Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
-star Rating Rate It!  Login/Join 
Posted
I have AC motor of 560 kw running DC generator and bearing are 6319 and NU, speed is 1000 rpm and I conducted measurement of temperature of bearing housing. It is between 50-85 degree Celsius. I have small MTBF on those machines. I measure vibration and it in the limits for those machines.

What you recommend for grease for those bearing, re-greasing interval, re-greasing amounts, NLGI grade?
What is limit recommended temperature for grease, is it 70 or 60 or... and why is that so?
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Magdeburg | Registered: 22 September 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
I think SKF recommends to double the greasing interval for every 10-15C above 70C.

Is this a belted application? If not, skidding may be a problem.
 
Posts: 3025 | Location: Texas Gulf Coast | Registered: 20 February 2005Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Enrique BL:
I have AC motor of 560 kw running DC generator and bearing are 6319 and NU, speed is 1000 rpm and I conducted measurement of temperature of bearing housing. It is between 50-85 degree Celsius. I have small MTBF on those machines. I measure vibration and it in the limits for those machines.

What you recommend for grease for those bearing, re-greasing interval, re-greasing amounts, NLGI grade?
What is limit recommended temperature for grease, is it 70 or 60 or... and why is that so?


At that kind of temperature, if the motor is not in an intermittent application, then the NLGI grade isn't going to be critical. What kind of grease do you use now? Does it have a temperature range running up to at least 160C? For that temperature that you're measuring at the case, I'd prefer a grease with a top end temperature of 200C, because I would expect more heat at the inner race than I measure at the bearing case exterior, and it's best to have extra capacity in the grease. I try to use a grease with a top end temperature range of twice what I expect. This helps it last longer. My 'standard grease' is a synthetic that has a top end temperature of 200C. For one application in my plant where the bearings get pretty hot (they might actually get close to 200C) I use a special grease that is good to 300C.


Mike the Maintenance Guy, turning wrenches on HDPE extrusion lines.
 
Posts: 158 | Location: Ontario, Canada | Registered: 19 March 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
It is not belt driven application. I use generic grease temperature range is -20 +100C NLGI 2. I plan to use SKF LGMT 2 or 3, -30 +120C. So I would make mistake?
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Magdeburg | Registered: 22 September 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
Why not get some input from companies that make grease? SKF is a fine company, and yes, they know a lot about lubrication, but it might be wise to call a local lube guy. Second and third opinions are almost always useful - even if it's just to confirm what someone has already said.
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Illinois, USA | Registered: 14 April 2004Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
I agree 100% about getting more advice.

But just to make sure I have properly conveyed what SKF recommends, here is an excerpt:
quote:
SKF Bearing Installation and Maintenance Handbook
The relubrication intervals tf for normal operating conditions can be read off as a function of bearing speed n and bore diameter d of a specific bearing type from Figure . The diagram is valid for bearings on horizontal shafts in stationary machines under normal loads. It applies to good quality lithium base greases at a temperature not exceeding +70°C(+160°F). To take account of the accelerated ageing of the grease with increasing temperature it is recommended that the intervals obtained from the diagram are halved for every 15°C(27°F) increase in bearing
temperature above +70C(+160F), remembering that the maximum operating temperature for the grease should not be exceeded. The intervals may be extended at temperatures lower than +70C(+160F) but as operating temperatures decrease the grease will bleed oil less readily, and at low temperatures an extension of the intervals by more than two times is not recommended. It is not advisable to use relubrication intervals in excess of 30,000 hours. For bearings on vertical shafts the intervals obtained from the diagram should be halved.

Note that they're not implying the grease temperature limit is 70C... you can go above 70C by halving the interval up to the grease limit.

Now a humorous excerpt from the same publication which perhaps illustrates that apparently bearing manufacturers and bearing users sometimes operate in different worlds:
quote:
Relubrication procedures
One of the two procedures described below should be used, depending on the relubrication interval tf obtained:

  • If the relubrication interval is shorter than 6 months, then it is recommended that the grease fill in the bearing arrangement be replenished (topped up) at intervals corresponding to 0.5 tf; the complete grease fill should be replaced after three replenishments.
  • When relubrication intervals are longer than 6 months it is recommended as a rough guideline that all used grease be removed from the bearing arrangement and replaced by fresh grease.

Sooooo..... how many people actually disassemble the machine to remove all the grease every few years? Not many I'm guessing. Certainly not us.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: electricpete,
 
Posts: 3025 | Location: Texas Gulf Coast | Registered: 20 February 2005Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Enrique BL:
It is not belt driven application.


I agree with EPete on the NU bearing. Since there is not any appreciable radial load, I would look at skidding of the rollers as being a culprit for low MTBF.

What is the failure mode?

Dave
 
Posts: 758 | Location: Marietta, Oh | Registered: 15 April 2004Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
Dave,

Temperature is reason of failure, it does overheat so we take it to repair...
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Magdeburg | Registered: 22 September 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
What is the visual findings after you have removed the bearing?
Are there spalls, or any other signs of failure?
Are the races or rollers/balls blue from excessive heat?

You know too much grease will cause one to heat.
85 deg. C is hot, but I've seen them hotter on fans and still run OK. We found it was too much grease from an overly agressive greasing schedule.

Is the ball or the roller bearing that is too hot, or both?

Dave
 
Posts: 758 | Location: Marietta, Oh | Registered: 15 April 2004Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
I can not give more detail, but at next failure I will check everything, I agree. I am new to department....so I will watch it more closely... thanks to all...
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Magdeburg | Registered: 22 September 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
Pl. visit SKF website. following are some quick links.
http://webtools.skf.com/lubeselectskf
http://www.skf.com/portal/skf/home/aptitudexchange?cont...238021.238024.238759
The second one is subscription based. You will get recommendation for NLGI grade, relubrication interval as well as re-greasing amounts.
Regards.
Irshad Akhtar
 
Posts: 282 | Location: INDIA | Registered: 14 March 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
 Previous Topic | Next Topic powered by eve community  
 


Copyright © 2004-2008 NetexpressUSA Inc. All rights reserved.