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Application Guideline #01: Bearing Greasing Intervals

Bearing greasing intervals depend on factors like bearing type, size, grease type, and speed, but real-world conditions can shorten intervals. Toshiba recommends conservative intervals in line with bearing manufacturers to help bearings last 99% of their rated life. Intervals can be stretched up to 3 times longer under ideal conditions. Ball bearings allow around double the greasing interval of roller bearings for the same size. The document provides a chart detailing standard, severe, and very severe duty greasing intervals for different motor sizes and bearing types.

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114 views

Application Guideline #01: Bearing Greasing Intervals

Bearing greasing intervals depend on factors like bearing type, size, grease type, and speed, but real-world conditions can shorten intervals. Toshiba recommends conservative intervals in line with bearing manufacturers to help bearings last 99% of their rated life. Intervals can be stretched up to 3 times longer under ideal conditions. Ball bearings allow around double the greasing interval of roller bearings for the same size. The document provides a chart detailing standard, severe, and very severe duty greasing intervals for different motor sizes and bearing types.

Uploaded by

sebouellet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Informative Application Guidelines, with respect to Motors & Drives to keep you better INFORMED.

APPLICATION GUIDELINE #01


(Greasing Intervals)
…….Brought to you by your Motor & Drive Specialists

BEARING GREASING INTERVALS


Bearing regreasing interval time is an issue which tends to be as much of an art as it is a science.

From the scientific end of the spectrum, greasing intervals are dependent on bearing type, bearing size,
grease type and rotational speed. If ideal conditions were to exist in all motor/ bearing applications,
regreasing intervals would be easy to calculate.

The challenge comes into play when we apply the motor/ bearing combination into the real world and
then try to make a responsible regreasing interval recommendation that will give rated bearing life in
99% of the cases. Required regreasing intervals can be shortened by a multitude of external influences
such as vibration, moisture, dust and other contaminants, the type of grease used, high ambient
temperatures and high radial load applied to the shaft of the motor. Every motor in an industrial
application tends to be subject to a unique combination of varying degrees of the previously listed
factors. This makes it virtually impossible to recommend a blanket regreasing interval that satisfies the
bearing’s needs and satisfies the customer’s wishes of having the longest greasing interval possible
and still allow the bearings to attain rated life expectancy in 99% of all applications.

Toshiba is conservative in its recommendations for greasing intervals. We mimic the recommendations
that are published by such bearing manufacturers as SFK, NTN and NSK. We have also checked with
grease manufacturers such as Shell and Chevron and found that the grease manufactures publish
almost identical recommended greasing intervals as the bearing manufacturers do. (Most
manufacturers follow the guidelines set forth by the National Lubricating and Greasing Institute.) The
one factor that the recommended greasing intervals have in common besides being very similar in time
frames is that they are published on the conservative side. This is where the “art” aspect of
recommending bearing greasing intervals comes into play. Bearing manufacturers point out that
greasing intervals can be significantly stretched out if ideal conditions exist.

This increase in regreasing intervals can be as much as 2.5 times for roller bearings and as much as 3
times for ball bearings. Somewhere in between the “worst case” scenario and the “ideal” situation lies a
regreasing interval which is appropriate for each specific motor/ bearing application. We feel that it
would be inappropriate to make a blanket statement that extends the recommended greasing interval
beyond the time frame recommended by the bearing and grease manufacturers unless very specific
external parameters are known.

The single most significant thing that increases greasing intervals, that is under the control of the
manufacturer, is to supply ball bearings in lieu of roller bearings. The greasing interval for a ball bearing
is almost exactly double that of a roller bearing if both bearings are the same physical size. Ball
bearings have the capacity of handling a limited amount of radial thrust as compared to roller bearings,
but are still suitable for many applications and therefore should be seriously considered when making
motor/bearing selections. Please note that higher HP motors, (i.e. 440 frames and larger) will require
roller bearings for belt drive applications.
TOSHIBA

BEARING GREASING INTERVALS CHART


SYNC. RPM FRAME SIZE STANDARD SEVERE DUTY VERY SEVERE
RANGE DUTY DUTY
3600 143T-256T 8 MONTHS 4 MONTHS 1 MONTH
1800-900 143T-256T 30 MONTHS 12 MONTHS 4 MONTHS
Bearing Size Periodic Grease Amount
6205/6206 3 Grams
6207/6208/6305 5 Grams
6306 10 Grams
6308/6309 20 Grams
3600 284T-365T 8 MONTHS 4 MONTHS 1 MONTH
1800-900 284T-365T 24 MONTHS 12 MONTHS 4 MONTHS
Bearing Size Periodic Grease Amount
6211 10 Grams
6309 20 Grams
6310/6312 30 Grams
6314 50 Grams
3600 404T-447T 8 MONTHS 4 MONTHS 1 MONTH
1800-900 404T-447T 18 MONTHS 8 MONTHS 3 MONTHS
Bearing Size Periodic Grease Amount
6216 20 Grams
6313/NU317 30 Grams
NU318/NU320 50 Grams
6317/6318 80 Grams
6320/6322/6324 80 Grams
NU322/NU324 80 Grams
NU328/NU2228 100 Grams
Notes:
1. When relubricating roller bearings divide the monthly service time by two.
2. See Fig. 2 below for definitions of Service Conditions
3. Gram quantity when using a typical low pressure hand grease gun equals
(4 pumps = 5 grams)

Figure 2:
SERVICE CONDITIONS
STANDARD DUTY Eight hours per day;
Ligth to normal loading;
Clean condition, free from dust.
SEVERE DUTY 24 hours ped day;
Light to normal shock loading, vibration;
Exposure to dirt or dusty conditions.
VERY SEVERE DUTY 24 hours per day;
High ambient;
Normal to high shock loading, vibration;
Dusty conditions;
Confined mounting conditions.

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