Kingsbury Journal & Thrust Bearings
Since Dr. Albert Kingsbury’s 1912 invention, Kingsbury has led the development of tilting pad thrust bearings, with designs continually evolving through patented innovations that improve thrust bearing performance and reliability.
Kingsbury Journal & Thrust Bearings
Customer needs are the focus of all services and design solutions offered by Kingsbury. To better respond to present and future design requirements, Kingsbury has expanded its product portfolio and developed the BPG® Journal Bearing standard and the G-MD Thrust Bearing standard. Together with the combined journal-thrust and fixed profile bearings of different types, these form the core competence of the Göttingen location.
Kingsbury Journal Bearings
Kingsbury Journal Bearings support rotating shafts with a self-renewing oil film designed to prevent harmful metal-to-metal contact, thereby reducing wear and extending service life. Built for all types of critical rotating equipment such as turbines, pumps, compressors, motors and marine propulsion, Kingsbury Journal Bearings offer precise dimensional tolerances to improve shaft alignment and aid in vibration control, along with efficient cooling methods to keep power losses at a minimum. Backed by over a century of engineering, Kingsbury Bearings deliver long-term reliability and operational stability in critical applications.
Combined Tilting Pad Bearings
Kingsbury’s Combined Tilting Pad Bearing integrates thrust and journal bearing functions into a single compact assembly, providing reliable support for both axial and radial loads. Directed lubrication is achieved through Leading Edge Groove (LEG®) technology incorporated into both the thrust and journal pads, delivering fresh oil directly into the lubrication film where it is needed most. This results in lower operating temperatures, reduced power loss, and enhanced performance in demanding high-speed applications. These benefits are associated with Kingsbury’s LEG® directed lubrication technology.
Designed for high-performance rotating equipment, the combined bearing offers excellent stability, load capacity, and efficiency while minimizing lubrication requirements and overall system complexity.
Main Applications
- Compressors
- High-speed steam turbines
- Gas turbines
- Gearboxes
Tilting Pad Journal Bearings
Kingsbury’s BPG Journal Bearing combines the efficiency of Between Pad Groove lubrication with a compact, equalizing design. It runs cooler, uses less oil, and fits into tight spaces where older bearings can’t. Each pad shares the load evenly, improving alignment and reliability. The BPG Journal Bearing boosts performance while simplifying installation and maintenance.
Fixed Profile Journal Bearings
Kingsbury’s Fixed Profile Journal Bearings provide proven reliability for steady-load, moderate-speed rotating equipment. Unlike Tilting Pad Bearings, these designs maintain a constant film thickness, making them an efficient solution for shafts operating under consistent load conditions.
With a century of field data, advanced metallurgy, and precision manufacturing, Kingsbury continues to refine these bearings to meet the operational needs of power generation, industrial, and marine machinery worldwide.
Main applications: Fixed Profile Journal Bearings are well suited for turbines, pumps, gear drives, electric motors, generators, and other rotating equipment operating under consistent radial loads and moderate speeds.
Combined Fixed Profile Bearings
Kingsbury’s Combined Fixed Profile Bearings provide proven reliability for steady-load, moderate-speed rotating equipment. Unlike Tilting Pad Bearings, these designs maintain a constant film thickness, making them an efficient solution for shafts operating under consistent load conditions.
With a century of field data, advanced metallurgy, and precision manufacturing, Kingsbury continues to refine these bearings to meet the operational needs of power generation, industrial, and marine machinery worldwide.
Main applications: Common applications include steam turbines, hydroelectric generators, electric motors, compressors, and other rotating equipment operating under steady loads and moderate speeds.
Kingsbury Thrust Bearings
Tilting Pad Thrust Bearings
Kingsbury’s G-MD Thrust Bearings use less oil and run cooler than older designs, helping machines last longer and perform better. With efficient lubrication and industry recognized durability, G-MD Bearings offer real savings and strong performance backed by over 100 years of engineering experience.
Main Applications: G-MD Bearings are well suited for turbines, compressors, pumps, motors and marine systems where reliability matters.
Tilting Pad bearings are available as equalized or non-equalized with flooded or directed lubrication for uni- or bidirectional operation.
Directed lubrication delivers cool, undiluted oil directly into the hydrodynamic oil film, providing improved thermal control and increased thrust capacity. Bearing shoes and the base ring are constructed so that fresh oil flows from the leading‑edge groove directly into the oil film wedge. This cool oil insulates the babbitt surface from hot oil carryover that adheres to the rotating collar, reducing operating temperatures and protecting the bearing under high load and high speed conditions. Directed lubrication is commonly selected where heat removal, load capacity, and performance margin are key design drivers.
Alignment Options: Equalizing and Non-Equalizing
Equalizing tilting pad thrust bearings actively distribute thrust load across all pads, resulting in higher load capacity and more stable operating temperatures.When thrust is applied, each pad transfers load through an upper leveling plate. This action causes adjacent lower leveling plates to tilt slightly, adjusting the position of neighboring pads. The process occurs across the entire bearing, allowing load to balance dynamically as operating conditions change.
Equalizing designs tolerate misalignment well. Although shifts in pivot contact can reduce leverage and introduce some pad load variation, the maximum pad temperature remains within a safe range for continuous operation in properly selected designs.
When to choose Equalizing Bearings:
Non‑equalizing tilting pad thrust bearings do not redistribute load between pads. Each pad carries load independently based on its position and alignment.
These designs are suited for lower thrust duties where alignment conditions are well controlled and operating margins are clearly defined. Kingsbury’s non‑equalizing G-MD design has a long history of use, particularly in Europe, and remains an appropriate solution for applications that do not require the added capacity of equalization.
When to choose Non-Equalizing Bearings:
Fixed Profile Thrust Bearings
Kingsbury Hydrodynamic Fixed Profile Thrust Bearings provide a durable, cost-effective solution for turbines, pumps, and gears operating under moderate speeds and loads. Designed with babbitt-lined, steel-backed pads and manufactured to ISO standards, these plain land bearings deliver dependable hydrodynamic performance in less demanding applications.
Available as stand-alone or integrated solution with different surface types like taper land, locating faces and sealed hydrodynamic pockets, they ensure smooth operation, reduced maintenance, and long service life across a wide range of industrial systems.
Main applications: Fixed Profile Bearings are well suited for steam turbines, small hydro turbines, gear drives, pumps, electric motors, and other rotating equipment operating under consistent loads and speeds.