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A General Insight Into Bearing Grease Lubrication

by Skf India Buy Bearings, Sleeves, and Lubrication Products On

Proper 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.


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About Skf India Junior   Buy Bearings, Sleeves, and Lubrication Products On

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Joined APSense since, June 25th, 2021, From Delhi, India.

Created on Dec 8th 2022 03:13. Viewed 148 times.

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