Most electric motors are lubricated with grease, not oil, which is where the first mistake often occurs. Watch out: Lubrication should be with an oil and at frequency specified by the equipment manufacturer. Begin to check the bearings of the motor. The most common thickener or base used in today’s electric motor bearings has a polyurea base. There are several methods to do this but perhaps the easiest is to use the method first proposed by Lloyd “Tex” Leugner in his book, Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication (Maintenance Technology International Inc). Use the correct amount of grease or lubricant. The bearings allow the shaft or rotor assembly to turn freely and smoothly in the frame. Do not use an all-purpose oil, as it is not apt for this procedure. Rapidly filling a bearing with grease can cause sudden shock. For motors operating in the 1,200- to 3,600-rpm range, the ideal viscosity is in the range of 90 to 120 cSt at 40 C. This viscosity will typically create sufficient separation of moving parts, without creating churning from excess fluid friction. Proper lubrication of ball and roller bearings in electric motors is essential to their health. Don’t use automotive motor oil! When using this approach, pay attention to the units. 4. Oiling the Furnace Blower Motor . 06/29/2016 Most electric motors in industrial facilities consist of rolling element bearings, either ball bearings or roller bearings. However, a few basic precautions should be taken. To obtain grease quantity in ounces, measure the bearing dimensions in inches and multiply by 0.114. Most failures are caused by improper bearing use or inadequate maintenance. i would suggest using neoprene sealed bearings, as the seals generally make the bearing last longer Motor lubrication guides (either OEM or by grease suppliers) typically rely on the … If incompatible grease is applied, the physical and chemical structure will be altered and one of two things will happen: A reaction will occur preventing the base oil from being released, so the grease hardens like clay. You simply need to select the correct lubricant, apply the right amount each time, and do so at the required frequency. 5. Bearing failures are one of the most common and easiest problems to prevent. He is responsible for Electric Motor & Drive Sales, Electric Motor & Generator Repairs, and Predictive Services. Buy non-detergent oil that is exclusively made for the furnace blower motor. By measuring ultrasonic energy in the 20- to 50-kHz range, metal-to-metal contact and churning, caused by too much grease, can be measured as an increase in the amount of ultrasonic energy emitted by the bearing. Locate the oil ports in the motor. Mark Barnes, CMRP, is Senior Vice President at Des-Case Corp., Goodlettsville, TN (descase.com). The amount of grease to apply to each motor bearing depends on bearing size. Able to handle light to moderate loads at high speeds, this grease is often used on electric motor bearings for fans, pumps, and dryers.. NLGI viscosity grade is a rating of a grease's consistency. Be sure to do this for each grease gun since different styles and models of grease guns dispense different amounts. Bearings are located at both ends of the motor which are sometimes called "bell housings" or "end bells". Electric motor bearings maybe of several configurations. The Home Tools, Gear & Equipment Power Equipment, By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine. If your bearings fail, there are multiple things that could go wrong with your electric motor. Locating the Oil Ports. So why do so many companies get it wrong? Now I have to use the 8 ounce, $4, long tube, pre-filled, oil containers from the parts store. Slowly add grease to minimize excessive pressure buildup in the grease cavity. Your motor will last longer if you oil it regularly. Grease Lubrication Grease is frequently used as an electric motor bearing lubricant because of its simplicity of application and unique characteristics. Do not take a shotgun approach to motor lubrication. Find the bearings at the top and the bottom of the motor. 2 below should be applied to the Leugner equation. Multiplying D and B, together with a constant, as shown in Fig. (Bearings are designed to operate with a very thin layer of oil between the rotating ball and the bearing race.) Use identical replacement bearings.Replacement bearings should be identical to the bearings they replace. When oiling an electric motor be sure to use special oil for lubricating electric motors. Oil the motor. When a coupling operates in any other position, it creates unnecessary stress for motor bearings. ! This is where the oil has to be applied. $16 a quart for motor oil!! 1, will yield a good estimate for the correct quantity of grease. In the HIMAX Brushless motor Maintenance section (HC2812 Series Motors), it states " Brushless motors are ALMOST maintenance free, so minimal care is required". Oiling will make your bearings run more smoothly and reduce the load on your motor. jamesernest4377. By contrast, well-formulated electric-motor grease typically contains a base oil with a viscosity around 100 cSt at 40 C, a shear- and temperature-stable thickener such as polyurea, and mild antiwear additives for mixed-film lubrication. Many electric motor failures are bearing related, with the bearings never reaching their intended life. NLGI 2 is about the consistency of peanut butter. Oiling the motor will keep it operating smoothly, quietly, and produce less heat. Learn how to ensure proper oil cleanliness, a critical component of the success of any industrial operation. Guide to Electric Motor Bearing Lubrication. I recommend a few drops of SAE 20W oil NON DETERGENT (3 in 1 in the BLUE not the RED can) every year. This bulletin, for Applied thermal fluids customers, is intended to serve as a practical guide to the proper lubrication of electric motor bearings utilizing grease as a lubricant. Instead, pick up electric motor oil, like 3-In-One electric motor oil (about $3 at amazon). electric motor is shortened. The purpose of any lubricant is to separate moving surfaces with a film of oil. Conversely as viscosity decreases, fill thickness and the separation between metal surfaces decreases. Failure to do so could result in no grease getting to the bearings for the first few shots as any grease that is ejected from the gun is simply filling the supply tube. Too low a film thickness and metal-to-metal contact will occur. Treated correctly, electric motors can last a long, long time. Take care of them! Bearing system failures are one of the most common mechanical breakdowns in the field. Able to handle light to moderate loads at high speeds, this grease is often used on electric motor bearings for fans, pumps, and dryers.. NLGI viscosity grade is a rating of a grease's consistency. How Grease-lubricated Bearings Function in Electric Motors A shielded, grease-lubricated ball bearing (Figure 1) can be compared to a centrifugal pump having the ball-and-cage assembly as its impeller and having the annulus between the stationary shield and the rotating inner race as the eye of the pump. Guide to Electric Motor Bearing Lubrication. I have a 55 year old 5Hp motor in my lathe in a similar condition, I pulled it apart and replaced the worn bearings and left the rest of it alone as from past experience it's better to leave sleeping dogs lie, besides it megged at +10 Meg Ohm per phase to earth at 1000V anyway. Depending on the operating environment, one or more of the correction factors shown in Fig. The amount of separation is referred to as film thickness. An oil port is on both sides of the motor. Many bearing users consider the regular single-shielded bearing with the shield facing the grease supply (Figure 2) to be the best arrangement. 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,256. The proper lubrication of electric motor bearings is essential to maintaining them in peak operating condition and, ultimately, in reducing unnecessary downtime. When determining the proper grease for your application, consider: Viscosity: Oil viscosity should be appropriate for the load and speed of the application at operating temperature. If excessive amounts of grease are pumped into the motor and the old, used grease is not being purged, stop and check for hardened grease blocking the relief passage. A grease is nothing more than an oil bound together with a thickening agent and appropriate additives. Top 5 Best Synthetic Motor Oil Reviews 2016 Best Car Oil Brand Best Oil Brand. 1 to shots from each grease gun. Electric Motor Ball Bearings Types & Options. Some rock tumbler motors have factory-sealed bearings that do … Some OEM (original equipment manufacturer) motors do not have oil ports. You are looking for where the rotating parts meet the stationary parts. We will explore these different types of bearings and sealing methods in this article. In most industrial facilities, motors make up a third to a half of all lubrication points. Buy non-detergent oil that is exclusively made for the furnace blower motor. 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