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Bearings

Thrust Bearings for Kaplan, Francis & Pelton Turbines. Lignum Vitae bearings for marine propulsion.

Engineered Bearings for Demanding Applications

Hydro Tech designs, manufactures, refurbishes, and upgrades Babbitt and PTFE bearing systems for hydroelectric applications. Our engineering team combines decades of practical field experience with advanced analysis tools to deliver bearing solutions that improve reliability, reduce maintenance requirements, and extend equipment life. Hydro Tech provides turnkey services from engineering and manufacturing through installation and commissioning.

Our capabilities include thrust and guide bearing design, Babbitt rebabbitting and repair, PTFE thrust bearing upgrades, condition assessments, performance analysis, and custom bearing development. By leveraging modern bearing materials and proven engineering practices, Hydro Tech helps asset owners enhance long-term performance in some of the industry’s most demanding operating environments.

Discuss Your Project View PTFE References
Hydroelectric Turbine Bearings
100% Success Rate on PTFE Conversions
100% Success Rate on PTFE thrust bearing conversions
>5 MW Hydro Generation medium to large turbine units
2× Load Capacity PTFE vs traditional Babbitt
PFAS Free Lignum Vitae marine bearings

Designs Built Around Your Unit

Every hydro turbine has its own loading profile, operating regime and existing bearing housing. Hydro Tech’s thrust bearing work covers the full range of common configurations — matched to your machine, not pulled from a catalogue.

A typical engagement starts with as-found measurements and a review of operating data. From there we design and supply a bearing that fits the existing housing, meets your load requirements, and improves on the original where modern materials and geometry allow.

  • Flat-plate to tilting-pad conversions — form a true hydrodynamic oil film for lower temperatures and higher load capacity.
  • PTFE and Babbitt surfaces — we supply both, so the right facing is matched to your unit’s loading and duty cycle.
  • Oil-to-water conversions — replace oil systems with Lignum Vitae water-lubricated bearings for environmental compliance.
  • Unidirectional and reversible — designs for single-direction generation and reversible pumped-storage units.
Thrust Bearing Designs
100% Success — See PTFE References

PTFE Bearing Advantages

Three reasons hydro operators choose PTFE-faced thrust bearings for new builds and Babbitt conversions.

Increase Load

PTFE-faced surfaces handle significantly higher unit loads than Babbitt, letting your turbine run at its full rated capacity without bearing risk.

Lower Friction

PTFE’s low coefficient of friction reduces heat generation, lowers operating oil temperatures and improves overall turbine efficiency.

Enhance Durability

PTFE resists scoring and transient damage during start-up, shutdown and load rejection — extending service intervals and reducing outages.

See PTFE References