ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the subject from the practical point of view. It provides a description of the general process of preparing an sintered metal bearing (SMB) and incorporating a lubricant fluid into the bearing. The chapter summarizes a philosophy of successful bearing production based on case study and practical experience. The SMB is a small part that plays a very large role. Before the development of SMBs, all bearings required a source of external lubricant usually a grease fitting or just a small hole where oil could be introduced to keep the bearing lubricated. The manufacture of SMBs lends itself to introspective thinking, an artful, scientific process that demands attention to the smallest details—literally the smallest detail being the pore size of the bearing and its relationship with the other millions of pores inside the bearing.
