Aluminium Tin materials have been around since the 1960s. They have traditionally been the choice of Japanese and European manufacturers for low load, gas, passenger cars. As the loads developed by high horsepower late model engines increased, so too did the need for a stronger bearing material. Copper lead Trimetal bearings have been the answer for higher load applications and today make up ACL’s current range of Duraglide® and Race Series engine bearings, but as the world becomes more environmentally conscious, the need for lead free engine components has increased, without sacrificing the load carrying capacity required for modern engines.
 

The introduction of Aluglide™ bearings is another example of ACL’s commitment to understanding and adapting to customer requirements. ACL’s new Aluglide™ engine bearings combine the proven advantages of aluminium tin metals with silicon to make this the very latest generation high performance alloy and have met with global response which proves these Australian developed and made components are at the leading edge of a competitive international industry.

Aluglide™ bearings are ideally suited to general purpose applications (passenger cars and light commercial vehicles). For engines that require higher load applications and are subject to more demanding operating conditions (e.g. performance/race engines), ACL will continue to range the Copper Lead Trimetal Bearings through the Duraglide® and Race Series ranges.

One of the reasons why Aluglide™ has been such a positive achievement is due to ACL Bearing Company’s in-house research & development. It features a strip cast microstructure which is the result of the inclusion of alloying elements and careful heat treatment. This gives superior bonding surfaces, particularly between the aluminium bond layer and the steel which are then optimised and remain that way to handle long term maximum loads. Put simply, the new bearings can take a higher load in the way the stress is transmitted to the steel. Additionally, the harder surface of the tough alloy gives substantially reduced wear and minimises any possible shaft abrasion, resulting in an extended service life.