Kluber specialty lubricants for sintered metal sliding bearings

摘要

In order to meet the different requirements when lubricating sintered metal sliding bearings, it is necessary to have detailed knowledge about the operating conditions. As far as the lubricant is concerned, even minor design changes can producevery different results affecting bearing's operating characteristics and its service life.Sintered metal plain bearings are lubricated for life. Therefore, the selection of a lubricating oil tailored to suit the requirement profile is an important step towards functional reliability. If a sintered metal bearing fails, the entire component hasto be replaced, a process which often entails high costs. This is the reason why synthetic impregnating oils are in high demand. Impregnating oils with a mineral base oil also meet many requirements, but may not provide a sufficiently wide safety margin,resulting in a complete bearing failure if the bearing is submitted to additional influences.To evaluate economic efficiency, sintered bearings are often compared to plastic plain or ball bearings with respect to operating conditions and service life requirements. It has become obvious that the service life of sintered metal sliding bearings canbe increased by means of additional lubrication, for example with oil-impregnated felt or depot greases. By using additional MIKROZELLA oil reservoir lubrication, it is possible to extend the service life considerably as compared to conventionallubrication.Sintered metal plain bearings are cost-efficient, provide a high safety margin and an extended service life, and only need a low quantity of lubricant. In view of environmental aspects and increasing costs for the disposal of used components and oils,this is another main advantage for future applications.