LUBRICANT FOR ROLLER BEARINGS, ROLLER BEARING AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION AND REPAIR OF ROLLER BEARINGS

Abstract

A lubricant for a rolling-element bearing includes a conventional lubricant as a base lubricant and at least one first additive, wherein the first additive includes muscovite, and the lubricant includes a proportion of muscovite that is between 3% and 5%. Also a method of lubricating a rolling-element bearing using the lubricant and a method of repairing a rolling-element bearing using the lubricant.

Claims

1. A lubricant for a rolling-element bearing, including a conventional lubricant as a base lubricant and at least one first additive, wherein the first additive includes muscovite, and wherein the lubricant includes a proportion of muscovite that is between 3% and 5%.

2. The lubricant according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant is suited for use in the food industry.

3. A rolling-element bearing including a first raceway, a second raceway, at least one rolling element disposed between the first raceway and the second raceway, and the lubricant according to claim 1.

4. A rolling-element bearing according to claim 3, wherein the rolling-element bearing is configured for use in the food industry.

5-9. (canceled)

10. The lubricant according to claim 1 wherein the conventional lubricant comprises a food-grade lubricant.

11. A method comprising: providing a bearing comprising a first bearing element having a first raceway and a second bearing element having a second raceway and a plurality of rolling-elements between the first raceway and the second raceway, wherein a surface roughness of the first raceway and/or a surface roughness of the second raceway and/or a surface roughness of the plurality of rolling elements is between 1 μm and 12.5 μm; and introducing a first quantity of the lubricant according to claim 1 into the bearing.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first bearing element comprises a bearing ring or a bearing shell.

13. The method according to claim 11, including activating the lubricant by operating the bearing.

14. The method according to claim 13 removing a second quantity of the lubricant from the bearing and then adding a third quantity of the lubricant to the bearing.

15. A method for repairing a rolling-element bearing comprising introducing the lubricant according to claim 1 into the rolling-element bearing.

16. A lubricant for a rolling-element bearing comprising a food-grade lubricant and muscovite wherein the muscovite comprises between 3% and 5% of the food-grade lubricant.

Description

[0025] In the following the inventive method shall be described in more detail with reference to drawings. In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of the inventive method for manufacture of a rolling-element bearing;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of the inventive method for the repair of a rolling-element bearing; and

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a schematic depiction of the operating principle of muscovite as additive of a lubricant of a rolling-element bearing.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of the inventive method of manufacture of a rolling-element bearing. In the first step, the manufacturing process 10, the individual components of the rolling-element bearing, such as, for example, bearing ring 1 or bearing shells including raceways 2, as well as rolling elements 6, are produced or provided. The raceways 2 and/or surfaces of the rolling elements 6 have a maximum average roughness of approximately 1 to 12.5 μm. In specific application cases the maximum average roughness can also be somewhat higher.

[0030] In the second step, the assembly process 20, the components of the rolling-element bearing are assembled. The first lubricant 4 that includes muscovite 5 as additive can be introduced into the bearing in a region between the raceways 2, wherein the rolling elements 6 are disposed, both during the assembly thus also in the lubrication process.

[0031] In an optional fourth step, the putting-into-operation process 60, the rolling-element bearing is set in an operating state, i.e., the bearing-rings or -shells are set into rotation relative to each other. If necessary a further load is introduced into the rolling-element bearing in order to increase the load of the bearing. The goal of the putting-into-operation process 60 is to a achieve an operating state in the rolling-element bearing wherein the muscovite 5 in the lubricant 4 that is disposed in the recesses 3, such as, for example, grooves and ridges of the raceways 2 or of the surface of the rolling element 6, is activated and enters into a bond at these points with the recesses and thus smooths them.

[0032] In an optional fifth step, the exchange process 70, the first lubricant 4 is removed from the rolling-element bearing and replaced by a second lubricant 4 that also contains muscovite 5 as additive. In one exemplary embodiment a muscovite proportion of the second lubricant is lower than a muscovite proportion of the first lubricant.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of the inventive method for repair of a rolling-element bearing. The rolling-element bearing is first disassembled in the disassembly process 40. The individual components of the disassembled rolling-element bearing are subsequently cleaned 50. In a subsequent assembly process 20 the cleaned components are assembled again. In a preferred embodiment of the method a first lubricant 4 that includes muscovite 5 is introduced into the rolling-element bearing in the assembly process 20 in a concurrently running lubrication process 30. Alternatively after the assembly process 20 the first lubricant 4 is introduced into the rolling-element bearing in a lubrication process 30. In an optional putting-into-operation process 60 the repaired rolling-element bearing is set into an operating state as already explained with reference to FIG. 1. According to the invention an optional exchange process not depicted in FIG. 2 can be provided as explained above with reference to FIG. 1.

[0034] The operating principle of the muscovite as additive to the lubricant during the operation or the putting into operation 60 of the rolling-element bearing is schematically depicted in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 schematically shows a section of a bearing ring 1 of a rolling-element bearing. The bearing ring 1 includes a raceway 2 including a plurality of recesses 3 that are configured, for example, as grooves, ridges, or holes. The raceway 2 includes a lubricant 4 including muscovite 5 as additive. During the operation or the putting into operation 60 of the rolling-element bearing the muscovite 5 is pressed by a rolling element 6, that is configured as a ball, for example, into the recesses 3. Due to the operating forces arising in operation the muscovite 5 in the recesses 3 reacts with the raceway 2 of the bearing ring 1 and is activated. The muscovite 5 thereby binds with the raceway 2 of the bearing ring 1 with the result that the recesses 3 are smoothed by the muscovite 5.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0035] 1 Bearing ring

[0036] 2 Raceway

[0037] 3 Recesses

[0038] 4 Lubricant

[0039] 5 Muscovite

[0040] 6 Rolling element

[0041] 10 Manufacturing process

[0042] 20 Assembly process

[0043] 30 Lubrication process

[0044] 40 Disassembly process

[0045] 50 Cleaning process

[0046] 60 Putting-into-operation process

[0047] 70 Exchange process