Graphalloy Bushings Help Solve High-Temperature Bearing Failure in Commercial Coffee Equipment

When a commercial coffee equipment repair shop needed a bearing upgrade for an existing coffee machine model, the request started with a familiar problem: metal bearings were seizing in a hot, dry butterfly valve application.

The maintenance technician described the issue clearly:

"The bearing is used in a hot air environment, as high as 1,000 Fahrenheit. The valve rotates 90 degrees, very slow rotation. The bearing is not flooded. The valve housing is cast iron. The valve seized up and the bearings must be changed."

The application involved a butterfly valve operating in hot air, with a horizontal rotating shaft and slow 90-degree rotation. The bearing needed to perform without liquid lubrication in temperatures reaching 1,000°F.

After engineering discussions, a Graphalloy engineer recommended a high-temperature Graphalloy bushing for the application.

Graphalloy bushings are well suited for harsh operating environments where conventional metal bearings may seize, wear prematurely, or require lubrication that is not practical because of heat, dryness, contamination concerns, or operating conditions.

In this case, the repair shop ordered and installed three Graphalloy bushings in August 2025.

After testing, the customer advised Graphalloy that the results were successful.

Graphalloy excels in demanding applications where bearings must operate in extreme temperatures, dry-running conditions, or submerged environments.

Graphalloy materials are commonly used in applications where lubrication is difficult, unreliable, or not allowed. Graphalloy is also available in FDA acceptable grades for applications where food-processing considerations apply.

For commercial coffee equipment, hot air systems, ovens, dryers, valves, conveyors, pumps, and other high-temperature equipment, Graphalloy bushings can provide a reliable upgrade where conventional bearings fall short.