Patent ID: 6915574

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a bearing element comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of layers from a combination of a first material and a second material, wherein a first of the layers includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, the first layer formed from a plurality of materials comprising polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, and at least one of glass fibers and carbon fibers, wherein the exterior surface includes a higher concentration of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers and the interior surface includes a higher concentration of the at least one of glass fibers and carbon fibers, and wherein a second of the layers is formed against the first layer and is formed from a material comprising at least one of glass fibers and carbon fibers, and wherein a third of the layers includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, the first layer formed from a plurality of materials comprising polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, and at least one of glass fibers and carbon fibers, wherein the exterior surface includes a higher concentration of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers and the interior surface includes a higher concentration of the at least one of glass fibers and carbon fibers; forming the bearing element from the plurality of layers, wherein each layer is formed from at least one of weaving materials and braiding materials; plasma etching each of the bearing element plurality of layers to facilitate enhancing bonding between adjacent layers; and impregnating each of the bearing element plurality of layers with a polyimide resin comprising polytetrafluoroethylene powder.