Save costs with plain bearings Part 5: Simplify assembly

Lars Butenschön | 23. November 2022

In this example, too, it is less about the unit costs of the bearings, but rather about the costs that can be saved through an advantageous design in downstream (pardon :)) processes. The installation of bushings is a significant cost factor. Especially for assemblies with many bearing points or high unit quantities, the assembly time for fitting the bearings can be considerable and thus cost-intensive. If the bearings are particularly heavy or complicated for press-fit connection, e.g. because a large press-fit interference or undercuts are used, this can lead to assembly errors. The outcome: broken bushings and even more time spent.

If possible, design bearing points in such a way that the bearings can be assembled either simply by hand or, for large quantities, automatically.

Even simple mould features such as chamfers on the outer edges can facilitate positioning in housing bores. They help to position and centre the component. Chamfers on both sides of the component allow you to press-fit the bushing without having to position it the right way round first. This allows automatic assembly. Assembly time and therefore costs can be reduced, especially with many bushings per assembly.

If the bearing does not have to be fixed in the hole with press-fit excess dimension, the slotted bushing can simply be “clipped in”. This minimises assembly time for manual assembly, since no additional press-fitting is required.

If the bearing still has to be pressed in, it is advisable to install it using a press-fit punch or similar.

Beyond optimising the assembly, there are of course many other ways to save costs. You can find more useful information on this in our white paper entitled “Seven tips for finding the hidden costs of your plain bearings and saving money easily”.