Vesconite Hilube can last up to ten times the life of bronze

Vesconite Hilube is a thermopolymer, designed for particularly difficult operating environments. Hilube is specifically recommended for moist and underwater applications. These include the pump and marine industry, where regular maintenance is not practically feasible or cost-effective. Displaying superior wear life, especially in poorly lubricated and dirty conditions, Vesconite Hilube has been shown to offer up to ten times the life of bronze bushings.

Vesconite Hilube incorporates an internal lubricant that translates into an exceptionally low friction coefficient. With excellent dimensional stability, low wear rates, and a high load-bearing capacity, Hilube excels in difficult applications.

Vesconite Hilube has been used for decades in a wide range of specialized pump bearing applications.

The material thrives in water, keeping to machined sizes without swelling and with zero delamination.

Other advantages are that it does not corrode, and helps prevent the corrosion between metal components especially in salt water; is resistant to oils and fuels; and is easy to machine, fit and remove – and prolongs shaft life.

In addition, it allows dry startup for up to 1 minute.

Vesconite Hilube is recommended for most pump bearing applications, such as: 

About Vesconite's Hilube

Internally-lubricated, the ultra-low friction Hilube polymer has no stick-slip, doesn’t swell and provides a wear life ten times that of bronze. It machines to +/-0.001″, making it ideal for applications with tight tolerances.

Breaking World Records with Hilube

The team that was awarded the Guinness World Record in 2017 for the longest distance covered by a miniature steam train is setting its sights on improving its record.

Keyser Locomotive Works, together with the Pietermaritzburg Model Engineering Society was able to cover 330km (205 miles) in 24 hours in its record-breaking attempt, which outstripped the previous 1994 record of 269km covered in 24 hours.

Vesconite, a market leader in grease-free polymer bushings and wear materials, has developed a food-grade, high-temperature, abrasion-resistant bearing poloymer.

The polymer is known as Hitemp 150 FG (food grade), and its name signifies that it can be used in applications that run at temperatures up to 150ºC and in which food contact is incidental or likely.

The previous version of Hitemp 150 did not explicitly use food grade ingredients, but, as a result from calls from the food industry to produce a similar hard-wearing product for use in food applications, alternative ingredients were sought for food safety.

“We have produced this Hitemp 150 FG product in which a food-approved ingredients have been used,” comments technical sales representative Eddie Swanepoel.

In 2018, Vesconite Bearings made a commitment to the U.S. market, increasing its readily available stock of Vesconite polymers and Vesconite Hilube in order to deliver quickly to customers.

Vesconite Bearings manufactures two main product types:

• Vesconite is a specialised hard-wearing thermopolymer designed for challenging operating conditions, Vesconite gives up to 10 times the life of traditional bronze or nylon bushings. Combining internal lubrication, a low friction coefficient and low wear rates, Vesconite does not require external lubrication, even where conditions are dry and dirty.
• Vesconite Hilube is a highly advanced thermopolymer in the

Equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and drill service providers have become highly competitive to secure remaining contracts in order to stay operational during this recent downturn in the industry. Looking for new strategies to succeed in this current market, companies are investigating alternative products and designs to maximize flexibility and efficiencies. Whether in the exploring, drilling, or production of oil, equipment manufacturers are looking for products that provide high levels of performance that will set themselves apart from the competition.

Bearing materials in the oil & gas industry are presented with the most demanding conditions requiring high load capacity in poor environments and sporadic service schedules. Columbia Industrial Products offer CIP Composites to the oil & gas industry as light weight, self-lubricating composite materials that have a long service life. Although commonly used for bearings, wear pads and thrust washers, CIP’s ability to provide large custom size solutions give the oil & gas industry the ability to use our materials in a wide range of applications. CIP Composites are ideal for replacing greased bronze bearings, and can be easily installed by press fitting or freeze fitting with the ability to machine in place.

Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube are advanced engineering thermoplastics with a unique combination of properties ideally suited to bearing applications in the agriculture industry. Tried and tested in countless industrial settings over the past five decades, both locally and internationally, Vesconite thrives where traditional bronze and steel bushings often fail. In both dry, wet, dirty and unlubricated environments, Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube have proved themselves time and time again as long-lasting, low-maintenance bearing alternatives. Whether you're a farmer, repairer or manufacturer of harvesters, planters, sprayers, harrows, etc, Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube should be considered as bushing and wear material substitutes.

I can't understand why more farmers don't use Vesconite.
-Old Farmer

This comment was made by an old farmer who had driven 185 miles (300km) to buy Vesconite bushings from our Johannesburg sales office.  We can’t help but agree with this sentiment – that any farmer who hasn’t tried Vesconite for bushes, and other sliding wearing parts is unwittingly creating unnecessary work and expense for themself.

Vesconite has over several decades been successfully used in a number of railway applications. The material’s self-lubricating properties make it well suited to railway components that are prone to metal on metal wear and require regular greasing. Not only will a switch to Vesconite bushings avoid long periods of downtime, the noise and squeal issues commonly associated with rolling stock, is significantly reduced. With a resultant reduction in rolling resistance, considerable power savings have been noted with the use of Vesconite components.

Vesconite Hilube on Tram Drive Bushings

Australia - An Australian tram operator continues to order approximately 100 Vesconite Hilube motor axle bushings a year, following its successful introduction to the product in 2006. The motor axle bushings, which require no lubrication and are wear resistant, have completely replaced the standard metal main drive H-class-tram bushings, which had been in use prior to the introduction of the polymer product.

The environmentally sensitive hydro-power industry requires components that last longer in the absence of contaminating lubricants. These two factors alone make Vesconite Hilube the ideal bushing and bearing material in these demanding conditions. Water serves as a natural lubricant for Vesconite Hilube, which in turn, ensures a clean and grease-free operating environment. Unlike many traditional materials, Vesconite Hilube does not swell in water, nor does it distort or creep under load within wet hydro-power settings. Therefore not only does Vesconite last longer, so does it’s metal counterparts.

Hoover Dam pressure relief valves fitted with Vesconite Hilube