A General Insight Into Bearing Grease Lubrication
by Skf India Buy Bearings, Sleeves, and Lubrication Products OnProper lubrication is among the vital aspects that have a
major impact on the longevity and functionality of bearings. A large number of
bearing failures are linked to lubrication and contamination concerns.
Lubricants can reduce wear, minimize heat, prevent corrosion, and more. The key
functions of bearing lubrication include:
● Reduce friction and wear
● Carry away heat generated inside the bearing
due to friction and other factors
● Prevent contamination and corrosion
by dirt
● Cover the rolling contact surface
with adequate oil film to prolong the bearing fatigue life
Grease
lubrication
Bearing lubricants can be made up of distinguished
components. They additionally can be mineral or synthetic. Grease lubrication
is among the most popular options for bearing lubrication, and is commonly used
for rolling bearings. Grease is a combination of base oil and thickener. The
oil type can be synthetic or mineral. Grease clings to the internal bearing
components when used, subsequently bleeding or releasing oil onto the moving
components. Oil is still providing the critical lubrication function in grease
lubrication. The thickener is simply the media holding the oil.
Oil bleeds from the thickener onto the moving components in the
case of grease-lubricated bearings. The oil properties shall fade and need to
be replenished during use, and is referred to as the grease service life (GSL).
There are many factors like operating temperature, speed, loading, and
environmental conditions that impact the GSL. Replenishing grease intervals
should be sufficient enough so that new grease is added to the bearing before
GSL. The film thickness will break down in case the intervals are too long,
causing bearing wear and damage. Hence, it is important to buy grease and
use it on time.
As bearings are initially re-greased, a new grease charge
shall cause a temperature increase because the new grease adds some drag to the
bearing. This however is temporary. Bearing temperature would ideally return to
normal levels. Bearings might be 100% packed with grease as an added measure to
prevent the ingress of contamination at low to moderate speeds. In applications
where bearing speeds are high, however, the friction and drag associated with
too much grease might lead to runaway temperature conditions and result in
bearing failure. The amount of grease added at each of the intervals should be
evaluated based on the desired function of the grease.
Bearing greases are formulated to operate in distinctive
types of applications. Multiple variants of additives, oils, and thickeners are
blended to produce a grease that meets the desired performance criteria of a
certain application. Now all bearing greases can be mixed together. If two
incompatible greases are mixed, there is a chance that the thickeners may
chemically react and turn into a hard cakey solid that does not have any such
lubrication properties. In case a grease change is needed, the original grease
might have to be completely removed from the bearing before introducing a new
grease. Lubricant and bearing manufacturers can help you to determine whether
or not two greases are safe to use with each other. You can find details of top
lubricant and bearing manufacturers like SKF on the web.
Sponsor Ads
Created on Dec 8th 2022 03:13. Viewed 155 times.