Grease Lubrication

Engineers typically use grease to lubricate bearings because it is easy to handle and offers
protective sealing capabilities for the system. Another lubrication option is oil, which flows freely
and carries away heat, making it suitable for high speed or high temperature operations.

When applied properly, rolling bearing lubrication can:

• Reduce the friction and abrasions caused by direct metal-to-metal contact

• Transport heat generated by friction

• Prolong overall bearing service life

• Prevent harmful rust and corrosion

• Prevent foreign objects and contamination from interfering with the rolling elements

Just as normal rolling bearings have an expected service life, grease does as well. Engineers must
consider this factor and diligently reapply lubrication to sustain proper bearing function. When
done effectively, lubrication enhances bearing reliability and increases overall service life.

Grease is a crucial part of rolling bearing success, but it’s important to be mindful of some potential
pitfalls:

• Selecting the wrong lubricant type - Grease and oil each have their own advantages and
disadvantages, depending on the specific application.

• Using too much or too little grease/oil – Too much grease can cause bearing temperature to rise,
especially when operating at high speeds, while too little grease results in harmful metal-to-metal
contact.

• Mixing grease – Each type of lubricant provides different benefits, but they should always be
used separately.

• Contaminating the grease with objects or water – The lubricant’s primary function should be to
seal the contact surface and prevent the entrance of media or water.
It is very important to select a lubricant that will provide a minimum acceptable viscosity at the
bearing’s operating temperature, which will usually be between the lowest and highest reference
temperatures shown above. Typically, oil viscosity numbers decrease very rapidly with increasing
temperature. Determining a bearing’s operating temperature is a fairly complicated calculation that
is beyond the scope of this catalog. Calculating the viscosity of a lubricant at this temperature from
the lubricant manufacturer’s specifications is yet another matter. Often, previous experience with
an existing similar machine will indicate an acceptable lubricant.

Generally, grease lubrication is chosen if the lubrication demands of the bearing will allow it.
Typical grease systems are much simpler than oil systems and do not cost as much. Often, the only
features needed are grease supply holes and an external grease nipple for replenishment.

When choosing a grease for an application, several of its properties need to be considered for the
expected operating conditions. Priority of these properties is:

1. Required oil viscosity at temperature of the bearing.

2. Grade for the operating temperature.
3. Soap base which is best for the application.
4. Availability of EP (Extreme Pressure) additives.

The “Grade” level of the grease is an indicator of how stiff the grease is. Grades “0” and “1” are
relatively soft and are typically used at low operating temperatures. Grades “2”, “3”, and “4” are
used at increasingly higher temperatures. Grade “3” is also usually used in vertical applications to
prevent all the grease from settling at the bottom of the bearing.
Re-greasing Bearings

In many applications, it is necessary to replenish the grease at regular intervals as the old grease
will “dry out” from bleeding oil to the moving parts of the bearing, and the thickening base will
oxidize. Re-greasing should be an integral part of the design of the equipment, and some bearing
types already provide a re-lube feature. Good designers will provide accessible grease passages in
the machine itself for getting grease into the bearing. It does very little good to push new grease
up against a bearing if the old grease blocks the way. It is far better to introduce new grease in the
center of the bearing and let it push the old grease out each side. If this is not possible in the
selected bearing, then the grease needs to be applied to one side of the bearing while the other side
of the housing cavity provides someplace for the old grease to go. Some machine designs provided
a purging vent or allow the old grease to escape under seal lips. Some types of equipment employed
in industries that have abrasive particles in the air use the lubricating grease as a filter media to
trap these particles. Regular re-greasing of these bearings and their housings purges the
contaminated grease out of the bearing housings. It is important to remember that re-lubrication
should be done when grease in the bearing is still good.

Re-greasing intervals, that will always provide the proper amount of oil to the bearings, cannot
always be accurately predicted. We do know that a proper interval is mainly a function of operating
temperature, the number of hours in operation per day, and the size and speed of the bearing. Some
equipment needs all the bearings re-greased every day, some once a week, some every two weeks,
and some once a month. In applications such as this, it is often beneficial to completely wash out
the bearings once a year, re-pack with new grease, and continue on with the established re-greasing
program. Users are advised to not only inspect the condition of the old grease, but to send samples
to a laboratory that specializes in analyzing used lubricants. The knowledge gained for each
specific application is the best indicator of a proper re-greasing interval.