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Oil Lubrication

(1)  Oil Bath Lubrication
Oil bath lubrication is a widely used with low or medium speeds. The oil level should be at the center of the lowest rolling element. It is desirable to provide a sight gauge so the proper oil level may be maintained

(2)  Drip-Feed Lubrication
Drip feed lubrication is widely used for small ball bearings operated at relatively high speeds. The oil is stored in a visible oiler. The oil drip rate is controlled with the screw in the top.


(3)  Splash Lubrication
With this lubricating method, oil is splashed onto the bearings by gears or a simple rotating disc installed near bearings without submerging the bearings in oil.It is commonly used in automobile transmissions and final drive gears.

(4)  Circulating Lubrication
Circulating lubrication is commonly used for high speed operation requiring bearing cooling and  for bearings used at high temperatures. The oil is supplied by the pipe on the right side, it ravels through the bearing, and drains out through the pipe on the left. After being cooled in a reservoir, it returns to the bearing through a pump and filter.The oil discharge pipe should be larger than the supply pipe so an excessive amount of oil will not back up in the housing.

(5) Jet lubrication
Jet lubrication is often used for ultra high speed bearings, such as the bearings in jet engines with a dmn valve (dm: pitch diameter of rolling element set in mm; n: rotational speed in rpm)  exceeding one million.

(6)  Oil Mist Lubrication
Oil mist lubrication, also called oil fog lubrication, utilizes an oil mist sprayed into a bearing. This method has the following advantages:
(a) Because of the small quantity of oil required, the oil agitation resistance is small, and higher speeds are possible.
(b) Contamination of the vicinity around the bearing is slight because the oil leakage is small.
(c) It is relatively easy to continuously supply fresh oil;
therefore, the bearing life is extended.
This lubricating method is used in bearings for the high speed spindles of machine tools, high speed pumps, roll necks of rolling mills, etc

(7)  Oil/Air Lubricating Method
Using the oil/air lubricating method, a very small amount of oil is discharged intermittently by a constant-quantity piston into a pipe carrying a constant flow of compressed air. The oil flows along the wall of the pipe and approaches a constant flow rate.