A roller ball assembly is provided. The assembly includes a primary roller ball supported by a support element that is composed of a superhard material. The assembly includes a cup defining a cavity within which the support element is positioned. A cap is coupled with the cup and positioned to retain the primary roller ball within the cavity. Also, a cup is disclosed for supporting roller balls. Additionally, disclosed are system and apparatus incorporating the assembly, as well as to methods of making and using the same.

A sliding member includes: a base material; a solid lubricant layer arranged on a surface of the base material; a defect layer having a material defect, disposed in the solid lubricant layer, and being changeable into an ultra low friction layer by mechanical stress more easily than changing from the solid lubricant layer to the ultra low friction layer; and a ultra low friction layer covering a surface of the defect layer.

A rolling bearing having an inner raceway and an outer raceway and a plurality of rolling elements arranged therebetween. The rolling bearing is media-lubricated or oil-free lubricated. The lubricant forms an elasto-hydrodynamic lubricant film between the rolling elements and the raceways. At first use of the rolling bearing, at least one surface of the rolling bearing is coated with a protective fluid, preferably an oil-based preservative fluid. Also, a refrigerant compressor having such a rolling bearing.

A press-fit thrust bearing system and apparatus. A press-fit thrust bearing for an electric submersible pump includes a protruding band extending around a midsection of a bushing, the protruding band extending inward towards a drive shaft, outward towards a diffuser, or both. When extending outwardly, the band is press-fit into the diffuser to prevent dislodgment of the bushing. A non-rotating guide sleeve extends around the bushing above the protruding band, the guide sleeve interlocking with the protruding band to prevent rotation of the bushing. The guide sleeve includes a projection, the protruding band has a channel and the projection mates with the channel to form the interlock. A pair of flanged, rotatable bearing sleeves extend inwards of the single bushing and are keyed to the drive shaft. The top and bottom faces of the bushing serve as thrust handling surfaces.

A wear-resistant coating film is disclosed that can maintain high wear resistance for a long period of time even when it is subjected to repetitive wear, and a method for producing the film, as well as a wear-resistant component. The wear-resistant coating film 10 includes a plated layer 11, lump parts 2, and a coat layer 13. The plated layer and the coat layer are laminated, and each of the lump parts is formed of a single particle 12 and/or an assembly of particles 12. The lump parts 2 are held by the plated layer 11 and are disposed to protrude from the plated layer 11. The coat layer 13 is formed to coat the surface of the plated layer 11, the lump parts 2 have flat portions 18, and the flat portions 18 are placed on the same plane as the surface of the coat layer 13.

A bearing providing a plurality of rolling elements and at least one raceway for the rolling elements. The at least one raceway or the rolling elements include a tungsten carbide coating. In some embodiments, the tungsten carbide coating may be a Nano-structured tungsten carbide coating. In some embodiments, the at least one raceway or the rolling elements may comprise a steel substrate covered with the tungsten carbide coating. Embodiments also relate to a method for producing a bearing. The method includes coating a plurality of rolling elements or at least one raceway for the rolling elements with a tungsten carbide coating. In some embodiments, the tungsten carbide coating may be a Nano-structured tungsten carbide coating.

The present invention provides an all-ceramic joint bearing used in a high-temperature, corrosion and oxidation-prone environment, which mainly includes an inner ring and an outer ring which are made of zirconia, alumina or silicon carbide ceramic materials. The all-ceramic joint bearing is assembled into a whole through corresponding assembly technologies. An inner side of the outer ring is an inner arc surface, and the inner ring is an outer arc surface. A width of the inner ring is 3-5 mm greater than that of the outer ring, and a movable swing angle of the inner ring is 0-21. The joint bearing made of the ceramic materials has an optimized structure by utilizing the ceramic material characteristics of high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, high hardness, non-magnetic permeability, wear resistance and self-lubrication.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to tilting pad bearing assemblies, bearing apparatuses including the tilting pad bearing assemblies, and methods of using the bearing apparatuses. The tilting pad bearing assemblies disclosed herein include a plurality of tilting pads. At least some of the superhard tables exhibit a thickness that is at least about 0.120 inch and/or at least two layers having different wear and/or thermal characteristics.

A hollow structure is formed from ceramic. The hollow structure includes a main body part and a reinforcing part. The main body part has a spherical outer peripheral surface, and inside the main body part, a hollow is formed. The reinforcing part is formed integrally with the main body part on an inner peripheral surface of the main body part and reinforces the main body part.

A manufacturing method for a sliding member is a method for manufacturing the sliding member in which a surface of an oxide film covering a metal base material serves as a sliding surface, and includes a dispersion step for dispersing a plurality of hard particles having a higher hardness than the oxide film through a surface layer of the metal base material, an oxide film generation step for generating the oxide film on the surface of the metal base material after the dispersion step, and an exposure step for exposing some of the plurality of hard particles from the surface of the oxide film by partially removing the oxide film.