Centrifugal compressors for hydrogen service operate at high rotating speeds and require flexible rotors to accommodate the multiple stages needed to successfully compress the lightweight gas. Waukesha Bearings expertly engineers reliable fluid film bearings that optimize equipment by providing high damping to control vibrations and prevent damage to the rotor and other components. In ad... (read more)

Scaling the hydrogen economy requires groundbreaking solutions that enable equipment to operate beyond known application limits. Learn how Waukesha Bearings ISFD® and Flexure Pivot® technologies are proven to control vibrations and improve stability in centrifugal compressors operating at high rotating speeds in hydrogen service. (read more)

Visit our bearing damage index to learn about different types of bearing damage and possible solutions. (read more)

Waukesha Bearings partners with companies to solve their toughest engineering and operational challenges and support them through the hydrogen transition with proven bearing solutions designed to last. Learn how. (read more)

Over a 13-year span, a major South American oil company’s maintenance department fought recurring high vibrations in three gas reinjection compressor trains. To reduce the likelihood of machine trips, technicians field balanced each compressor once or twice a year and replaced the worn tilt pad journal (TPJ) bearings and O-ring dampers yearly. The downtime from implementing these p... (read more)

The selection of the bearing materials plays a significant role in the performance of fluid film bearings. Load, speed, operating temperature, insulation requirements, and lubricant type and cleanliness may all play into the material choice.

Continuing materials development has expanded the ability of fluid film bearings to meet stringent application goals, whether increased load... (read more)

Visit our bearing damage index to learn about different types of bearing damage and possible solutions.

The vast majority of fluid film bearings give excellent service over long periods of time. When bearings do suffer damage, the cause may be obscure. Often, damage is the result of several failure modes combined.

The bearings themselves are often blamed, but while faulty d... (read more)

Maxalign^® Bearings Reduce Spiral Vibration on Turbo-generators

With over 100 years of experience, Alstom Power is a leading provider in the power generation industry. Close to 25% of the world’s power production capacity depends on Alstom technology or services. With the industry trending toward improved efficiency, in both new and existing equipment, higher d... (read more)

As part of Dover Corporation, we are committed to corporate responsibility and sustainability. In 2020, Dover began implementing a three-year plan to expand our ESG disclosures, metrics, goals, and oversight. We invite you to read about our vision and see our progress. (read more)

Waukesha Bearings combines extensive experience and engineering expertise with significant investment in research, testing and materials development to deliver success to low-carbon energy alternatives. (read more)

Download our free white paper to learn about the considerations required to efficiently balance ABM-supported rotors. (read more)

When you think about a sustainable future, do you see challenges or opportunities? Waukesha Bearings and the Dover Precision Components Innovation Lab are developing new technologies that enable equipment to operate beyond known application limits and overcome the challenges of transitioning to hydrogen energy. Watch our video (read more)

The need to transition to cleaner, carbon-neutral energy sources is a growing concern. After decades of conversation around hydrogen as a fuel, governments, stakeholders, and everyday people are driving the conversation into action. Companies will need innovative partners to help optimize equipment for efficiency and profitability to scale up the hydrogen economy.

Waukesha Bearing... (read more)

As the world seeks renewable energy alternatives, wind power has become a growing industry. The technology has advanced significantly over the past several decades, leading to larger wind turbine sizes, complex manufacturing, and operational challenges. Wind turbines often operate in extreme environments – on/offshore, cold climates, desert, and remote locations – which pushe... (read more)

The selection of the bearing materials plays a significant role in the performance of fluid film bearings. Download our white paper for an overview of various materials’ characteristics, benefits, and limitations. (read more)

A global leader in hydrodynamic and magnetic bearings, Waukesha Bearings is committed to ongoing technology leadership to enable the energy transition. World-class testing capabilities allow our engineers to develop and validate designs, analytical methods and materials; evaluate performance; and prove out solutions for a new class of machines. (read more)

Dover Precision Components, an integrated provider of performance-critical solutions for rotating and reciprocating machinery, today announced its Innovation Lab is officially open. (read more)

At Waukesha Bearings, we collaborate with customers to engineer hydrodynamic fluid film bearings for optimized performance in individual operating conditions.

Read More (read more)

White Paper - Material Selection for Hydrodynamic Bearings

Bearing materials play a significant role in hydrodynamic fluid film bearing performance. Continuing materials development has expanded the ability of fluid film bearings to meet stringent application goals.

Read more. (read more)

Experimental Performance Study of a High Speed Oil Lubricated Polymer Thrust Bearing (read more)

Relative Motion

A bearing allows relative motion between two surfaces with minimal friction.

In a rolling element bearing, the primary motion is a rolling motion using a ball or roller. There is direct contact between the ball/roller and the inner and outer surfaces (races).

In a fluid film bearing, the relative motion between the two surfaces is a sliding motion on... (read more)

Operating Principle

In a fluid film bearing, the stationary and rotating surfaces are separated by a thin film of lubricant, such as oil, air, water or process fluid. In a hydrodynamic fluid film bearing, the film pressure that separates the surfaces is created by the relative motion (rotation) of the surfaces as the lubricant is pulled into a converging geometry between the surfa... (read more)

Compliant brush seals can be applied to compressors to reduce leakage gaps and increase operational efficiencies. They typically should be considered when at least one of two conditions is present.

Learn More (read more)

Bearing materials play a significant role in fluid film bearing performance. Continuing materials development has expanded the ability of fluid film bearings to meet stringent application goals, such as increased load capacity, reduced power loss, operation in process fluids, or the ability to handle contaminants. Read the white paper for an overview of material options, including polyme... (read more)

The Zephyr^® controller is a powerful, compact, cost-effective digital magnetic bearing controller for turbomachinery and rotating equipment, recommended for machinery in the power range of 1 MW to 18 MW.

The Zephyr controller is simple to operate and offers flexible mounting options, yet still provides the high processing performance that allows for the use of compl... (read more)

From fixed profile designs for lightly loaded applications to advanced tilt pad solutions for more demanding, high-load, high-speed applications, Waukesha Bearings offers a wide range of thrust bearings to provide an optimized solution no matter the application.

Combination thrust/journal bearing designs are available for applications with limited axial space.

About... (read more)

Leading Vibration Solution

ISFD technology provides highly engineered damping and stiffness to shift critical speeds and increase the dynamic stability of the rotor/bearing system. (read more)

Ceramic Bearings

Waukesha Bearings applies ceramic and cermet (ceramic-metallic composite) materials to thrust and journal bearing designs to extend bearing capabilities in applications where traditional materials and polymers fall short. (read more)

The Zephyr^® controller is a powerful, compact, cost-effective digital magnetic bearing controller for turbomachinery and rotating equipment, recommended for machinery in the power range of 1 MW to 18 MW. (read more)

Horizontal Assemblies - Highly Customized

Waukesha Bearings horizontal bearing assemblies include highly customized journal or combined journal and thrust bearings designed to interface with an external pressurized oil system or operate fully self-contained.

Expertly engineered to meet each customer’s specifications, these horizontal arrangements can be fitted... (read more)

With technological advances in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), electric submersible pumps (ESPs) are operating at higher temperatures and placing increased demands on the thrust bearings in the seal/protector section and motor.

To sustain high load capacity at these high temperatures, Waukesha Bearings offers the Hidrax™ HT thrust bearing. (read more)

Waukesha Bearings tilt pad thrust bearings are specially engineered for reduced power loss, oil flow and pad temperatures, for the most reliable and efficient machine performance. Tilt pad designs may be non-equalizing or self-equalizing with flooded or ‘Directed’ lubrication. (read more)

For more than three decades, Waukesha Magnetic Bearings has applied proven magnetic bearing technology to advance the performance of rotating equipment. We lead the industry in custom-engineered active magnetic bearing (AMB) systems for large turbomachinery and high-performing rotating equipment. (read more)

Compliant brush sealing systems can be applied to a wide variety of rotating equipment in air, steam, or process gas applications to reduce the leakage gap between the sealing surface and rotor.  The compliancy of a brush seal allows the bristles to deflect with minimal wear, thereby maintaining a small leakage gap over time and increasing operational efficiencies. (read more)

Auxiliary bearings support the rotor when the machine is stationary, accommodate overloads, and support the rotor in the event of system fault. Our auxiliary bearing options include stator-mounted ball bearings, rotor-mounted ball bearings, and bushing type bearings, all backed by a full-speed landing test. (read more)

Waukesha Bearings supplies medium and thick wall journal bearings specifically designed for turbomachinery. Several configurations are available to handle application needs for load capacity, rotating load, stiffness, damping, and rotordynamic stability. (read more)

ISFD technology provides highly engineered damping and stiffness to shift critical speeds and increase the dynamic stability of the rotor/bearing system. In the patented ISFD design, stiffness and damping are independent of each other and can be precisely controlled. (read more)