Basic principles of rolling bearing lubrication
Published on:
2025-07-04 13:28
Lubrication and maintenance are very important to ensure the reliability and long service life of rolling bearings.
1. The role of lubricants
■ Forming a lubricating oil film on the contact surface that can provide sufficient load-bearing capacity and prevent wear and early failure;
■ Oil lubrication can dissipate heat;
■ Grease lubrication provides additional sealing for the bearings, preventing the intrusion of solid and liquid contaminants;
■ Reduce operating noise;
■ Prevent bearing corrosion.
2. Choose the type of lubricant
Whether the bearings on the equipment are lubricated with oil or grease is determined first during the design process. When determining the type of lubrication and the amount of lubricant, the following factors play a decisive role:
■ Operating conditions;
■ Bearing type and size;
■ Adjacent structures;
■ Lubricant supply.
3. If the bearing is lubricated with grease, the following criteria must be considered:
■ Little design work is required;
■ Sealing function;
■ Grease storage tank function;
■ Long operating life with little maintenance (lifetime lubrication is possible in certain situations);
■ If relubrication is required, the old grease collection area and grease injection pipeline must be designed;
■ Grease lubrication cannot dissipate heat;
■ It cannot carry away wear particles or other particles.
4. If it is determined that the bearing should be lubricated with oil, the following criteria must be considered:
■The lubricant is well distributed and can be distributed throughout the contact area;
■The heat dissipation of the bearing (especially important at high speed and/or heavy load);
■The ability to carry away wear particles;
■When using minimum oil lubrication, very low friction energy consumption can be achieved;
■The workload of oil supply and sealing design is large.
Under extreme working conditions (such as high temperature, vacuum, and the presence of invasive media), special lubrication methods may be required, such as solid lubricants. The specific lubrication method should be consulted with the bearing manufacturer or provider based on actual conditions.
5. The guiding principle for lubricant supply design is that the oil circuits and lubricating oil holes on the bearing seat and shaft
■must be directly connected to the lubricating oil hole of the rolling bearing;
■must be as short as possible.
The lubrication circuit must be designed for each bearing individually. Make sure that the oil supply pipe is filled. If necessary, the air in the oil supply pipe must be purged. Follow the lubrication equipment manufacturer's instructions.
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