Enabling lightweight, high load aero-bearings

Abstract

Environmental and commercial considerations are strongly driving research into weight saving in

aircraft. In this research, innovative manufacturing processes were developed to produce

lightweight titanium alloy bearings capable of withstanding high bearing pressures. This will

enable the replacement of heavier conventional bearing materials with titanium alloy bearings of

the same size thereby saving weight. Plasma processing and PVD coating techniques were

refined and combined and a sound scientific understanding of the resulting novel processes

developed to assure high performance, reliability and repeatability. These techniques were

applied to test discs and small bearing (bush) samples, which were tested under progressively

greater loads (pressures). FEA was also used to evaluate pressure distribution in a bush test

assembly. The novel treatment has potential applications for many bearings and bearing surfaces

throughout aircraft.