1. Temperature of Bearings
Normally, temperature of Bearings is compared with it of outdoor to be known or can be measured with a thermocouple on the outer shift of Bearings. When the machine works for a certain period of time, the temperature reaches a stable level. Depending on the type of machine, the rotating speed of Bearings and the load that the temperature also varies. Bearings in the condition where lubricated grease is sufficient, the perfect operating temperature is below 82 ℃. Use a thermostat that can monitor the temperature of Bearings while operating. When there is a situation where Bearings have higher temperatures, we are forced to stop production to find the cause and have solutions right away to avoid causing heavy losses to machinary.
The high temperature means the Bearings are having problems, due to lack of lubricant or by giving too much or impurities in the lubricant. It is also possible that the load is too high, the cover is stuck, the high ambient temperature cannot be guaranteed by the cooler.
2. Why Bearings heat up
Overheating affects the quality as well as the durability of the product when this phenomenon occurs continuously. There are many causes of this, mainly:
- Due to the continuous operation, friction occurs frequently
- Due to delay of the moving elements or the materials of Bearings
- The separator and the movement factor cause slippage
- Slip occurs between the ball and the bearing edge
3. Cooling down Bearings with lubricating oil
One of the methods proposed to minimize the amount of heat produced when a bearing is operating is to use lubricants. Because the lubricating oil minimizes the friction for Bearings, making them work smoother and softer. However, it should be noted that only lubricating oil should be used, limiting the grease.
Even so, using lubricating oil to heat down Bearings is not as simple as you might think. Because in fact, when the flow is flowing too fast, it increases the temperature transition causing the oil temperature to heat up. It not only helps Bearing to reduce heat, but also maintains or increases heat quickly. Therefore, attention should be paid to using the right dosage. It should not be too wasteful causing counterproductive. However, it should not be too little, resulting in low efficiency.
4. Other methods to prevent overheating in Bearings
- Have a plan to check and maintain machinery and Bearings periodically
- Cool down by water. Do not pour, just spraying water into the housing, avoiding that water could penetrate inside and damage the lubricant
- If being operated in a dusty-free environment, a bearing which has no cover with large internal clearance can also reduce the temperature significantly
- In summer, to ensure a stable temperature of the machine, it is necessary to add additional cooling devices so that the working environment of the machine does not get too hot
- In addition, if it is required to run in a high temperature environment, it is possible to use Bearings that work well in high temperature environments (below 200 ℃). These types are used with special lubricants.
