steps, including analysis of the criticality of the product, the manufacturing process applied and the vendor's proficiency. Technical support, design reviews and surveys to ensure compliance with relevant rules and requirements are all part of the procedure. In the case of deva.tex 552, specialist facilities at the University of Ghent, Belgium, were used to evaluate the material under different load and running conditions in various configurations and with the effects of contamination considered. Underwater tests were carried out at various loads and sliding speeds to validate wear rates, friction levels and durability. The entire manufacturing process, from qualification of the raw materials to the final product, was audited to ensure consistently high quality.
“Insurance and investment funding for a new marine project increasingly depends upon the use of approved materials throughout,” says Federal-Mogul DEVA’s Offshore Marine & Dredge Business Development Manager, Stefan de Goey. “Offshore equipment and components must be independently certified for meeting regulatory requirements before they can be specified for installation and integration. Certification means we meet those requirements and can offer the benefits of a composite solution without the need for additional validation processes and time consuming additional testing.”
deva.tex 552 Marine is part of the Federal-Mogul DEVA product family of high performance, self-lubricating bearing materials suitable for translatory, rotational and oscillating movements where conventional lubrication is not possible for submerged applications. Developed for applications requiring high load capacity with excellent durability, deva.tex 552 Marine’s construction protects against underwater swell and offers maximum long term dimensional stability.
The deva.tex materials are glass fibre reinforced composites, produced using a cross-winding technology. The base material delivers high strength, while the sliding layer contains non-abrasive fibres and solid lubricants that ensure excellent tribological properties, even in damp environments or under edge loading conditions, Federal-Mogul reports. The solid lubricants used within the matrix are said to provide very low coefficients of friction and wear rates in both wet and dry running conditions.