05.08.2015.

Lubrication:GreaseorOil?

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Lubrication: Grease or Oil?

PostedbyDanielleCollinsonSaturday,August1,2015LeaveaComment

Lackoflubricationisgenerallyregardedasthenumberonecauseofbearingfailure.Forrecirculatinglinear
bearings,suchasprofiledrailguidesandballscrews,lubricationseparatesthebearings(ballorroller)from
theraceways,minimizesfrictionandwear,dissipatesheat,andpreventscorrosion.Italsopromotessmooth
runningofthesealsandreducessealwear,ensuringtheireffectivenessinkeepingthelubricationinand
keepingcontaminationout.

EditorialDirector,MilesBudimir

Lubricantfailurewillleadtoexcessivewear,overheating,and

MilesBudimirholdsaBSEEdegree,has
severalyearsofengineeringexperience
includingdesigningindustrialcontrol
systems,andhasbeencoveringthemotion
controlindustryforover13years.

bearingfailure.
Imagecredit:TheBardenCorporation

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ManagingEditor,LeslieLangnau
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05.08.2015.

Lubrication:GreaseorOil?

Thetheoryofelastohydrodynamiclubricationdefinestheconditionsfordevelopmentofalubricatingfilmin
recirculatinglinearbearings.Simplystated,theformationofthelubricatingfilmisdependentontheviscosity
ofthelubricant,thespeedofthebearing,andthepressurebetweenthebearingandtheraceway.For
profiledrailguidesandballscrews,lubricationcanbeachievedwitheithergreaseoroil.Thechoice
dependsontheapplicationparameters,including:temperature,load,vibration,speed,environment,
contamination,andstrokelength.

LeslieLangnauistheManagingEditorofthe
DesignWorldNetwork.Shealsohasmore
than20yearsexperienceasatechnology
editor,coveringsuchareasascontrols,
mechanics,mechatronics,couplings,
industrialnetworks,andthefieldnowknown
asadditivemanufacturing(formerlyrapidprototyping).

ContributingEditor,DanielleCollins

Benefitsofgrease
Formostlinearguideanddriveapplications,greaseisthebetterlubricationoption.Itadherestobearing
surfacesbetterthanoil,lastslonger,andislesslikelytorunofforbeejectedfromrotatingparts.
Greaselubricantsaremadeofthreeprimarycomponents,abaseoil,athickener,andadditives(typically
rustinhibitors).Whenselectingagreaselubricant,theviscosityofthebaseoildetermineshowthe
lubricatingfilm,whichseparatestherollingelementsfromtheraceways,develops.Theconsistencyclassof
thegrease,whichisdefinedbytheNationalLubricatingGreaseInstitute(NLGI),indicateshowthegrease
willflowanddispersewithinthebearing.
Linearsystemstypicallyuselithiumbasedgreases,withnosolidadditivessuchasMoS2(molybdenum
disulfide)orPTFE(Teflon),inconsistencyclassbetween0and3.Thesegreasesperformwellinhighload
applicationsandhavegoodstabilityagainstoxidation.

Whentouseoil

DanielleCollinsspent15yearsinthe
automationindustryand3yearsinfluid
power,withrolesinengineering,marketing
andsales.SheholdsbothBSMEandMBA
degreesandisnowtheownerofLatitude18
Consulting.

SeniorEditor,LisaEitel
Lisa(Elisabeth)EitelisaSeniorEditorat
DesignWorldmagazineandnetworkof
sites.ShehasaB.S.inMechanical
EngineeringfromFennCollege
(nowWashkewiczCollege)atCleveland
StateUniversityand14yearsofexperience
asatechnicalwriter.Herareasoffocusincludemotors,
drives,motioncontrol,powertransmission,linearmotion,
andsensingandfeedbacktechnologies.Sheisajudgefor
theFIRSTRoboticsBuckeyeRegionalcompetitions,an
inducteeofTauBetaPiengineeringhonorsociety,anda
memberoftheSocietyofWomenEngineers.Followheron
Twitterat@DW_LisaEitel

Oillubricationisrecommendedforhighspeedapplications,sinceitdissipatesheatmorereadilythan
grease.Italsoflowsanddispersesbetterthangrease.Butwhenoillubricationisused,theorientationofthe
bearingandthelocationofthelubricationportsmustbetakenintoaccount.Whencomponentsare
mountedontheirsidesorvertically,oillubricationwillnotflowtobearingsandracewaysthatareabovethe
lubeports.

Theorientationofcomponentsmustbetakenintoaccountwhenoillubricationis

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Lubrication:GreaseorOil?
used.
Imagecredit:NSKAmericas

Somemachinebuildersemployamistingsystemforoillubrication.Althoughthesesystemscanbemore
complexandcostlythanmanualorevenautomatedsystemsforgreaselubrication,anoilmistsystem
providestheadditionalbenefitofcreatingpositivepressureinsidethebearing.Thishelpsprevent
contaminationfromenteringthebearingandfurtherassistsincooling.
Itsimportanttonotethatincompatibilitybetweenlubricantscancauseseparationofthelubrication
componentsandrenderitineffective.Somemanufacturersprovidelinearguidesandballscrewsthat
areprelubricated,readytoinstallanduse,whileotherssimplyapplyapreservativegreaseoroil.Toensure
compatibilitybetweentheinitiallubricationandtheinservicelubricant,checkthemanufacturerslubrication
specifications.Ifthetwoarenotcompatible,componentsshouldbewipeddownandpurgedbeforeany
additionallubricationisapplied.
Regardlessofthelubricationtypegreaseoroilmaintainingtheproperamountoflubricationiscriticalto
achievingoptimumbearinglife.Manufacturersoflinearguidesandballscrewspublishrecommended
lubricationquantitiesandintervals,whichareprimarilybasedonthetypeoflubricationbeingused,along
withthespeedandtemperatureoftheapplication.Otherfactors,suchasshockloads,vibration,and
contaminationcanalsoaffectthelifeandperformanceofthelubricant.Forapplicationswiththese
conditions,lubricantmanufacturerscananalyzetheoperatingparametersandrecommendalubricantthat
willensureoptimumbearinglife.
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Category:LinearDrives,LinearGuidesTags:BallScrew,bearings,LinearDrives,linearguide,LinearGuides,lubrication

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