The problem of increasing the bearing capacity of the thrust bearings is a subject of numerous scientific and technological researches, the results of which are used by a variety of firms, but the proposed measures and recommendations for solving the problem are insufficient to fully compensate for increasing stresses of loads acting on the thrust bearings and to ensure reliable and efficient operation of the units in the entire range of operating conditions

It is found that the use of transition layers of copper, coated by the electric-spark method in a protective argon atmosphere, improves the heat removal from the contact area and increases the steel bases’ adhesion strength with an antifriction babbitt layer as compared with the traditional technology by 35%. Electric-spark alloying babbitt B83 by indium and stannum allowed us to form running-in coatings without hard inclusions with a thickness of 130 and 100 microns, respectively. New technological solutions allow decreasing the temperature in the friction zone, increasing the thickness of the oil layer, and, as a result, creating a bearing with a better load carrying capability and reliability.