Cost effective bronze

[roozle]

I am re-designing a housing for a gear-head and at the moment the housing is aluminium and the gear stages have aluminium Bronze (HT20) bush bearings. My question is I would like to remove the operation of assembling the bearings and the cost of them.

I propose to make the housing out of a bronze, but need to know if there is a cost effective bronze that can be employed and the gears and shafts etc can be redesigned around this bronze. Also the machinability of the bronze should be fairly free cutting as there is quite high detail and consistant parts is critcal. The size of the housing is around an inch.

Would the bronze fade (oxidise) to a dark colour, could this be avioded. Treatment etc...?

Thanks,
Roozle




Highest Regards,
Roozle

 

[unclesyd]

i think you have the material already in the Al Bronze. You might wan to check Ampco metals website.
This alloy is not bad to corrode or oxidize so it may be ok for your part. This all depends on your enviroment.

 

[Mendit]

Small housings and bearings can be made from SAE 660 bronze, this material is readily available, it is often availbale centrifugal cast forms. It is free cutting and easy to machine, Not like Alum Bronze, which is tough to machine. Be care full of the expansion if your bearings run warm. You may have looseness.