A pneumatic cylinder manufacturing company uses Vesconite bushes for their cylinder nose bearings for the following reasons:

• Vesconite does not expand when wet
• Excellent wear properties whether used with or without lubrication
• Negligible wear caused to piston rod
• Longer wear life than nylon, acetal and other bearing materials in this application.

In pneumatic cylinder applications water condenses from compressed air. Not all of this water is trapped in the airline water traps. As a result some moisture works its way through to the pneumatic cylinders. Nylon bushes swell when exposed to moisture and this can lead to seizures.

Vesconite bush fitted inside the nose bearing housing shown alongside a completed cylinder.

Nylon bushes also soften when exposed to water or moisture. The nylon bushes used in pneumatic cylinders experienced a high wear rate and caused wear to the shaft.

Compared to acetal, another material often used for nose bearings, Vesconite has a superior wear life. Vesconite bushes have worked very successfully in this application. They are not affected by water so any condensation is no longer a problem.

Vesconite is self lubricating which does away with the need for any additional lubrication. It has a very low wear rate and does not cause wear on the shaft. Vesconite's long life makes it the most cost effective material available for nose bearings.