Diseño y Evaluación de un Cojinete de Deslizamiento para Recuperación de Equipos en la Industria Minero-metalúrgica

The study addressed the design, manufacture, and evaluation of a plain bearing (hub) intended for the restoration of critical auxiliary equipment used in maintenance tasks in the nickel mining and metallurgical industry. Priority was given to the reliability and durability of the component through tribological and metallurgical analysis, focusing on the operating conditions characterized by radial load (374,011 N), rotation speed (2,800 rpm), and operating temperature (60 °C). After characterizing the original worn bronze material (CuAl10Ni), phosphor bronze (CuSn14) was selected, verifying its superior hardness (232 HB) to ensure greater wear resistance. The design included clearance and specific load calculations, using the Sommerfeld number to ensure operation under elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) with ISO VG 460 oil at 60 °C. Manufacturing was carried out on a 16k20 lathe, achieving a surface roughness that met the design specifications with a relative error of 10%. The technical results are promising: the design guarantees the EHL regime, projecting an estimated service life of 1,348,000 hours. This optimized bushing ensures the operability of essential equipment, mitigating costly downtime in key processes of the nickel value chain.