slide plate

A slide plate is a linear bearing that may be part of the expansion joints of bridges, high temperature horizontal ducts of water-tube boilers and other mechanical or structural engineering applications. In each case one plate is fixed and the other slides on top as expansion or contraction occurs.

The plates provide a surface with a low coefficient of friction which can be attached to a supporting structure. This combination provides support while simultaneously allowing an object to move (slide) freely along the supporting surface.[http://www.pipingtech.com/products/ptpcat/slideplate/index.html Piping Technology: Product Catalog], Piping Technology & Products, Inc.(retrieved 30 August 2010) The plate may be of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE),TEF-MET,{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbs-bearings.com.sg/home/|title = Singa Bearings Solutions | German Bearing Engineering and Consulting}} Lubrite[http://www.usbfmi.com/lube1.htm Lubrite technologies] or steel according to the application.

Multiple design variations are possible but the most common example of a slide plate (in structural applications) has glass-filled PTFE {{Cite web|url=http://www.pipingtech.com/products/ptpcat/slideplate/ptfe.htm|title=PTFE Slide Plate – Products | Piping Tech}} bonded to a steel backing plate. In these applications a two-part system is used which has an upper element with stainless steel surface face-down and bearing on a lower element with its PTFE steel backing surface face-up.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbs-bearings.com.sg/products/detail/mode/detailView/product/Flachstuetzlager/|title=Singa Bearings Solutions | German Bearing Engineering and Consulting}} In most applications, the upper element is larger than the lower element by the amount of movement expected. This has a two-fold advantage of maintaining a constant bearing area and preventing the lower surface from being exposed to dirt, grit or other contaminants throughout the range of motion.[http://slidebearings.net/media/fluorogold.pdf Fluorogold Product Literature], Slide Bearings, LP (retrieved 20 January 2014)

Slides plates are arranged in a 'sandwich' formation, which is made of an upper slide plate and a lower slide plate component.[http://www.pipingtech.com/technical/articles/slide-plate-applications.html Slide Plate Applications] Piping Technology & Products, (retrieved January 2012)

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• Oil/gas/chemical industries
• Complex steel structures
• Post-tensioned concrete structures