AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants

Why water-resistant grease helps prevent equipment failure

When grease is contaminated with water, it can soften and flow out of the bearing. Water sprays can also wash the grease directly from the bearing, depending on the grease thickener and conditions.

The obvious solution to the water problem is a proactive solution; that is, preventing the intrusion of water into the oil/grease and bearing environment. The only water that doesn't cause harm is the water that doesn't invade your mechanical system. 

In other words, preventing water intrusion is always a wise maintenance investment.

It doesn't matter what type of equipment you operate, from vehicles, trailers or equipment, this stuff is getting more expensive every year, costly to replace and costly to repair.

Be a "long-term thinker" by controlling risk factors today, while the bearings in your equipment still have remaining useful life. Your cost of removing water and/or remediating the damage to bearings and moving parts will far exceed any investment to make in quality greases.

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Why Truck and Trailer bearings are prone to failure

Truck & Trailer Bearings really take a beating from:

• Low Speeds
• High Loads
• Sliding Friction

That's why AMSOIL's Semi-Fluid 00 Synthetic EP Grease is a problem-solving lubricant ideal for leaky gear boxes in industrial and fleet applications and for use in applications that are difficult to service. It is primarily used in grease-filled cases where conventional semifluid greases do not provide adequate lubricant life or protection.

AMSOIL Semi-Fluid 00 Synthetic EP Grease is the primary grease recommendation for truck wheel hubs as outlined in RP 631, issued by The Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Association.

Lubrication Snafus - The difference between Theory and Practice

There's often a big difference between what we know we should do, and what we actually do.  This human tendency also applies to equipment lubrication practices.  Let me share with you just a few examples:

Theory
Lubrication instructions from equipment manufacturers must be observed.
Practice
Often there is no clear information about type of lubricant, lubricant amount, lubrication intervals, and operating conditions of machines and equipment.
Example
Performing lubrication with grease guns until old grease leaks from the application, resulting in over lubrication of the lubrication point
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Theory
No lubricant mixing.  Manufacturer recommendations that a different grease gun must be used for each lubricant.
Practice
Most of the time, the same grease gun is used for different lubricants without cleaning it before a new lubricant cartridge is attached.
Example
Maintenance people just change the lubricant cartridge without cleaning the grease gun.
Result: If lubricant A is not compatible with lubricant C it can cause chemical reactions which lead to bearing failures – even though the bearing was lubricated.
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Theory
Exact lubrication cycles and quantity
Practice
Other work often has priority
Example
Maintenance gets delayed due to other needed equipment repair, personnel illness, or not enough personnel to perform the work needed
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Theory
Getting at hard to reach lubrication points is extremely dangerous and often leads to accidents.  Provide a schedule of maintenance to ensure these critical components are attended to
Practice
These lubrication points are often totally ignored or are maintained with little safety precautions.
Example
Injuries to personnel, equipment failures that lead to unplanned downtime.
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My dad used to tell me that you pay for a lubrication program, whether you have one or not.  I've learned that human nature does not change, so we must adapt and be more proactive, or use better quality lubricants to improve equipment protection, while extending maintenance intervals.

Otherwise, equipment will continue to break down prematurely.

Readers, care to weigh in with your own personal experiences?

Synthetic Greases - More Applications than You Might Imagine

                     

Our thanks to Jerry Mclain, of SKF Usa Inc., who provided this information in "Synthetic Greases Gain Wider Appeal". originally published in Machinery Lubrication Magazine. March 2007

Recently, synthetic greases have found greater use in rotating equipment. Long considered the lubricant of choice for applications involving extreme temperatures, loads and speeds, synthetic greases are becoming a more viable option for bearings and other components facing medium-duty operating requirements.

There are two main reasons for synthetics' increased popularity.

1. The first involves the availability of new products and formulations. Synthetic greases are currently offered with additional viscosities and consistencies, and even come in "green" or biodegradable varieties. The broader selection allows maintenance and lubrication professionals to consider synthetic greases for a wider range of applications.
2. The second reason is affordability. Synthetic grease costs have not increased as rapidly as conventional petroleum-based greases, thereby reducing the cost differential between the two grease categories. As a result, synthetics are now a more affordable option in some applications where their use was previously cost-prohibitive.

Grease Characteristics
Grease has traditionally been the most common lubricant for rotating machinery components such as bearings. It is composed primarily of a lubricating agent and a thickener. The thickener acts as a carrier for the lubricating component, holding the lubricant between its lattice-like fibers. As temperatures increase during operation, the oil bleeds from the grease and lubricates the contact and sliding surfaces within the bearings.

Conventional petroleum-based greases and synthetic greases employ thickeners made of a metallic substance, such as lithium or calcium. These can be formulated with additives to meet extreme pressures, excessive vibration or other challenging requirements.

The difference between conventional and synthetic greases can be found in the lubricating agent. Conventional greases employ a petroleum-based product, such as mineral oil. Synthetic greases use a synthetic lubricant, such as silicone. Consequently, they can withstand temperature extremes and maintain lubricating effectiveness better than conventional greases.

Synthetic vs. Petroleum-based

Petroleum-based greases are the predominant lubricant in most industrial applications. However, synthetics are slowly playing an increasingly important role.

The following operational requirements or environmental conditions may indicate the need for synthetic grease:

High Temperatures
Conventional petroleum-based greases may soften at high temperatures, leading to lubricant leakage. The upper temperature limit for conventional greases is approximately 285°F (140°C). However, synthetic greases exhibit better mechanical stability in these conditions. As a result, they are traditionally used in automotive engine and other automotive applications.

Low Temperatures, Low Torque
Synthetic greases also excel at the opposite extreme, performing in low-temperature, low-torque applications. A typical example is wheel bearings, which must rotate smoothly even at low temperatures. In contrast, conventional greases can become stiff and lose effectiveness at low temperatures. This can prevent bearing rolling elements from rotating, especially at startup and under light loads.

High Speeds
Machine tool spindles, industrial fans and other high-speed applications often require synthetic greases, which run quieter than standard greases at high speeds.

Outdoor and Harsh Environments
Because of their temperature and performance properties, synthetic greases are often employed in equipment operating in outdoor conditions. They can also be specially formulated to withstand exposure to excessive moisture.

As a result, synthetics have become the standard lubricating grease at many amusement and theme parks. They are used to relubricate the motors, wheels, chains, winches and oscillating equipment in various rides. Synthetics are also finding increased use in construction and mining applications.

What is the NLGI designation and why is it important?

NLGI is an abbreviation for the National Lubricating Grease Institute.

The NLGI provides a set of Standards and Systems for Greases.

In 1939, the institute developed a standard classification for grease penetration numbers that remains widely used today. The NLGI number system categorizes greases according to their hardness, from an NLGI No. 000 through No. 6, with an NLGI No. 2 being the most common. In conjunction with several other organizations, NLGI also established a standard for the classification of automotive service greases. To facilitate easy identification, NLGI created an identifying symbol, the NLGI Certification Mark, which identifies acceptable greases for use as a chassis lubricant (LB) and greases that are acceptable for both chassis and wheel bearing lubrication (GC-LB). These symbols continue to be popular with OEMs, suppliers and consumers.

An NLGI number can be "roughly" compared to an ISO oil viscosity. The number represent "penetration" of a standard cone into the sample of grease. A NGLI 1 would have a penetration of 310 - 340 in a 5 second time frame. On the other hand a NLGI 2 would have a penetration of only 265 - 295, which suggests the # 2 is thicker then a #1. From one lubricant company to the next, they should use the same test to arrive at the NLGI number. The NLGI number is only one of the factors involved in sourcing grease. Consider grease base, additives, operating parameters; temp/load/environment. NLGI number can have some impact in high demand applications.

For every specific operational context and operating there is an optimal lubricant selection. This would provide you with your desired component life, noise level, heat generation tolerance etc. If for instance you optimized and determined the product to be a R&O in an NLGI 1.5 grade range then either a 1 or a 2 would be fairly close. Unfortunately it is seldom the case that the operating conditions are directly corralatable to the test sequence parameters. The biggest considerations you need to give to the different NLGI grades (assuming the base oils characteristics to be equal) is the pumpability at the varying temperature conditions and also the slumpability of the NLGI grade in the application.

NLGI Grade is a widely used classification for lubricating greases. It was established by the National Lubricating Grease Institute. Greases are classified in one of nine grades based on their consistency.

NLGI Grade alone is not sufficient for specifying the grease for a particular application but it is a useful qualitative measure. While the science of tribology is still developing, NLGI Grade, in combination with other test-based properties is the only method for determining the potential suitability of various greases for a specific application.

The nine grades are defined by a range of worked penetration test results. The NLGI grade for a specific grease is determined using two test apparatus. The first apparatus consists of a closed container and a piston-like plunger. The face of the plunger is perforated to allow grease to flow from one side of the plunger to another as the plunger is worked up and down. The test grease is inserted into the container and the plunger is stroked 60 times while the test apparatus and grease are maintained at a temperature of 25 °C.

Once worked, the grease is placed in a penetration test apparatus. This apparatus consists of a container, a specially-configured cone and a dial indicator. The container is filled with the grease and the top surface of the grease is smoothed over. The cone is placed so that its tip just touches the grease surface and a dial indicator is set to zero at this position. When the test starts the weight of the cone will cause it to penetrate into the grease. After a specific time interval the depth of penetration is measured.

The following table shows the NLGI grades and the worked penetration ranges:

NLGI Grade	Worked penetration after 60 Strokes at 25 °C (0.1 mm)	Appearance	Consistency food analog
000	445-475	fluid	ketchup
00	400-430	fluid	applesause
0	355-385	very soft	brown mustard
1	310-340	soft	tomato paste
2	265-295	moderately soft	peanut butter
3	220-250	semi-fluid	vegetable shortening
4	175-205	semi-hard	frozen yogurt
5	130-160	hard	smooth pate
6	85-115	very hard	cheddar cheese spread

NLGI Grades 000 to 1 are used in application requirings low viscous friction. Examples include enclosed gear drives operating at low speeds and open gearing. Grades 0, 1 and 2 are used in highly loaded gearing. Grades 1 through 4 are often used in rolling contact bearings where grade 2 is the most common.

Grease Consistency — Lower numbers are softer and flow better, while higher numbers are firmer, tend to stay in place, and are a good choice when leakage is a concern. The table below compares the most common NLGI grades with household products that have similar consistencies.