Combating vibration, shaft bearings are only as good as their grease

Intech Power-Core™ guide rollers and iCamFollowers™ absorb shock and vibration and their life is typically calculated for 100 million cycles, a performance relying in part on longevity of the roller bearings installed inside the plastic tires. Tests have found that degraded lubrication is the leading cause of bearing failure.

In harsh environments with high shock load frequency, combined with high humidity, some grease types can liquefy, then this will cause leakage from the bearing seals or can produce an added churning-friction effect on the bearing. As a result, in high speed applications, the operating temperatures will rise significantly, compounding the breakdown of the grease properties and resulting in premature bearing failure.

We have identified a new type of lubricant to improve our rollers resistance to shock and vibration by providing lubrication to the bearing when operating under extreme conditions. The grease, NLGI No. 2, has shown a consistent mechanical stability and less churning or deterioration than other lubricants.

We have been able to apply this newly acquired knowledge in a case of premature bearing failure in guide rollers used in a train sliding door in Florida. Exposure to high frequency vibration and high humidity caused a bearing failure while the plastic tire remained intact. By regreasing the guide roller bearings with the NLGI No. 2 grease, we have been able to better match the expected life of both the plastic tire and the bearings.

Intech Corporation is constantly striving to improve its products and certainly the discovery of this grease’s properties helps our customers extend the life of our rollers and bearings in shock and vibration applications.

Cam follower for packaging application

Concave, v-shaped, flat tire rollers

Intech Rollers for High Security Door