06/2011: Triton and Kaman partner to prommote FRA materials
Lightweight FRA Bearing Liners for Gear Boxes
Applications using gearbox housings made of cast light aluminum or magnesium alloys typically use steel bearing liners. But, due to vibration and other loads, the steel bearing can easily wear away the aluminum or magnesium housing. Therefore, very hard carburized steel bearing liners are being used, but pose increased weight challenges.
Weight reduction is a major challenge across many DoD platforms.
Specifically, the CH-53 K Helicopter, with its Critical Design Review fast approaching, various weight initiatives are underway. One such initiative is replacing carburized steel bearing liners with Triton’s Fiber Reinforced Aluminum (FRA).
Triton FRA Bearing Liners – Demonstrated Improvement in Wear Resistance and Lightweight
Triton’s fiber-reinforced metal technology has demonstrated a significant improvement in wear resistance over high performance metals such as carburized steel and beryllium copper. In screening fret and highly loaded friction wear in testing by major aerospace prime contractors, Triton’s Fiber Reinforced Aluminum (FRA) outperformed baseline materials while offering significant weight savings. Specifically, a one-to-one insertion of Triton’s FRA technology into the CH-53 K Gearbox bearing liners, enables a 50 pound weight savings per system.
Applications
Beyond the CH-53K helicopter, other potential Navy applications for FRA liners include: H-60, V-22, H-1 and UAV's. Other AF and Army platforms are potential customers as well. Essentially, any air or ground vehicle employing light alloy (e.g., aluminum or magnesium alloys) gearboxes or actuator housings could incorporate FRA to replace steel bearing liners.
Features
- High strength aluminum alloy randomly reinforced with chopped ceramic fibers
- Superior in wear resistance compared to carburized steel
- Sixty percent lighter than steel
- In 2009 Four FRA Bearing Liner Configurations Successfully Passed a Helicopter Gearbox Endurance Test
- Good Tensile/Compression Strength
- Excellent Fret Wear Resistance
- Triton Largest Enhanced Pressure Infiltration Casting (EPIC) equipment capable of making 40+ pound billets