Upgrade Your Rolling Mill: Bronze Bushing Replacement & Maintenance

Self-Lubricating Bronze Bushings for Steel Rolling Mills

High-performance graphite plugged bronze bushings & wear plates for steel rolling mills. Maintenance-free solutions for extreme temperatures and heavy loads. Meet ASTM B22 & DIN standards.

High Temperature bronze bushings for Steel rolling Mills

Oilless Bronze Wear Plates for Rolling Mill Housing Liners

Harsh-duty drivers in rolling mills

Rolling lines impose a combination that is hard on conventional grease/oil lubrication:

  • Heat near hot product: oils can dry out, oxidize, or burn; grease can bleed and harden.
  • Water and scale: cooling water washes away lubricants; mill scale and dust can turn grease into an abrasive paste.
  • Maintenance constraints: modern mills are highly automated; stoppages for relubrication can be costly.

For many sliding or oscillating points, self‑lubricating bronze (graphite-plugged / solid-lubricant embedded) provides a stable friction interface with minimal or no relubrication.

Main application modules for Steel rolling mills

A. Main rolling mill units (highest load & impact)

Typical requirement: very high compressive load, shock, low speed, boundary lubrication.

  • Housing liners / wear plates: use solid-lubricant wear plates to prevent metal-to-metal contact and protect the stand.
  • Screw-down system (screw & nut): high-strength bronzes such as aluminum bronze (C95400/C95500) or manganese bronze (C86300) for slow-speed, heavy-load duty.
  • Roll balancing linkages: self-lubricating bushings reduce routine greasing and keep motion responsive.

B. Shearing & auxiliaries (speed + impact + dust)

Typical requirement: fatigue resistance, alignment stability, sometimes higher speed.

  • Flying shears: bearing bronzes (e.g., C93200) are common; pair with forced lubrication for cooling at higher speed.
  • Pushers & cooling beds: self-lubricating bronze helps avoid dust-laden grease becoming abrasive.
  • Coilers/uncoilers: thin-wall composites are used where space limits oil routing.

C. Conveyor & roller tables (hot, wet, many rotating points)

Typical requirement: moderate load, continuous rotation, heat + water spray, high quantity.

  • Entry/exit roller tables: graphite-plugged bronze supports boundary lubrication when grease washes away.
  • Looper towers (pivot shafts): bronze bushings with boundary/self-lubrication designs keep tension control smooth.

D. Continuous casting (often integrated with rolling)

Typical requirement: high temperature, water spray, vibration/oscillation.

  • Mould oscillation mechanisms: self-lubricating bronze handles high-frequency oscillation and shock.
  • Segment rollers / straighteners: graphite-plugged designs keep lubrication despite washout.

Material quick guide

Alloy codes are common references; final choice must match PV, shaft hardness/finish, alignment, and coolant chemistry.

Material (typical) Best-fit duty Why it’s chosen in mills
Manganese bronze (UNS C86300) Slow speed, very heavy load, impact High strength and wear resistance for heavy-duty bushings and screw-down nuts.
Aluminum bronze (UNS C95400/C95500) High compressive load, wear/abrasion, corrosion Resists deformation under high load; stable sliding under stress.
Bearing bronze (UNS C93200 / “SAE 660”) Medium speed, medium load; conformability Reliable anti-friction behavior when lubrication is available and alignment is controlled.
Self‑lubricating bronze (graphite-plugged / embedded) Boundary lubrication, heat, dust, water washout Solid lubricant maintains low friction where oil/grease cannot be maintained.
Steel-backed composite (thin wall) Space-limited, maintenance-free sliding Thin section and low maintenance for compact mechanisms (e.g., coil expansion).

Selection Map

System Sub-location Recommended type Typical material Selection logic
Main mill Housing liner / stand interfaces Solid-lubricant wear plate High-strength bronze + graphite Prevents stand/gib wear under huge load where relube is difficult.
Main mill Screw-down nut / thrust interfaces Heavy-load bronze bushing C95400/C95500 or C86300 Slow speed + extreme thrust needs maximum compressive strength and wear resistance.
Main mill Roll balancing joints Self-lubricating joint bushing Bronze matrix + solid lubricant Low-speed oscillation benefits from reduced maintenance and stable friction.
Roller tables Entry/exit roller tables High-temp self-lubricating bushing Graphite-plugged bronze Heat + water spray often defeats grease; solid lubricant protects surfaces.
Looper Pivot shafts Boundary/self-lubricating bushing Bronze or composite Frequent oscillation needs stable friction and dust tolerance.
Shearing Flying shear crank/link Bearing bronze bushing (with lube) C93200 (or similar) Higher speed + cyclic load favors bearing bronze; forced lube helps cooling.
Cooling bed Stepper/pusher pivots Self-lubricating bushing Graphite-embedded bronze Dust makes grease abrasive; self-lube reduces paste-like wear.
Coiler/uncoiler Compact expansion/slide elements Thin-wall composite bushing Steel-backed composite Limited space demands thin wall and low-maintenance sliding.
Casting Mould oscillation Self-lubricating bushing High-strength bronze + solid lubricant High-frequency oscillation and shock needs stable boundary lubrication.
Casting Segment/straightener rollers Water-tolerant self-lubricating bushing Graphite-plugged bronze Water washout + heat makes solid-lube designs more reliable.

Practical selection rules

  1. High load + low speed + shock: prioritize C86300/C95400-class strength or graphite-embedded high-strength bronze when relubrication is unreliable.
  2. Higher speed rotation (e.g., shear cranks): use bearing bronze (e.g., C93200) and design for forced lubrication to remove heat.
  3. Heat/water/dust + hard-to-grease: default to self‑lubricating bronze (graphite-plugged / solid-lubricant embedded).
  4. Space limited: consider thin-wall composites to control envelope size and oil-routing complexity.

Steel Rolling Mills Solutions – custom wear plates and Self-lubricating Bearings

Bushings for Main Rolling Mill Units

Main Rolling Mill Units

Continuous Casting Oilless Bearing Solutions

Continuous Casting

solid lubricated bushings and thrust washer for Conveyor & Roller Tables

Conveyor & Roller Tables

Solid lubricant bearings (JDB-style) for Pushers & Cooling Beds of Shearing & Auxiliary Equipment

Shearing & Auxiliary Equipment

High Temperature bronze bushings for Steel rolling Mills | Oilless Design

Engineered bronze bushings for entry/exit roller tables and cooling beds. Withstand heat up to 300°C with solid lubricant technology. Replace traditional grease lubrication.