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Our work on spiral groove bearings in the Research Laboratories began in 1960, when we were consulted on the following problem. Would it be possible to make a wear-resistant thrust bearing able to take up to about 1 kg thrust from a shaft rotating at at least 50,000 r.p.m., without incurring a power consumption much in excess of 1.5 watts ? The bearing was to support the end of the shaft, and it had to be suitable for operation in a vacuum.
E.A. Muijderman (Fri,) studied this question.