Milling Journal - Q4 2008 - (Page 18) Bearing Failure Making sure it doesn’t happen prematurely. This article is based on remarks by John Miller, territory manager for KOYO Bearings, Kansas City, MO (816-413-9151). He spoke Aug. 1 at IAOM’s Central and Wheat State Districts’ 2008 Summer Meeting and Technical Conference at The Resort at Point Arrowhead, Lake Ozark, MO. Somewhat surprisingly, 90% of the bearings millers depend on to keep their equipment running will fail before they reach their designed life expectancy, something the bearing industry calls the L10 lifespan. There are three primary reasons bearings will fail prematurely: lubrication, storage and handling, and improper mounting. Lubrication Here are the three most common lubrication mistakes: Too much grease—Logic suggests to some that if a little grease is good, more must be better. But too much grease results in a buildup of “gunk” that leads to excessive heat and early failure. A bearing housing incorporating a grease escape valve helps solve this problem in two ways. It prevents an undesirable buildup of gunk, and it lowers the operating temperature by as much as 40 degrees. Too much grease due to over-lubrication can cause excessive heat and early failure. Too little grease—Applying too little grease is like applying too much grease in as much as it allows the operating 18 Fourth Quarter 2008 Response No. 181 Response No. 182 MILLING JOURNAL http://www.gametmfg.com http://www.gametmfg.com
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