Lubrication is one of the most critical factors contributing to bearing life, and to achieve optimal performance, users historically had to ensure that a lubrication routine was included in their operations and maintenance program or implement a lubrication system. automated. Seeing an opportunity to reduce maintenance and improve total cost of ownership, bearing manufacturers began in the late 1990s and early 2000s to develop systems that could provide lifetime lubricated performance without significantly increasing the lubricated performance. volume, complexity or cost.
How is “life” determined?
There is no standard definition of “lubricated for life” as service life can vary depending on the product and application. The simplest explanation of “lubricated for life” is a bearing that does not require relubrication during its normal service life. However, it is important to understand how a manufacturer measures and defines service life and compare these criteria with the parameters of the application in which the bearing will be used.
The test conditions used to determine the life of a lifetime lubricated component vary widely among manufacturers: some test with no load, while others test with a small applied load. As load is an important factor in bearing life, it is essential to know the load applied during testing to make a fair comparison between lifetime lubricated components from different manufacturers.
The other most significant factor that allows for lifetime lubrication or maintenance-free operation of a bearing is the use of a lubricator, typically added to one or both ends of the bearing block or ball nut. Each manufacturer has a unique lubricator design.
Reduced maintenance times, reduced lubrication consumption and better total cost of ownership are benefits of components with lifetime lubrication. Fortunately, this technology is available in a wide variety of linear guide and ball screw models and is a simple and cost-effective way to make operation and maintenance less demanding for machine manufacturers and users.
