Kaydon Endurakote®-plated bearings

Design features

Endurakote® allows designers to take advantage of the cost savings of specifying stock bearings instead of more exotic materials. The coating can be applied to any type of bearing and to most bearing materials, including most ferrous and nonferrous metal. This is particularly beneficial for larger diameter bearings or where quick delivery is critical.

Endurakote® plating is effective in increasing wear resistance in sliding surface contacts. The micro-surface composition of Endurakote® plating aids in lubricant dispersion, enhancing base metals by reducing or eliminating galling, seizing, and high friction, over a wide range of installations and environments.

Endurakote® plating creates a buildup of less than 0.0002" under normal circumstances, and is compatible with most ferrous and nonferrous metal, allowing maximum flexibility in the selection of base material. Endurakote® plating is normally a final process, and its quality is constant with any given base metal, ensuring design reproducibility.

Properties and characteristics

Kaydon's proprietary Endurakote® hard chromium plating provides stock-material thin section and slewing ring bearings with excellent corrosion resistance and other benefits. Endurakote® properties and characteristics have been extensively tested.

Hardness
Endurakote® plating, as deposited, has an equivalent hardness in excess of 70 Rockwell C. When measured by conventional micro-hardness methods, the host material will modify this measurement to some degree.

Coefficient of friction
(Note: Measurements made at 72°F, using other materials for comparison.)

Material	Against material	Static – sliding
Steel	Steel	0.30 – 0.20
Steel	Brass, Bronze	0.25 – 0.20
Steel	Endurakote®	0.17 – 0.16
Brass, Bronze	Endurakote®	0.15 – 0.13
Endurakote®	Endurakote®	0.14 – 0.12

Adhesion
Endurakote® plating will not flake, crack, chip, peel or otherwise separate from the base material under standard bend tests or under conditions where severe heat is induced. The adherence is adequate to withstand the extremely high compressive stresses in the contact areas of ball and roller bearings.

Effect on base
The purity of the chromium surface will not be less than 99% as deposited. A comprehensive testing program at Kaydon established that bearings with Endurakote® plating exhibited load carrying capacities and life expectancy equal to or better than uncoated AISI 52100 steel bearings.

Corrosion resistance
Endurakote® plating resists attack by most organic and inorganic compounds with a pH within the range of 4 and 11, except sulfuric and hydrochloric acids.

Endurakote® plating greatly enhances the base material, even when porosity of the base metal, compound concentration, and exposure time to the compound affect corrosion. In severe salt spray tests as well as tap water immersion tests, AISI 52100 steel with Endurakote® plating proved equal to fully hardened AISI 440C stainless steel in resistance to rusting. In many instances, Endurakote® plating provides better corrosion protection than cadmium plate, zinc plate, phosphates, chromates, black oxide or normal chrome plate. We invite inquiries about and will be pleased to arrange qualification tests of the coating.

Heat resistance
Reali-Slim® bearings with Endurakote® plating are designed to maintain their operating characteristics over a temperature range from -65°F to 250°F (-85°C to 121°C).

Surface quality
Endurakote® plating conforms to the texture of the existing surface. Ra finish will be improved slightly down to about 8 Ra; below 4 Ra there is little change.

Endurakote® plating has a matte or micro-orange peel surface with very good lubricant retention qualities.

Food industries
Endurakote® plating is used on food processing equipment.

Load capacity
Endurakote® plating does not affect the static or dynamic load capacity of the bearing.

Bearing size capabilities
Endurakote® plating can be applied to any Reali-Slim® or slewing ring bearing in sizes up to 45".

Restrictions
Kaydon does not recommend the use of Endurakote® plating in any low torque or torque-sensitive applications.

Read and download Endurakote® specifications and drawings.