Grease-related Bearing Failures
There are several types of grease-related bearing failures:
Lubricant starvation - Occurs when the grease cavity is not packed with the proper amount of grease during bearing installation, when the bearing is not regreased at the appropriate interval with the proper amount, or when the oil is removed from the base of the grease by bearing overheating.
Grease incompatibility - Greases are made with different base compounds such as lithium or poly-urea. Not all greases are compatible with each other; therefore it is important to use the same grease or compatible substitute throughout the life of the bearing. This requires grease specification when a double shielded bearing is ordered so it will be compatible with the grease that will be added during regreasing activities.
The bearing, the grease cavity around the bearing, and the grease used during regreasing has to be compatible.
Wrong grease - It is important to use the correct grease for the correct application. Some bearing designs and applications need only general purpose (GP) grease while others need extreme pressure grease (EP). Selecting or regreasing with the wrong grease can lead to premature bearing failure.
Over pressurization of the bearing shields - When grease is added to a grease cavity, grease volume and cavity pressure increases. Damage can occur to the shield on a single or double shielded bearing during regreasing if the grease is added too fast or if the grease cavity is full with no escape path for the excess grease. When the motor is placed into service, the grease will thermally expand. If the grease cavity is full, thermal expansion can create damaging pressure on the bearing shields. In either case, the shields can be dislodged from the bearing or the outside shield can be pushed against the bearing cage by grease pressure, which can lead to a bearing failure (see Figures 7 and 8).
Inside of motor full of grease - If the grease cavity is full and regreasing continues, the excess grease can find its way between the inner bearing cap and the shaft and flow to the inside of the motor. This allows the grease to cover the end windings of the insulation system and can cause both winding insulation and bearing failures (see Figure 9).
Overheating due to excess grease - The balls of a bearing act as tiny viscosity pumps which roll on a small amount of oil film between the balls and the race. Too much grease volume will cause the rolling elements to churn the grease, resulting in parasitic energy losses and high operating temperatures, which in turn increase risk of bearing failure.
Contamination of grease - Greases are the same as oils when it comes to contamination (water, dirt, fiber, gasket sealant, etc). The more contaminants that are in the grease the shorter the grease life and the greater the reduction of its lubrication properties.
Relubrication Volume
One of the more important and frequently botched components of the greasing strategy is relubrication volume. When asked how individuals determine the amount of grease to apply to a particular component, a common response is “however much it takes.” This is obviously not a precise method. There are many acceptable methods for estimating the appropriate relubrication volume. A common method is recommended by SKF, where grease replenishment volume is defined by the following equation:
Gp = 0.005 * D * B
where
Gp = grease replenishment amount (gm)
D = bearing outside diameter (mm)
B = total bearing width (mm)
This method generally provides positive results, but does not always take every factor into consideration. For example, it does not account for differences in bearing housings and application points. Instead, it assumes the grease is added at the optimum location. Also, it is not always possible to know the amount and condition of old grease in the housing at the time of reapplication. For these reasons, it may be advantageous to modify the calculated values with a condition-based approach. The most advanced condition-based technique is ultrasonic instrumentation, which optimizes the relubrication volume. By establishing a baseline value and determining a statistically appropriate limit, the volume of grease added can be optimized. It is the opinion of the author that this hybrid approach is the best method for arriving at the optimum relubrication volume rather than relying on calculated values or instrument feedback.