When is grease lubrication recommended for bearings?

The use of grease is mainly limited to lower horsepower rolling bearing applications (Figure 1). Grease is usually lithium, the normal viscosity is 100 centistokes, and the usual use temperature is limited to 93 C (200 F). To prevent grease loss and minimize the entry of contaminants, shielded bearings can be used.  

The advantages of grease lubrication include:

The disadvantages of grease lubrication include:

For more information on bearing lubrication, please refer to the free HI white paper "Proper Lubrication Methods for Bearings" at www.pumps.org/standards.

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