MAINSTREAM ENGINEERING CORP — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: Spherical-lined bearings play a crucial role in the operation of many aerospace applicatio

Description

Spherical-lined bearings play a crucial role in the operation of many aerospace applications. They provide connections between structural components experiencing rotating and/or misaligning motion. The inability to accurately measure liner wear on these bearings leads to premature or overdue bearing replacement, and occasionally costly catastrophic failures. A simple yet accurate and reliable bearing wear measurements device will provide much needed time and cost savings. Mainstream"s proposal addresses this need with an innovative detection technique that will provide technicians with a time saving, simple and accurate bearing wear indicator for critical spherical-lined bearings. A simple, reliable, passive system indicates bearing liner wear by use of an electrical continuity measurement. The technique can identify when a spherical lined bearing has reached the maximum acceptable wear and is due for replacement. Service technicians can perform the check, more accurately and faster, in deployed operations without specialty tools or gauges.