§1What this business is
Copper, tin and graphite powders are blended in a ball mill, pressed in dies into 'green' bushes, then pre-sintered at 440–450°C and sintered at about 800°C on a mesh-belt furnace under a protective gas. Parts are repressed and sized for exact dimensions, then dipped in hot non-gumming oil, which fills the pores so the bush lubricates itself. Bushes are checked to IS 3980. They go into small motors, pumps, washing machines, refrigerators, clocks, and automobile, textile and farm machines.
Capacity: 90,000 bronze bushes a year (43 mm OD × 38 mm ID × 40 mm high, for pumps) at 75% use.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
An engineer or powder-metallurgy hand with buyers among motor, pump and appliance makers.
Who it is not for
Someone without technical training — density, size and oil content must be controlled.
Advantages
- High value added — powder becomes a finished bearing
- Demand from motors, pumps, home appliances and autos
- Near-net shape with little material waste
- Low working capital
Drawbacks
- The sintering furnace alone costs ₹20.25 L in the profile
- Each bush size needs its own precision die
- Needs protective gas and careful temperature control
- Big bearing makers compete on price
Skills you need
- Powder blending and die compaction
- Sintering furnace operation
- Sizing and oil impregnation
- Testing to IS 3980
Why difficulty 4/5: A technical process with a costly furnace, but steady industrial demand.
§3Market
Who buys
- Fractional-HP motor makers
- Pump makers
- Home appliance makers (washing machines, refrigerators, clocks)
- Automobile, textile and farm machinery makers
How it sells
- Direct supply to manufacturers
- Bearing and spare-part dealers
Good to know
- The profile says self-lubricating bronze bearings are used most in small motors of fractional HP.
- It sees demand rising with automobiles and home appliances.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh-belt sintering furnace, 8.2 kW, with accessories | 1 | ₹20,25,000 |
| Mechanical power press, 20 T | 1 | ₹3,80,000 |
| Repressing power press, 10 T | 1 | ₹2,60,000 |
| Briquetting press, 1 T | 1 | ₹1,25,000 |
| Ball mill, 500 kg | 1 | ₹70,000 |
| Universal testing machine | 1 | ₹3,75,000 |
| Air compressor, 3 HP | 1 | ₹20,000 |
| Oil quenching tanks, 4 × 2 × 2 ft | 2 | ₹16,000 |
| Moulds and other tools | 1 lot | ₹25,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Sintered Metal Bush (2003)
- Electrolytic-grade copper powder404 kg a month at ₹175 a kg in the profile
- Atomised tin powder36 kg a month at ₹220 a kg in the profile
- Graphite powder7.5 kg a month at ₹160 a kg in the profile
- Non-gumming petroleum oil for impregnation12 litres a month at ₹36 a litre in the profile
- Hydrocarbon gas cylinders for the furnace atmosphere15 a month at ₹260 each in the profile
From: DC-MSME project profile — Sintered Metal Bush (2003)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Benco Hydraulics Ltd · Chennai →Bhandari Metallurgical Corporation Ltd · Chennai →Bombay Metal Depot · Chennai →Murugappa Morzan Thermal · Chennai →Padmavathy Metal and Alloy Pvt. Ltd · Chennai →Ruia Resistance Wires Pvt. Ltd · Mumbai →Thermotherm Engineers · Bengaluru →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- State Pollution Control Board consent (furnace fumes)
- Factory licence under the Factories Act
- Safe storage approval for gas cylinders (PESO rules where they apply)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
The profile's project cost (₹53.57 L) is just above the PMEGP limit for manufacturing; CGTMSE covers loans without collateral, and Stand-Up India suits SC/ST or women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DC-MSME profile (Branch SISI Mangalore, Feb 2003): land 500 sq m ₹2.00 L and shed 2,000 sq ft ₹6.00 L, machinery and equipment ₹39.17 L (including a ₹20.25 L sintering furnace) = fixed capital ₹47.01 L, plus working capital for 3 months ₹6.56 L = ₹53.57 L.
Working capital: Working capital is small — ₹6.56 L for 3 months; powders cost about ₹80,000 a month (mainly 404 kg of electrolytic copper powder at ₹175 a kg).
Prices from 2003 — machinery, raw material and wage costs will be much higher now.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: EEPC India
- The profile prints no HS code; confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or a customs broker.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Copper and tin powder price swings
- Rejects from cracks or wrong density
- Dependence on a few OEM buyers
- Die wear
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working sintered bronze bushes (self-lubricating bearings) unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Sintered Bronze Bushes (Self-Lubricating Bearings)?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.