A slide plate is a linear bearing that may be part of the expansion joints of bridges, high temperature horizontal ducts of water-tube boilers and other mechanical or structural engineering applications. In each case one plate is fixed and the other slides on top as expansion or contraction occurs.
The plates provide a surface with a low coefficient of friction which can be attached to a supporting structure. This combination provides support while simultaneously allowing an object to move (slide) freely along the supporting surface. [1] The plate may be of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE),TEF-MET, [2] Lubrite [3] or steel according to the application.
Multiple design variations are possible but the most common example of a slide plate (in structural applications) has glass-filled PTFE [4] bonded to a steel backing plate. In these applications a two-part system is used which has an upper element with stainless steel surface face-down and bearing on a lower element with its PTFE steel backing surface face-up. [5] In most applications, the upper element is larger than the lower element by the amount of movement expected. This has a two-fold advantage of maintaining a constant bearing area and preventing the lower surface from being exposed to dirt, grit or other contaminants throughout the range of motion. [6]
Slides plates are arranged in a 'sandwich' formation, which is made of an upper slide plate and a lower slide plate component. [7]
Commonly used in [8]
- Oil/gas/chemical industries
- Complex steel structures
- Post-tensioned concrete structures
See also
References
- ^ Piping Technology: Product Catalog, Piping Technology & Products, Inc.(retrieved 30 August 2010)
- ^ "Singa Bearings Solutions | German Bearing Engineering and Consulting".
- ^ Lubrite technologies
- ^ "PTFE Slide Plate – Products | Piping Tech".
- ^ "Singa Bearings Solutions | German Bearing Engineering and Consulting".
- ^ Fluorogold Product Literature, Slide Bearings, LP (retrieved 20 January 2014)
- ^ Slide Plate Applications Piping Technology & Products, (retrieved January 2012)
- ^ "for neoprene bridge bearings, manufacturer, elastomeric bridge bearing, pads, high damping rubber bearing, ptfe Teflon products, PTFE sliding, laminated bearings, bridge bearings laminated,bearing pads,ptfe pipe supports, laminated, installation bearings, pot bearings, structural bearings".
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