A method of providing electrical insulation for at least one portion of a bearing element is disclosed herein. The method includes electrostatically spraying a polymer coating to the at least one portion of the bearing element, and the polymer coating comprises a thermoset epoxy coating or a self-adhering nylon powder coating. The bearing element can be grounded during the electrostatic spraying. The method includes heating the polymer coating in an oven at a temperature less than or equal to 220° C. for a predetermined time, such that after removal from the oven, the polymer coating has a porosity of less than 10%. The coated bearing element has a resistance of at least 50 MΩ resistance under dry conditions and 10 MΩ resistance under wet conditions.

A metal foam ball, several millimeters in diameter, is manufactured to have an open-pore structure to absorb fluid (e.g., gas and liquid) such as water or lubricant. As an example, a copper foam ball is manufactured via a freeze casting method using prepared oxide powder slurry where a spherical silica gel mold is used to freeze the slurry, which is subsequently dried at low temperature in vacuum and then sintered at high temperature. For improved oxidation, copper alloy foam ball or copper foam ball coated with tin can also be manufactured through the same method. For improved strength, steel, copper-nickel alloy, or titanium foam ball can also be manufactured through the same method.

A rolling bearing makes use of a porous rolling element and a selected kind of lubricant to impregnate with; is usable in various conditions; does not discharge foreign objects; and features low dust generation and long life. The rolling bearing includes an outer ring 2; an inner ring 1; and a plurality of rolling elements 3 assembled between mutually opposed outer ring track surface 2a and inner ring track surface 1a. The plurality of rolling elements 3 is provided by a combination of a porous rolling element 3a impregnated with a lubricant and a non-porous rolling element 3b.

Provided is a novel sintered oil-impregnated bearing superior in wear resistance and cost performance under a severe use condition where the bearing collides with a shaft due to a high load and vibration, such as a condition associated with an output shaft of an electric motor installed in a vehicle and a wiper motor installed therein. The sintered oil-impregnated bearing contains: 15 to 30% by mass of Cu; 1 to 4% by mass of C; and a remainder consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, in which a metal structure with copper being melted therein is provided at least on a bearing surface; pearlite or a pearlite with ferrite being partially scattered therein is provided in a matrix; a copper-rich phase arranged in a mesh-like manner is also provided in the matrix; and a free graphite is dispersed and distributed in the matrix as well.

A crankshaft with improved seizure resistance is provided. A crankshaft having journals 11 and pins 12 includes a compound layer containing iron and nitrogen on its surface, wherein, in the compound layer, for both the journals 11 and pins 12, the porosity area ratio of the thinner one of a region from the surface to a depth of 3.0 μm and a region across the total thickness of the compound layer is not higher than 10.0%, and both the journals 11 and pins 12 have such a surface geometry that the arithmetical mean deviation of the primary profile, Pa, is not larger than 0.090 μm.

Provided is a sliding guide device for a machine tool, which is capable of supplying an appropriate amount of lubricating oil onto a sliding surface in a stable manner for a long period of time. A movable body is provided with a porous-body accommodation space that is open toward a guide face of a base. The porous-body accommodation space is in communication with a lubricating-oil supply passage that is in communication with an external lubricating oil supply unit. In the porous-body accommodation space, a porous body is disposed in a manner to provide a gap G between the porous body and the guide face of the base.

A method of providing electrical insulation for at least one portion of a bearing element is disclosed herein. The method includes electrostatically spraying a polymer coating to the at least one portion of the bearing element, and the polymer coating comprises a thermoset epoxy coating or a self-adhering nylon powder coating. The bearing element can be grounded during the electrostatic spraying. The method includes heating the polymer coating in an oven at a temperature less than or equal to 220° C. for a predetermined time, such that after removal from the oven, the polymer coating has a porosity of less than 10%. The coated bearing element has a resistance of at least 50 MΩ resistance under dry conditions and 10 MΩ resistance under wet conditions.

A laminate article can include a substrate and a layer of a heterogeneous mixture of a non-fluorinated polymer compound and a fluorinated polymer compound. The laminate article can include a gradual concentration gradient along an axis perpendicular to the substrate. The gradual concentration gradient can include the change of the amount of the non-fluorinated polymer and the fluorinated polymer compound relative to the axis perpendicular to the substrate. The layer can further include at least one filler. The laminate can be applied as a bearing material.

The method comprises depositing a coating of metal material on the inside surface of the body (4) of the stator (36), impregnating said coating with a self-lubricating composite material (20), machining internal cells (28) in the thickness of the coating (10), and machining orifices (34) leading into the cells.

A vacuum pump comprises: a bearing device; and an exhaust function including a rotary body supported by the bearing device and configured to exhaust gas. The bearing device includes a bearing having an outer ring, an inner ring, and a rolling body, a lubricant storage configured to store lubricant, a lubricant supply structure configured to supply, to the bearing, the lubricant stored in the lubricant storage, a holding member configured to hold the bearing, and a porous body disposed outside the outer ring of the bearing and filled with the lubricant supplied from the lubricant supply structure to the bearing.