Myths about Bearing Lubrication
February 28, 2020Correct lubrication in bearings is very critical to their performance. Strictly speaking, the lubricant in a bearing directly affects its maximum running speed, temperature, torque level, noise level, and lifespan. Good lubrication provides a thin film between the contact areas in a bearing, which can help in minimising unnecessary friction, dispersing heat, and preventing corrosion.
Good lubrication in your bearings can certainly help you save a lot of resources since you don’t have to replace them regularly. Moreover, you can expect great performance out of your assembly that is equipped with lubricated bearings.
Bearing lubrication is pretty straightforward. Good lubrication can help your bearings function well. However, there are some myths and misconceptions that are still practiced today by some people. So, here are some of them to help you avoid them at all costs.
Noise as an Indication
Some people firmly believe that adding lubrication to a noisy bearing can fix it fully. Applying lubricant to a noisy bearing may provide temporary relief, but it does not entirely solve the problem. More often than not, a bearing that makes noise usually means that internal damage has already occurred, and the best way to fix this is to replace it right away. After all, adding lubrication to an already damaged bearing does not entirely solve the problem.
Re-lubrication Once a Year
One of the few mistakes that people practice is to re-lubricate all their bearings only once a year. The first thing you should do before applying lubrication to your bearings is to check the recommendations of your bearing’s manufacturer since each bearing has its own set of characteristics and properties. Through checking, you will know the required lubrication intervals of your specific bearing. Some bearings require weekly or even daily re-lubrication, while others can work with yearly re-lubrication.
Purging out the Seal
Another misconception that some people do is to always pump lubrication into the bearing until it purges out the seal. While some bearings have improved performance when filled with lubrication, other bearings don’t possess the same effect. Filling up lubrication on some bearing cavity can increase the operating temperature of your assembly. Moreover, filling up the bearing cavity of some bearings create pressure that can ultimately blow the seal out.
All Grease are Created Equal
Applying any type of grease to your bearing does not guarantee you great performance all the time. Different types of grease have different thickeners so that they can be used in certain bearings. The viscosity of greases also varies from one type to another. Mixing two incompatible greases on your bearing will result in thinning of lubrication. The mixture of two incompatible greases may just even leak out of your bearing once you apply them.
Shoot Grease as You Like
Before putting some grease through the fitting, you should always clean the grease fittings and grease gun tip first. You can put the grease gun tip in an oil bath to clean it. You can also wrap it with a plastic cover for added protection.
Avoiding these aforementioned myths and misconceptions can prolong the lifespan of your bearings. If you want to know the correct form of lubrication, you can pay us a visit to Global Bearing Imports so that we can teach you anything about bearing lubrication.
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