What is plain bearing?

In this bearing moving parts are in direct line contact with one another. The plain bearing consists of a shaft, also called a journal, and a supporting component, which may be a shell around the shaft called a sleeve, a half shell that the shaft fits into, two half shells (top and bottom parts) or a multipart shell. They can absorb more force than rolling bearings, but due to higher friction, plain bearings are subject to higher wear.
The lubricant must match your operational and design requirements to ensure your plain bearings run smoothly without re-lubrication for a long time.

Plain bearings are used for high radial loads and low to high speeds. Typical applications include engine cranks, compressors, gearboxes, turbines, shaft bearing supports, etc.