Fluid Pivot®

No other bearing in the world handles dynamic misalignment better.

The advantages of a tilting-pad bearing with none of the harmful effects.

Exploit the power of dual fluid films.  

We didn’t invent the tilting-pad bearing.
We improved it.

Bearing pads relying on mechanical pivots for their mobility are vulnerable. The pivots can crack or fracture. If they fail entirely you may have to stop your machine. Even if they don’t fail, mechanical pivots wear in contact with the surface of the bore of the bearing shell at high speed under vibration. Pivot fretting opens up the bearing clearance, which reduces the original stiffness and damping characteristics you paid for, resulting in increased vibration.

Our original Fluid Pivot® JC tilting pad bearing (pictured above) eliminated these problems over 30 years ago by eliminating mechanical pivots. And in the process, we provided directed lubrication, a “built-in” squeeze film for better damping and a smaller envelope size.

Our Fluid Pivot® JS tilting pad journal bearing handles static and continuous dynamic misalignment better than any other fluid film bearing on the market.

Our Fluid Pivot® JS bearing with spherically-seated pads extends our misalignment capability more than 1 inch in 12 inches, an astonishing 5.0 degrees. So we provide our customers unprecedented dynamic alignment, not alignment merely for the limited purpose of installation.

The secret of our bearings is the combination of our pad design with our unique Fluid Pivot® technology – pads continuously floated by self-generated hydrostatic oil films. Supported by a hydrostatic oil film, the pads have more tolerance for operational misalignment, thermal distortion and load stresses than conventional dry (“arthritic”) spherical bearing seats, including ball and socket bearings.


Fluid Pivot® comes in many shapes and sizes. Pioneer custom designs every Fluid Pivot® application to your specific needs. Call us today to talk to one of our engineers help solve your vibration issues.

FIND OUT WHY

General Electric Power Systems, Solar Turbines, Rolls-Royce and other OEMs have purchased Fluid Pivot® JC and JS Bearings, why Entergy Corporation has purchased our Fluid Pivot JS Bearings for exciter upgrades, and why electric utilities such as Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Arizona Public Service, Reliant Resources, Salt River Project Power District and others successfully operate Fluid Pivot JS Bearings in their power plants today. 

Pioneer Fluid Pivot
Pioneer tilt pad journal bearing
Pioneer Fluid Pivot and tilt pad journal bearings in pieces
Pioneer Fluid Pivot journal bearing
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