Meet PL – A New Eco-Friendly (Lead-Free) Bearing Material By King, Setting A New Standard For OE Bearings.
King Engine Bearings has developed a new advanced bearing material, one for the masses. up till date, strong and durable bearing materials were both expensive, and designed for the performance oriented applications. We at King are changing this paradigm with the new Force 105 material. also knows as PL (for polymer) this new metal composite will deliver much more durable, and long standing bearings for the aftermarket consumers, that will provide far superior product to OE alternatives.
The Force 105, is a bi-metal composite, made of steel back, aluminum, and coated with K-105 Polymer layer, a proprietary polymer mixture.
• The new material has load capacity and wear resistance greater than in conventional tri-metal bearings with leaded bronze and Babbitt overlay. The PL load capacity reaching 100Mpa, compared to 60Mpa that CP bearings are peaking at, almost 60% more.
• Superior properties of the material are achieved due to high strength of the aluminum lining combined with specially developed wear and impact resistant polymer coating K-105.
• The new material has been validated in numerous rig tests, engine dynamometers and in durable cars runs with gasoline and diesel engines.
PROCEED TO POLYMER
Force 105 (PL) engine bearing material developed in King Engine Bearings Ltd. is composed of a steel back, strong aluminum alloy and a polymer coating combining strength, high toughness, wear resistance and resistance to seizure under the conditions of mixed lubrication. The load capacity of the Force 105 (PL) bearings is up to 120 MPa, which is comparable to sputter bearings. The material of the PL bearings does not contain lead and other hazardous substances. Load capacity of the bearings has been determined in numerous Test Rig endurance tests under controllable conditions of load, rotation speed and lubrication. The bearings have passed the endurance test. No fatigue of the coating, no fatigue of the lining, no peeling and no measurable wear of the coating have occurred. The load 17,400 psi is twice as great as the load capacity of the conventional tri-metal bearings with babbitt overlay.
Force 105 (PL) bearings have also been tested under conditions of mixed lubrication regime. The tests performed with contaminated oil have proved that the Force 105 (PL) polymer coating has very good embedability – ability to absorb contaminating particles circulating with oil.
Microscopic investigations of the tested bearings have showed that the polymer coating has no indications of wear or peeling.
Force 105 (PL) bearings have been validated in a car with turbo-charged diesel engine producing particularly high load on the engine bearings. After the run of 70,000 km, the bearings have shown no distress.