Aerodynamic foil bearings allow oil-free bearing of high-speed rotors and are designed for operation at high or low temperatures. The elastic foil structure in foil bearings ensures that thermal and mechanical deformations (e.g. expansion due to centrifugal forces) during operation and manufacturing inaccuracies can be compensated for, so that lubrication in the bearing is ensured without breakage despite higher eccentricity of the rotor. The effective structural damping mechanism in foils increases energy dissipation throughout the bearing, and with optimal design, self-excited vibration can be avoided over the entire speed range. The highly precise design and dimensioning of air bearings despite numerous advantages for different operating conditions is a challenging task due to complicated physics behind air as lubrication. SADAP is happy to support you with its expertise, software and hardware competences on the way to a successful design of new concepts or the application of oil-free bearing.

In applications where eccentric shaft operation poses no significant issue (e.g., in the automotive industry), foil bearings are recommended. Stability is ensured by the additional damping mechanism in the foil structure (due to friction effects), and the manufacturing of the bearing is simplified in terms of production tolerances. On the other hand, air bearings without a compliant foil structure are recommended for applications where there is little room for shaft movements (e.g., in medical technology or precision machining). These and other application-specific questions can be addressed with state-of-the-art expertise, significantly optimizing the performance and efficiency of the machine.