HIPERBEAR 2.0 - A thin strand
Short Description
The demands put on slide bearings made from aluminum composites are growing. The materials and processes currently used in their production are stretched to their limits. The project HIPERBEAR 2.0 therefore seeks alternative material composites in addition to an innovative manufacturing route for aluminum-based materials used in slide bearing production.
The aim is to design a thin-strand composite casting process based on belt casting technology. First, the researchers developed different alloy combinations in experimental and numerical trials, after which the composite casting process was simulated and the plant technology set up. In the next step, prototypes of the slide bearings made from the new primary materials will be produced and tested.
No Liquefaction
On an industrial scale, currently only one composite casting method to produce composite casting blocks made from aluminum alloys is in use. However, this technique, developed by Novelis, requires hot rolling, which is not suited for making bearing alloys.
The soft phase materials such as tin, bismuth or indium have a low melting point and would liquefy in the hot rolling process. The new manufacturing route will, if the project proceeds successfully, result in considerable technological and economic advantages. For example, the new slide bearing types will have excellent new features, the process chain will become leaner and material will be employed more efficiently.
Productivity will be boosted substantially. The innovative thin belt composite casting technique will be ideal for producing primary material for slide bearings due to the flexible casting formats, the castability of the heterogeneous materials and the combinability of contrastive alloys.
With the implementation of the technology, Miba Gleitlager Austria GmbH not only aims to make a name for the company, but to secure its long-term competitiveness whilst increasing its market share in aluminum-based slide bearings.
Project Partners
Consortium Manager
Other Consortium Partners
- Austrian Foundry Institute (ÖGI)
- Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen GmbH (LKR)
- Chair for Forming Technology and Foundry Science (utg) TU Munich