A sliding member includes an overlay layer made of a resin on a side of a sliding surface of a bearing alloy layer. When a valley void volume Vvv (μm.sup.3/μm.sup.2) in the sliding surface of the overlay layer is defined as Vv1, Vv1 is in a range of 0.015≤Vv1≤0.200.

A sliding member includes an overlay layer made of a resin on a side of a sliding surface of a bearing alloy layer. When a valley void volume Vvv (μm.sup.3/μm.sup.2) in the sliding surface of the overlay layer is defined as Vv1, Vv1 is in a range of 0.015≤Vv1≤0.200.

A method and system for manufacturing a cast iron crankshaft for a vehicle are provided. The system comprises a molding unit arranged to form a negative sand cast mold of the cast iron crankshaft. The mold comprising at least one molded cavity having a pattern with dimensions of the cast iron crankshaft. The system further comprises a feeding mechanism comprising a riser having a connector through which molten metallic material flows to the cast mold. The feeding mechanism feeds the molten metallic material at a riser connection angle in the at least one mold cavity. The riser connection angle corresponds to a connector modulus. The connector modulus is 20% greater than a cast modulus. The riser geometry corresponds to a riser modulus. The riser modulus is 20% greater than the connector modulus. The system further comprises a furnace, a cooling area, a separation unit, a controller and a power source.

A hydrostatic bearing assembly including a bearing and two membrane throttles is provided. The bearing is adapted to be movably disposed on a slide rail and includes two sub-bearing portions that are disposed opposite to each other on two opposite sides of the slide rail. The two membrane throttles are adapted to be connected to a pump. The pump is adapted to supply a fluid through the two membrane throttles to flow between the two sub-bearing portions and the slide rail, and each of the membrane throttles includes a casing and a throttling membrane piece. At least one of the casing and the corresponding sub-bearing portion includes a chamber, an inlet and an outlet communicating with the chamber, and an outlet surface, wherein the pump is adapted to be connected to the inlet, and the slide rail is adapted to be disposed adjacent to the outlet. The throttling membrane piece is being positioned in the chamber covers on the outlet surface.

A fluid bearing includes a housing including an internal plenum disposed in the housing and an inlet in fluid communication with the plenum, wherein the inlet is configured to provide fluid to the plenum from an external source, a cushion surface facing away from the housing and the plenum, one or more nozzles positioned between the cushion surface and the housing, wherein the one or more nozzles extend from the plenum to the surrounding environment, wherein the one or more nozzles are configured to produce an annular curtain of fluid flowing at a velocity of at least Mach 1 and disposed about the cushion surface in response to a fluid flow entering the plenum from the inlet.

A shell bearing of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The shell bearing includes two semicircular segments defining a profile of the shell bearing. A constant oil groove is provided extending longitudinally and in a centralized manner along an internal surface of at least one of the two segments. The oil groove has a volume in a proportion of up to 10% of a volume of the shell bearing.

A bearing apparatus includes a bearing portion having an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of balls interposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage that holds the balls, and a lubrication unit provided adjacently to the bearing portion in an axial direction thereof to feed lubricant to a lubrication area that needs to be lubricated. The lubrication unit has a tank that stores the lubricant, and a pump that ejects the lubricant toward the lubrication area. The pump has an ejection port that is open toward the lubrication area and through which the lubricant is ejected at a predetermined initial velocity in the form of a 0.5 to 1,000 picoliter oil droplet.

A fluid bearing includes a housing including an internal plenum disposed in the housing and an inlet in fluid communication with the plenum, wherein the inlet is configured to provide fluid to the plenum from an external source, a cushion surface facing away from the housing and the plenum, one or more nozzles positioned between the cushion surface and the housing, wherein the one or more nozzles extend from the plenum to the surrounding environment, wherein the one or more nozzles are configured to produce an annular curtain of fluid flowing at a velocity of at least Mach 1 and disposed about the cushion surface in response to a fluid flow entering the plenum from the inlet.

A bearing apparatus includes a bearing portion having an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of balls interposed between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage that holds the balls, and a lubrication unit provided adjacently to the bearing portion in an axial direction thereof to feed lubricant to a lubrication area that needs to be lubricated. The lubrication unit has a tank that stores the lubricant, and a pump that ejects the lubricant toward the lubrication area. The pump has an ejection port that is open toward the lubrication area and through which the lubricant is ejected at a predetermined initial velocity in the form of a 0.5 to 1,000 picoliter oil droplet.