Rubber and water make the perfect combination for a bearing material and a lubricant. The natural resilience of rubber gives the bearing its shock, vibration and noise absorption properties. The shape of the Aqualube...
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Rubber and water make the perfect combination for a bearing material and a lubricant. The natural resilience of rubber gives the bearing its shock, vibration and noise absorption properties. The shape of the Aqualube bearing is the main reason for its success. Unlike many other bearings in the market the Aqualube bearing strips are shaped in such a way that a hydrodynamic water wedge is formed between shaft and bearing, even at very low speeds.
Water is the perfect lubrication medium, particularly for marine craft, because of its natural abundance, non-compressibility, cooling properties, and low coefficient of friction when between bearing strip and shaft.
The water enters the bearing through the longitudinal grooves and moves radially between the propeller shaft and the bearing face in a thin film. Once this film, or wedge, has developed, the shaft does not actually come into contact with the bearing.
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