Bearing regreasing methods for motors

for high ambient temperatures

PM606 EN Rev A 2006

Product notes
Automatic lubrication Periodic manual Permanent
lubrication lubrication

Grease quality requirements Auto Manual Perm. Notes

Mechanical stability l lll ll Resistance to loss of consistency due to shear
degradation. Can cause bearing leakage and dry runs.
Thermal stability l ll lll Resistance to thermal ageing. Includes oxidation stability,
evaporation loss and oil separation. Can cause bearing
failurers due to formation of tar / coke residues.
Pumpability/Applicability lll ll l Ability to produce required flow and depressurization in
central systems.
Oil separation tendency l ll lll Ability to resist abnormal oil separation/bleeding. Can
cause bearing failures due to leakage, dry runs and
formation of tar / coke residues.
EP/AW properties l lll ll Ability to prevent wear caused by inadequate grease film
thickness, even though products of the correct viscosity
are in use.
Service costs Auto Manual Perm. Notes
Grease, price / kg l ll lll Purchase price, cost of stock and internal management.
Grease, price / hr lll ll l Purchase price, cost of stock and internal management.
Labor cost ll lll l Personnel expenses and down time cost for manual
lubrication.
Investment in equipment lll ll l Includes pumps, pipes, compressed air, filters, truck
barrels, syringes, distributor blocks, injectors, pressure
gags, reversing valves,etc.
Equipment maintenance lll ll l Repair and service costs. Includes wear on injectors, Motors for high ambient
distributor blocks, valves, replacement of houses, filters temperatures are
and barrels, and cleaning. available in the follwoing
Waste disposal lll ll l Collection and disposal of used grease and empty
packing, including transport.
range:
Operational reliability Auto Manual Perm. Notes - 4-pole: 4-55 kW
Risk of contamination ll lll l Risk of contamination of grease or bearing housing - 6-pole: 2.2-37 kW
through handling and positioning of drum pumps, dirt on
nipples, syringes, grease guns and packing. Sizes 112-132 are
Product mix up ll lll l Risk of applying incorrect product. supplied with aluminum
Over-lubrication ll lll l Risk of applying too much grease. Can lead to overheating frame, sizes 160-250
and accelerated thermal and mechanical degradation. with cast iron frame.
Insufficient lubrication ll lll l Risk of applying too little grease (insufficient
replenishment). Can result in dry runs and accelerated
thermal and mechanical degradation.
Uneven bearing temperature ll lll l Increased bearing temperature as a result of an
intermittent supply of new grease caused by an an uneven
filling ratio in the bearing housing.
Energy/power losses ll lll l Effect of uneven filling ratio in the bearing housing and
an intermittent supply of new grease, causing increased
energy consumption and power losses.
Theoretical bearing life lll ll l Effect of the requisite supplied amount of grease on the
risk of dry runs, ‘starvation’ or the risk of producing an
insufficient grease film thickness.
Working environment ll lll l Handling of petrochemical products, waste and detergents.
l = Lowest quality requirement, cost, risk or effect on operation
lll = Highest quality requirement, cost, risk or effect on operation
 Automatic lubrication Over-lubrication can cause shear thinning,

Available in electronic format only.

In this method the bearings are automatically fed separation and bearing leakage, which can lead to
with lubrication grease from an external system. inadequate replenishment and related problems such
as premature mechanical and thermal degradation.
Automatic lubrication requires pumpability It also significantly increases power and efficiency
PM606 EN Rev A 2006 throughout the system. To ensure that the losses.
characteristics of the grease are not compromised
it is important to dimension the system according
Product notes
Ensure that lubricating - Check the specified amount
to the requirements of the grease and not vice equipment is free
from dirt - Check the amount by test-
pumping the equipment
versa. Unfortunately, in many installations the - Specified amount replaces the
characteristics of the grease are compromised to inlet to the bearing and 1/3 of
the free volume of the bearing
achieve pumpability. Lubricate
during
Use recommended
lubricating greases
housing

rotation - It is a good idea to divide the

High shear stresses from throttling in the distributor requisite replenishment volume
of lubricating grease between
blocks and injectors and high residual pressure due several post-lubrication points

to insufficient system depressurization can lead to Ensure that

oil separation and clogging of distributor blocks, drainage is open
before regreasing
injectors, lubricating ducts and pipes. ABB therefore
only recommends the use of electromechanical If the lubrication interval exceeds the expected
automatic lubrication systems. service life of the grease, the lubrication film may
become thin and fall below the calculated thickness
High thermal load caused by piping too close to for the constituent base oil, causing starvation.
heat sources can lead to accelerated separation,
oxidation and partial consumption of additives such Greases recommended for motors operating in
as antioxidants, EP and AW, resulting in thermal extreme ambient temperatures have a viscosity that
ageing and mechanical degradation before the grease provides acceptable film thickness even at these high
reaches the bearing. temperatures.
The position of drum pumps and handling of An advantage coming with manual lubrication is that
pumps, covers and follower plates can contribute the bearings are regularly inspected when lubricated.
to contamination. Contamination can occur even Bearing faults might therefore be discovered before
if filters are used since lubrication grease is very causing unplanned stops.
difficult to filter due to the particle size and the Permanent lubrication
matrix structure of the thickener. Permanently lubricated bearings in motors for high

© Copyright 2005 ABB. All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.
Central systems require maintenance, cleaning ambient temperatures are filled with high quality
and regular replacement of components (clogged grease that was developed for service in such high
injectors, distributor blocks and blocked pipes). temperatures.
Automatic lubrication allows reduced grease quality Both synthetic and thickener are inert and do not
requirements, but requires relative high consumption, react with oxygen at atmospheric pressure, i.e. do
which often leads to higher total service cost. not oxidize despite high temperatures and long
periods of operation. Filling is done under special
As automatic lubrication takes place 'unsupervised', conditions to minimize the risk for contamination
there could be uncertainty about whether the of the grease and bearing.
lubricant is reaching the bearing, and whether the
outlet is open or clogged. The seals help to prevent external particles entering
the grease during operation, which could otherwise
Periodic manual lubrication cause reduction in service life.
This method requires that the motor supplier’s
recommendations are closely followed. Very long Permanent lubrication ensures maintenance free
operating times can be achieved if using lubrication bearings for long operation periods - normally 2 to
grease of proper quality, if seals are functioning in 3 years. Once the grease lifespan has been exceeded,
a satisfactory manner and if packing, nipples and the bearing must be replaced as it is not possible to
lubrication equipment are kept clean. replace the lubricant.
Manual lubrication causes increased bearing The same type of grease can also be used for
temperatures at the time of lubrication due to periodic manual lubrication, but then requires a
temporarily elevated filling ratio. However, the significantly higher quantity to achieve the same
temperature drops by time as the excess grease is service life as the permanently lubricated bearing.
ejected. For larger motors, i.e. motors not included in
There is a risk for over-lubrication, particularly in the the motors for high ambient temperatures range,
case of bearing housings without effective drainage permanent lubrication might not be suitable due to
or with insufficient buffer space. shortened bearing life.

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