Abstract: The reliabilities of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings are investigated with the lifetime data obtained from accelerated life tests and the reliability analysis methods for their reliability assessment under normal stress. Weibull distribution probability graph test method and F test method are used for the hypothesis test of Weibull distribution of lifetime data of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings obtained from accelerated life tests. The results show that the lifetime of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings obeys Weibull distribution. The best linear unbiased estimation method is used to estimate the lifetime data, and the reliability indexes, such as reliability, average lifetime and failure rate, of the self-lubricating spherical plain bearings under different accelerated stresses are obtained. The life reliability function of the self-lubricating spherical plain bearings under normal stress is extrapolated, and the function is verified by test results. It is found that the prediction value is close to the test result, which shows that the accelerated life tests are feasible, and can be used for the reliability analysis of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings under normal stress. Key

Key words: self-lubricatingsphericalplainbearing, acceleratedlifetest, Weibulldistribution, reliabilityanalysis