Lubrication
is an important element for the maintaining of bearing products. And when
mentioning the lubrication, most of you may think of the oil. Of course, oil is
definitely one kind of good lubricant for the bearing products. Now let us see
something about the lubrication of bearings, especially the oil lubricator for
the bearing products.
Rolling
bearings must be adequately lubricated to prevent direct metal-to-metal contact
between the rolling elements, raceways and cages if you want them to operate reliably.
The lubricant also inhibits wear and protects the bearing surfaces against
corrosion. The choice of a suitable lubricant and method of oil lubrication for
each individual bearing application is therefore important, as is correct
maintenance.
A
wide selection of greases and oils is available for the lubrication of rolling
bearings. The actual choice of a lubricant depends primarily on the operating
conditions, i.e. the temperature range and speeds as well as the influence of
the surroundings. The most favorable operating temperatures will be obtained
when the minimum amount of lubricant needed for reliable bearing lubrication is
provided. However, when the lubricant has additional functions, such as sealing
or the removal of heat, additional amounts of lubricant may be required.
The
lubricant in a bearing arrangement gradually loses its lubricating properties
as a result of mechanical work, aging and the build-up of contamination. It is
therefore necessary for grease to be replenished or renewed and for oil to be
filtered and changed at regular intervals.
Oil is generally used for rolling bearing lubrication when high speeds or operating temperatures preclude the use of grease, when frictional or applied heat has to be removed from the bearing position, or when adjacent components (for example, gears) are lubricated with oil. In order to increase bearing service life, all methods of bearing lubrication that use clean oil are preferred, i.e. well filtered circulating oil lubricator, oil jet method and the oil-spot method with filtered air and oil. When using the circulating oil and oil-spot methods, adequately dimensioned ducts must be provided so that the oil flowing from the bearing can leave the arrangement.
Oil lubricator plays such important part in the maintenance of bearing products, thus, the selection of it also becomes rather important. Selecting oil is primarily based on the viscosity required to provide adequate lubrication for the bearing at the bearing operating temperature. The viscosity of oil is temperature dependent, becoming lower as the temperature rises. And in order for a sufficiently thick oil film to be formed in the contact area between rolling elements and raceways, the oil must retain a minimum viscosity at the operating temperature.
Explore more about industrial oil lubricators.
