Milling Journal - Q4 2008 - (Page 19) wrong lubricant or mixing incompatible greases is never advised. Eventually, the soap in the grease breaks down causing the viscosity of the lubricant to become runny, resulting in oil leaks that lead to overheating, hot spots, and failure. Using only lubricants recommended by the manufacturer will prevent this problem. Handling and Storage Bearings are precision ground mechanical devices that require careful handling and storage. “Many factors can contribute to the premature failure of your bearings, but careful storage, handling, installation, and maintenance will ensure that your bearings will reach their desired lifespan.” John Miller, KOYO Incompatible greases decrease the viscosity of the lubricant resulting in oil leaks, which lead to overheating, hot spots, and failure. temperature to rise to levels that could cause roller elements to stop rolling, hot spots, and circular scratching on rollers and retainers. Many experts recommend using sealed bearings that don’t depend on additional grease, but this has encountered some resistance from operators who believe in the old-school philosophy: “If you can’t grease it, it won’t last.” To overcome this attitude, bearing manufacturers, as they look to the future, will be trying to design products that eliminate humans from the equation. Using the wrong lubricant—Using the Bearings need to be stored flat (left), not on their sides (right). The Crucial Role of Bearings The world as we know it runs on bushings and bearings, so much so that if they all failed at the same time, planes would fall out of the sky, cars and trucks would die in the middle of the road, every machine would shut down, including all computers which depend on bearings in the cooling fans to avoid melting down. Wind generators and geo-thermal energy systems would all fail, and the ability to generate electricity would also be lost. Response No. 191 MILLING JOURNAL Fourth Quarter 2008 19 http://www.bratney.com http://www.bratney.com
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