1-800-874-4319 (US & INTL)
RFQ

Military Helicopter Bearings

Download PDF

Situation:

During combat, when military helicopters sustain critical damage, they are vulnerable to sudden loss of transmission lubrication and complete bearing failure within 3 to 6 minutes. Bearing failure requires an immediate emergency landing, potentially in dangerous territory. Increasing the life of power transmission after lubrication loss directly saves lives by increasing chances of escape from hostile territory.

Testing:

The performance of Dicronite® -coated bearings was compared to uncoated bearings under sudden lubrication loss conditions.

  • Roller bearings were made of M-50 steel.
  • Bearings were tested under a 114Kgf (250lbf) radial load for 38 minutes.
  • Inner race speed was 10,000 rpm.
  • MIL-PRF-7808 lubricant was applied to bearings.

Results:

  • Under lubrication loss conditions, standard bearings failed at a maximum time of 6 minutes, minimum time of 3 minutes
  • DICRONITE® dry lubricated bearings ran for the duration of the test under lubrication loss conditions.

Bearings coated with Dicronite dry lubrication never failed, enabling an emergency landing per the military's test conditions.

© Lubrication Sciences International, Inc., 2023. Dicronite® and DL-5® are registered trademarks of Lubrication Sciences International, Inc.

Linkedin Youtube

Contact Info

Links

Downloads

Scroll to Top
two surfaces sliding blue icon


Sliding Wear

Sliding wear occurs when two surfaces slide against one another causing material loss to one or both surfaces. Over time, this can result in component failures, additional maintenance, and costly down time.  

Coating components with Dicronite® can help minimize this wear and reduce the need for maintenance and down time.

TRY DICRONITE®

Ready to improve performance? Tell us about your application today.  

Speak with an expert
precision tooling equipment icon


Tight Tolerance Lubrication

Extremely tight tolerances can present challenges when lubricants or coatings are needed to reduce friction. Many products are available to help reduce friction, but in the case of very tight tolerances, few can be integrated without the need for adjustments.

Dicronite® has an average thickness of 0.5 microns (0.00002 inch) or less. This precision thin film allows users to incorporate Dicronite® on designs with tight tolerances without the need for design or manufacturing changes.

TRY DICRONITE®

Ready to improve performance? Tell us about your application today.  

Speak with an expert
vacuum environments blue icon


Vacuum Environment Lubrication

Vacuum environments present a challenge for lubrication. Many conventional lubricants aren’t effective under vacuum and are largely vaporized.

Dicronite® can be used in vacuum to reduce friction where other lubricants can’t function. The outgassing of Dicronite® under vacuum conditions is well below screening levels for spacecraft materials per ASTM E595.

TRY DICRONITE®

Ready to improve performance? Tell us about your application today.  

Speak with an expert
lightening bolt power output icon


Energy Lost to Friction

Friction is wasted energy! Systems with critical mechanical power output need to be extremely efficient.

Dicronite® optimizes mechanical efficiency by reducing friction losses and can even work in tandem with existing lubrication to further optimize efficiency.

Dicronite® is especially useful in precision systems, extreme environments, or where minimizing size and weight is vital.

TRY DICRONITE®

Ready to improve performance? Tell us about your application today.  

Speak with an expert
multiple blue gears icon


Fretting

Fretting is a unique form of sliding wear that occurs when contact surfaces oscillate over a very small range of motion. Although it may seem minor, this surface wear can ultimately lead to fatigue cracking and devastating damage.

Dicronite® helps remedy fretting by providing lubrication at contact surfaces. This effectively reduces the wear and surface stresses that cause so much damage.

Dicronite® can be integrated into existing designs and assemblies without any other adjustments for seamless reduction of fretting wear.

TRY DICRONITE®

Ready to improve performance? Tell us about your application today.  

Speak with an expert
sun and snowflake blue icon


Extreme Temperature Lubrication

Extreme low or high temperatures can be challenging environments for lubrication. At low temperatures, conventional lubricants may be too viscous to be effective, while extreme high temperatures can result in breakdown of the lubricant.

Dicronite can be used in extreme environments to ensure effective lubrication while also being used in combination with oils and greases.

Dicronite is stable across a wide temperature range:

  • up to approximately 538°C (1000°F) in air
  • up to approximately 1316°C (2400°F) in vacuum
  • down to approximately -188°C (-305°F)

TRY DICRONITE®

Ready to improve performance? Tell us about your application today.  

Speak with an expert
blue flame icon


Excessive Heat from Friction

As friction in an assembly generates heat, elevated temperatures can result in unwanted operating conditions.

This can cause overheating and accelerate the breakdown of materials, resulting in costly maintenance and down time or destructive failure.

Proper lubrication can help minimize friction, reduce heat, and increase mechanical efficiency. Coat parts with Dicronite® to avoid excessive maintenance and ensure components will run as efficiently as possible.

TRY DICRONITE®

Ready to improve performance? Tell us about your application today.  

Speak with an expert