Challenges and Solutions of Recent Thick-Film Bearings (Keynote) Available to Purchase

Recent challenges and solutions are outlined and discussed for various thick-film bearings in this keynote address. What come into focus are large bearings for utility turbines, titling pad journal bearings for high speed rotating machinery, small bearings for turbochargers and HDD systems, automobile engine bearings and air-lubricated foil bearings for micro gas turbines. Depending on the challenges, different solutions are proposed, such as bearing design tools based on highly reliable hydrodynamic lubrication models, bearing materials for higher performance and less maintenance costs, and countermeasures for unstable shaft vibrations. Effective solutions have been given to some challenges, but not yet to the others. Tribologists are encouraged to pioneer new horizon in this field, defying hard routes.