CuSn8 Wrapped Bronze Bushing – 092 & 090 Series Thin-wall bronze bush
In the realm of mechanical engineering, Wrapped Bronze Bushings stand as a testament to innovative design, offering superior performance in challenging environments. These thin-wall bronze bushes, cold-formed from high-density bronze strip material, are engineered to provide robust, self-lubricating solutions for heavy-duty, low-speed applications where space is often at a premium. Specifically, the 090 and 092 series represent a pinnacle in this technology, each tailored with distinct lubrication features to optimize operational efficiency and extend service life.
Precision Wrapped Bronze Bushings – Durable & Self-Lubricating
CuSn8 Bronze Bearings
At the heart of both the 090 and 092 series lies CuSn8 bronze, a high-performance copper-tin alloy. This material, composed primarily of 91.3% copper, 8.5% tin, and 0.2% phosphorus, is renowned for its exceptional mechanical strength, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance . The addition of tin significantly enhances its hardness and elasticity, while phosphorus contributes to improved wear properties and castability. The high density of CuSn8 (approximately 8.8 g/cm³) ensures that even with a thin-wall design, these bushings maintain remarkable load-bearing capabilities, making them a cost-effective and space-efficient alternative to traditional cast bronze bearings.
Shop precision-engineered wrapped bronze bushings for heavy-duty applications. Long-lasting performance and low maintenance guaranteed.
Wrapped Bronze Bushing Solutions for Heavy Machinery
092 Series Wrapped Bronze Bushing: The Perforated Advantage
- Material: CuSn8P0.3 or CuSn6.5P0.1 (Tin Bronze)
- Max Load (Dynamic): 40 N/mm²
- Max Sliding Speed: Up to 2.5 m/s
- Hardness: 90-120 HB
- Friction Coefficient: 0.08-0.25 (with lubrication)


090 Series Wrapped Bronze Bushing: The Diamond Pocket Innovation
- Material: CuSn8 (Tin Bronze, approx. 91.3% Cu, 8.5% Sn, 0.2% P)
- Max Load (Dynamic): 40 N/mm²
- Max Sliding Speed: Up to 2.0 m/s
- Hardness: 90-120 HB
- Tensile Strength: ~470 N/mm²
- Thermal Conductivity: ~60 W/m·K
Wrapped Bronze Bushing Manufacturer | 090 & 092 Series (CuSn8) | BronzeOilless.com
Please get in touch with una@viiplus.com to receive a professional and fast quotation
Please get in touch with una@viiplus.com to receive a professional and fast quotation
Lubrication Reservoir Architectures
The effectiveness of a wrapped bronze bushing in “difficult” environments—those characterized by high dust, water exposure, or irregular maintenance—is largely due to the geometry of its lubrication reservoirs.
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Diamond Indents (Grease Pockets): These are the most common surface features. The diamond shape is optimized for grease retention. As the shaft rotates, it creates a pumping action that draws grease out of the pockets and across the sliding surface. This is particularly effective in oscillating movements where a full hydrodynamic film cannot be maintained by rotation alone.
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Spherical Indents: Similar to diamond pockets, these are hemispherical depressions. They are often used when a different lubricant release rate is desired or based on specific customer engineering requirements.
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Through-Hole Perforations: Some bushings feature holes punched entirely through the wall. These are designed for applications where a massive amount of lubricant is required or where the bushing is submerged in an oil bath. The through-holes act as a “sump,” allowing for longer intervals between maintenance and providing a path for contaminants to be flushed away from the shaft.
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Solid Lubricant Inlays: In some specialized variants, the diamond pockets are filled with solid graphite or MoS₂. This configuration allows for dry-running or boundary lubrication in high-temperature or vacuum environments where traditional oils and greases would evaporate or oxidize.
| Lubrication Pattern | Recommended Lubricant | Ideal Application Conditions |
| Diamond Pockets | Grease (Lithium-based) |
High loads, slow speeds, oscillating motion. |
| Spherical Pockets | Grease or Heavy Oil |
General industrial use with periodic maintenance. |
| Through-Holes | Oil or Grease |
Extremely dirty environments; oil-bath systems. |
| Graphite Filled | None (Self-lubricating) |
High temperatures, inaccessible locations, dry-running. |
Lubrication Reservoir Architectures
The effectiveness of a wrapped bronze bushing in “difficult” environments—those characterized by high dust, water exposure, or irregular maintenance—is largely due to the geometry of its lubrication reservoirs.
-
Diamond Indents (Grease Pockets): These are the most common surface features. The diamond shape is optimized for grease retention. As the shaft rotates, it creates a pumping action that draws grease out of the pockets and across the sliding surface. This is particularly effective in oscillating movements where a full hydrodynamic film cannot be maintained by rotation alone.
-
Spherical Indents: Similar to diamond pockets, these are hemispherical depressions. They are often used when a different lubricant release rate is desired or based on specific customer engineering requirements.
-
Through-Hole Perforations: Some bushings feature holes punched entirely through the wall. These are designed for applications where a massive amount of lubricant is required or where the bushing is submerged in an oil bath. The through-holes act as a “sump,” allowing for longer intervals between maintenance and providing a path for contaminants to be flushed away from the shaft.
-
Solid Lubricant Inlays: In some specialized variants, the diamond pockets are filled with solid graphite or MoS₂. This configuration allows for dry-running or boundary lubrication in high-temperature or vacuum environments where traditional oils and greases would evaporate or oxidize.
Common Materials for Wrapped Bushings
The strip has to roll and form without cracking, which limits the choice compared with cast alloys. Three families cover most wrapped production.
CuSn8 tin bronze
The standard wrapped bushing material. CuSn8 (CW453K) combines good strength with the formability the process needs, and it work-hardens during forming, which raises the finished hardness. It wears well against steel and is the default choice for general industrial duty. Because it is a tin bronze, wrapped CuSn8 bushings are normally grease- or oil-lubricated, with a grooved bore.
Because CuSn8 work-hardens during forming, the finished bushing is harder than the strip it came from. That is useful — it raises wear resistance — but it also means a wrapped bushing should not be heavily deformed after forming, so where a part needs significant post-forming work the material and the sequence are planned together.
CuSn6 tin bronze
With slightly less tin, CuSn6 (CW452K) is more ductile and forms more readily, which suits deeper draws and more demanding shapes. It is a little lower in strength and hardness than CuSn8. Where a wrapped part has an awkward geometry, or where the forming is severe, CuSn6 is often the smoother route.
CuZn brasses
Brass strip is used where the duty is lighter and cost is the deciding factor. It forms easily and machines cleanly, but carries lower load and wears faster than tin bronze. It appears in light-duty consumer and light industrial applications rather than in heavily loaded joints.
Bimetal strip
A steel backing with a bronze layer bonded to it can also be rolled into a wrapped bushing. That is a material structure question rather than a forming one, so we cover it on the composite bushings page — the forming route is the same, the material decision is different.
Wrapped vs. Centrifugally Cast vs. Machined from Solid
Three routes produce a bronze bushing, and the right one depends more on size and quantity than on anything else. The table compares them on the factors that usually decide it.
| Factor | Wrapped | Centrifugal cast | Machined from solid bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical size range | Small to medium; commonly up to about 100 mm bore | Medium to large, including several hundred mm | Any size, economic at the small end |
| Wall thickness | Thin, typically 0.75–3 mm | Heavy, 5 mm and upwards | Set by the design |
| Material utilisation | High — no swarf | Moderate | Lower — most of the blank is cut away |
| Piece cost at volume | Low | Moderate | Higher |
| Cost for one or two pieces | Higher — tooling to amortise | Moderate | Lowest — no tooling needed |
| Load capacity | Moderate; limited by thin wall | High | High |
| Heat dissipation | Good — thin wall into housing | Good | Good |
| Lead time, first part | Depends on tooling | Moderate | Short |
| Geometry | Cylindrical, flanged, grooved | Cylindrical, flanged, complex sections | Unrestricted |
| Typical application | General duty at volume; light to moderate load | Heavy load, large diameters | Prototypes, oversize, non-standard |
Reading the trade-off. Wrapped wins on cost per piece once the quantity justifies the tooling, and on compactness where the housing bore is fixed. Centrifugal casting takes over as the diameter and the load grow, and gives a heavier section that can be re-machined. Machining from solid is the flexible route: no tooling, any geometry, and it is normally what we use for a prototype or a one-off replacement, even when the production part will eventually be wrapped or cast.
Where each route becomes economical
The tooling for a wrapped bushing is a fixed cost, so the piece price falls as quantity rises. Below a certain quantity — it varies with size and complexity — machining from solid is cheaper even though the material costs more, because there is no tooling to recover. Centrifugal casting sits between the two and becomes the natural choice as diameter grows, since the material saved outweighs the extra processing.
In practice: one or two parts, or a prototype, usually means machining. A few hundred identical parts in a standard size usually means wrapped. A large diameter, a heavy section, or a complex shape usually means cast. Where the answer is not obvious, we will quote two routes and let the numbers decide.
If your part falls between these — too large to wrap, too small to justify a casting — we will say so and recommend the route. Where the quantity justifies it, we also machine wrapped blanks: see CNC machining bronze for the secondary operations.
Metric Sizes
The table below shows representative metric sizes from our standard range. It replaces and consolidates the size information previously published on our cast bronze metric sleeves page — if you arrived from that page, the specifications are here.
Wrapped bushings are supplied in a range of wall thicknesses for a given bore. The wall you choose sets the outside diameter, so the housing bore has to be designed around it: a 20 mm bore bushing might be 23 mm outside diameter with a 1.5 mm wall, or 24 mm with a 2 mm wall.
| d (bore) | Wall | D (OD) | L range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1.0 | 8 | 6–10 | Smallest standard sizes |
| 8 | 1.0 | 10 | 8–12 | — |
| 10 | 1.0 | 12 | 10–15 | — |
| 12 | 1.0 | 14 | 12–20 | — |
| 14 | 1.5 | 17 | 15–20 | — |
| 15 | 1.5 | 18 | 15–25 | — |
| 16 | 1.5 | 19 | 16–25 | — |
| 18 | 1.5 | 21 | 18–25 | — |
| 20 | 1.5 | 23 | 20–30 | 2.0 wall gives D = 24 |
| 22 | 1.5 | 25 | 22–30 | — |
| 25 | 1.5 | 28 | 25–35 | 2.0 wall gives D = 29 |
| 28 | 2.0 | 32 | 28–40 | — |
| 30 | 2.0 | 34 | 30–40 | — |
| 32 | 2.0 | 36 | 32–40 | — |
| 35 | 2.0 | 39 | 35–45 | — |
| 40 | 2.0 | 44 | 40–50 | 2.5 wall gives D = 45 |
| 45 | 2.5 | 50 | 45–55 | — |
| 50 | 2.5 | 55 | 50–60 | — |
| 60 | 2.5 | 65 | 60–70 | — |
| 70 | 2.5 | 75 | 70–80 | Upper end of standard wrapped range |
| 80 | 2.5 | 85 | 80–90 | Larger sizes on request |
Sizes outside this table are produced to drawing, including non-standard walls, intermediate bores, and lengths beyond the ranges shown. If you previously used our cast bronze metric sleeves page, the same size range is available here alongside the wrapped options.
Choosing wall thickness and length
Two decisions follow the bore size. Wall thickness sets the outside diameter, so it is fixed by the housing bore: with an existing housing that decides it, while on a new design a thinner wall saves space and weight and a thicker one leaves more material for wear and for re-machining. Length sets the bearing area — longer reduces the bearing pressure and improves guidance, but demands better alignment, since a long bush in a misaligned housing will edge-load at its ends.
These sizes follow the same series as ISO 3547 for wrapped bushes, so a bushing chosen from the table interchanges with parts made to that standard. Where your equipment follows a different series, or the housing is already machined, send the housing dimension and we will match to it.
Inch Sizes
The inch range below is the imperial equivalent of the metric table. It consolidates the specifications previously published on our cast bronze inch sleeves page. Inch sizes remain in steady demand for North American equipment and for maintenance of machinery built to imperial drawings, so both ranges are held.
| d (bore) | Wall | D (OD) | L range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4″ | 1/16″ | 3/8″ | 1/4–1/2″ | — |
| 5/16″ | 1/16″ | 7/16″ | 5/16–1/2″ | — |
| 3/8″ | 1/16″ | 1/2″ | 3/8–3/4″ | — |
| 1/2″ | 1/16″ | 5/8″ | 1/2–1″ | Also available 3/32″ wall |
| 5/8″ | 1/16″ | 3/4″ | 5/8–1″ | — |
| 3/4″ | 1/16″ | 7/8″ | 3/4–1-1/4″ | Also available 3/32″ wall |
| 7/8″ | 1/16″ | 1″ | 7/8–1-1/4″ | — |
| 1″ | 1/16″ | 1-1/8″ | 1–1-1/2″ | Also available 3/32″ wall |
| 1-1/8″ | 1/16″ | 1-1/4″ | 1-1/8–1-1/2″ | — |
| 1-1/4″ | 1/16″ | 1-3/8″ | 1-1/4–1-3/4″ | Also available 3/32″ wall |
| 1-1/2″ | 1/16″ | 1-5/8″ | 1-1/2–2″ | Also available 3/32″ wall |
| 1-3/4″ | 1/16″ | 1-7/8″ | 1-3/4–2″ | — |
| 2″ | 1/16″ | 2-1/8″ | 2–2-1/2″ | Also available 3/32″ wall |
| 2-1/2″ | 3/32″ | 2-11/16″ | 2-1/2–3″ | — |
| 3″ | 3/32″ | 3-3/16″ | 3–3-1/2″ | Larger sizes on request |
Metric and inch bushings are not usually interchangeable even where the nominal conversion looks close, because the wall thickness and the housing bore follow different standard series. If you are converting an imperial drawing to metric, or the other way round, send both and we will confirm what actually fits rather than converting on paper.
Notes on the inch range
Inch-sized wrapped bushings are held for two reasons: new equipment built to imperial drawings, and the larger installed base of North American machinery that predates metrication. In the second case the drawing often specifies the bushing by outside diameter and length rather than by a standard number, so we work from the housing dimension.
The wall thicknesses listed are the common ones. A 1/2″ bore bushing with a 1/16″ wall measures 5/8″ outside; the same bore with a 3/32″ wall measures 11/16″. That difference is small on paper and significant once the housing is bored, so confirm which you need. Where the housing bore is known but the bushing is not, send the bore dimension and the shaft size and we will work back to the bushing.
Oil Grooves and Oil Holes
A wrapped bushing intended to run greased or oil-lubricated needs a way to get the lubricant to the sliding surface and to distribute it along the bore. That is what the groove pattern does. The pattern is chosen according to how the shaft moves and where the load sits.
| Pattern | Motion | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Figure-eight | Rotating or oscillating | Distributes lubricant well across the bore; a common general-purpose choice |
| Diamond | Rotating | Wide coverage, good for continuous rotation at moderate speed |
| Circular (annular) | Rotating | Feeds the whole circumference; often combined with an axial feed groove |
| Straight axial | Linear or slow oscillation | Runs along the length; suits linear guides and slow oscillating joints |
| Spiral (helical) | Rotating, one direction | Drives lubricant along the bore; direction-sensitive |
Two rules apply whatever the pattern. The groove should not run through the loaded zone, because a groove there interrupts the oil film exactly where the load is concentrated. And the groove needs a feed — an oil hole through the wall, positioned so the housing can supply it. Where the housing feeds from one point, we drill the hole to match and, if necessary, add a distribution groove so the lubricant reaches the whole bore from that single entry.
When a groove is not needed
Not every bushing needs one. A bushing running submerged in oil, or fed by a bath or a circulating system, often runs better on a plain bore, since any groove interrupts the oil film. Solid-lubricated graphite-plugged bushings likewise do not rely on a groove, and adding one reduces the bearing area without improving lubrication. If the lubrication method is already decided, tell us and we will advise whether a groove helps.
Grooves are rolled or cut before the bore is finished, so they are part of the design rather than an afterthought. Solid-lubricated graphite-plugged bushings are a different case: the graphite itself provides the lubrication, so grooves are optional — see bush groove patterns for a fuller treatment of pattern selection.
Tolerances, Press Fit and Housing Bore
A wrapped bushing is thin-walled, which makes the fitting more sensitive than it would be for a heavy-walled cast part. Two points govern it: the housing bore must be round, and the bore will close when the bushing is pressed in.
| Feature | Recommendation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Housing bore | H7 | Roundness matters more here than for a solid bush |
| Shaft | f7 or g6 | Finish Ra 0.4–0.8 μm |
| Interference on OD | 0.03–0.08 mm | Smaller values at small diameters and thin walls |
| Bore closure after fitting | Typically 60–90% of the interference | Thin walls close proportionally more than heavy ones |
| Housing entry chamfer | Required | Prevents the seam being sheared on entry |
Why roundness matters. A thin-walled wrapped bushing follows its housing. If the bore is oval, the bushing becomes oval, and the clearance on the shaft is lost at two points. This is the single most common cause of a wrapped bushing failing to run freely after fitting, and it is a housing problem rather than a bushing one.
Where the seam sits. On a seamed bushing, the joint is normally positioned away from the loaded zone. If the load direction is known, tell us and the seam can be oriented accordingly; where it is not known, a seamless construction removes the question.
Fitting. Press with a mandrel or a sleeve bearing on the outside diameter, not on the flange. Because the wall is thin, the bushing will not tolerate being driven in at an angle. After fitting, check the bore and ream or burnish to the final clearance if the drawing requires it.
Design Versatility: Straight vs. Flanged Wrapped Bushing
- Straight Bushings (Cylindrical): These are the standard split-type bushings primarily designed to accommodate radial loads. Their simple, cylindrical form makes them ideal for applications where axial movement is either constrained by other components or not a critical factor.
- Flanged Wrapped Bushings: Featuring a flange on one side, these bushings are engineered to handle both radial and light axial loads. The flange provides crucial axial positioning and prevents the bushing from creeping out of its housing, making them indispensable in applications where precise axial location and thrust load support are required.


Engineering Advantages of Thin-Wall Bronze Bushings
- Space Optimization: The reduced wall thickness allows for more compact machinery designs, crucial in modern engineering where miniaturization and efficiency are paramount.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to traditional cast bronze bushings, the manufacturing process of wrapped bushings from strip material leads to a 30-50% reduction in copper material usage, significantly lowering raw material costs .
- Enhanced Thermal Management: The thin-wall structure improves heat transfer efficiency, effectively dissipating heat generated during operation and preventing premature wear due to overheating.
- Simplified Installation: The lightweight nature and precise dimensions of these bushings simplify the installation process, reducing labor costs and assembly time.
Applications of wrapped bronze bushing
- Construction Equipment: Excavators, loaders, bulldozers, and cranes, where heavy loads and abrasive environments are common.
- Agricultural Machinery: Tractors, harvesters, and other farm equipment that require reliable performance in dusty and variable conditions.
- Mining Equipment: Crushers, conveyors, and other heavy machinery operating under extreme pressures and harsh environments.
- Injection Molding Machines: For mold guiding and ejector mechanisms, ensuring smooth and precise operation.
- Hydraulic Cylinders: In rod eyes and pivot points, providing durable and low-maintenance bearing surfaces.




