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  • What are HFLA and LFHA movements in bearing engineering and tribology?

What are HFLA and LFHA movements in bearing engineering and tribology?

These terms are used to characterize the nature of oscillating motion that the bearing can experience:  

HFLA (High-Frequency Low-Amplitude) oscillating motion refers to the rapid micro movements where the stroke length of the oscillation is very small, often in the range of micrometers to fractions of a millimeter. This motion is often associated with high frequency vibration or dithering which can impose intense cyclic loading or fatigue stress on a highly localized area of the bearing surface.

LFHA (Low-Frequency High-Amplitude movement) oscillating motion by contrast refers to the larger, and typically slower, displacements between the mating surface and bearing. In struts and shock absorbers, these can happen simultaneously, super-imposed on one another. In other applications, it may be one or the other.  

Understanding whether a bearing operates under HFLA, LFHA motion or both is critical to optimizing tribological performance as each condition demands a tailored approach to material selection and bearing design to ensure effective lubrication film formation, bearing reliability and lifespan.

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