Method and device for determining the quality of a specific lubricant for application in roller bearings of a specific type

Abstract: Current systems to measure the noise running behaviour of grease in a bearing arrangement is time consuming and rather complicated due to the fact that for the test of one grease type several bearings, for statistical reasons, have to be filled with this grease, tested and thereafter thoroughly cleaned for the next grease tests. To simplify and moreover to reduce the equipment costs as well as the operating time improved test-arrangement has been developed. A test bearing (1) is mounted on the spindle (4). A suitable detector (5) linked to a measuring and registration system (not shown) is connected with the bearing. Bearing (1) and spindle (4) are provided with a special adapter (6) which mainly comprises of a support member (7) to which a grease collector (9) is bolted. The support (7) is provided with a grease-inlet (10) comprising a special dosing system and an air-inlet (16). When a certain amount of grease via inlet (10) is brought in the running bearing (1) and the grease behaviour registered according to prescribed procedures, the tested grease amount by air via inlet (16) now can be cleanly blown-off from the bearing arrangement (1,4) which then becomes suitable for the following tests.

Description: The invention concerns in the first place a method for determining the extent to which noise occurs in a rotating roller bearing of a specific type lubricated with a specific lubricant, whereby an amount of the lubricant to be examined is applied to a roller bearing of the type mentioned, the inner race of the roller bearing is rotated for some time by means of a rotatable rod inserted in the inner race of the roller bearing until it interacts with it, and the vibrations occurring in the bearing are recorded by means of a vibration recorder which is in contact with the immobile outer race of the bearing, and a peak value is determined, following which these steps of the test cycle are repeated several times with new amounts of lubricant. Such method is known from IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol IA-12, n° 4, July/August 1976, pages 359-363; J.F. Harris: "The measurement of grease noise in electric motor grade ball bearings". It is very important for certain kinds of roller bearings that they be lubricated with a high-quality lubricant, i.e., a lubricant which, among other properties, has an excellent soap structure and contains little or no dust particles and/or crystals, which features reveal themselves due to the fact that they are typical noise generators in rotating roller bearings, so that it may be said that the less noise is being generated, the better the quality is of the lubricant involved. It is therefore important to have a method with which the quality of various lubricants for application in specific roller bearings can be determined, so that it is possible to recommend that roller bearings of a specific type be lubricated with specific lubricants. In the known method a number, e.g., ten, equal roller bearings are carefully cleaned and lubricated in the same manner with the lubricant to be examined, following which they are placed on the aforementioned rod and are rotated for a certain amount of time during which the aforementioned peak value is determined, so that ultimately ten peak values are obtained on the basis of which a statistic average can be calculated which is indicative of the quality of the lubricant. This method is very time-consuming and expensive. The purpose of the invention is to find a method of the type described at the beginning, which involves less time and is cheaper. The purpose is achieved due to the fact that in the method according to the invention a single roller bearing of the type specified is used in which every time, at the start of the steps of the test cycle, an amount of the same lubricant to be tested is applied under pressure, whereby the amount of lubricant in the roller bearing which has been examined in a previous cycle is driven out under positive gas pressure before a new amount of lubricant is inserted into the bearing. Accordingly, one needs only one roller bearing of a specific type, which remains connected to the rod for the entire period of examination, whereby the lubricant inside the bearing has to be replaced only a certain number of times, e.g., ten times, by a new amount. The latter can be done in a very simple way by inserting, every time, the amount of lubricant into the roller bearing by means of a plunger which moves linearly inside a tubular holder. However, it has become clear that in following this method it is important, after the amount of lubricant has been inserted into the roller bearing by means of the plunger, to reverse the motion of the plunger because otherwise the peak values seem to be increasing as the measuring time progresses, so that they become unreliable. It appears that this phenomenon is the result of a reduced continuous supply of lubricant due to residual pressure in the lubricant after the plunger has come to a stop. To remove any excess lubricant, the inner race is rotated for some time during the initial period, every time an amount of lubricant is being inserted into the bearing and before the measurements are made, following which any excess lubricant is removed from the bearing, preferably by means of compressed air. The invention concerns also a device for applying the method, including a rod to be brought to rotation on which the inner race of a roller bearing can be placed until it interacts with it, and a vibration recorder which can be brought into contact with the outer race of the roller bearing whereby, according to the invention, a housing is placed around the roller bearing and the rod with a collector for the lubricant being driven from the bearing, which housing has furthermore a connection which is coupled to a device for bringing the lubricant into the housing under pressure, and a connection to a positive gas pressure source. Preferably, the device for bringing lubricant into the housing under pressure includes a tube in which an amount of lubricant has been inserted, and a plunger which moves linearly back and forth inside the tube. The invention will be explained further by means of the drawing in which, Figure 1 shows an axial section of a device according to the invention, and Figure 2 shows the device for the insertion of lubricant coupled to the device according to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, a roller bearing 1 with an outer race 2 and an inner race 3 is placed on a rod 4 which can be made to rotate, while a vibration recorder 5 is in contact with the outer race 2. The vibration recorder 5 is connected to a measuring device not shown here. A housing has been placed around the bearing 1 and the rod 4 consisting of parts 6 and 7. Part 7 acts as a seal around rod 4 by means of a sealing ring 8, while part 6 is connected to a collector 9 for the lubricant being driven out. The housing part 7 is equipped with a connection 10 which is linked by way of a hose 11 (see Figure 2) to a tubular holder 12 which contains an amount of lubricant and in which a plunger 13 can move linearly back and forth in order to drive an amount of lubricant out of the tube 12 and into the bearing 1. In the embodiment shown, the tubular holder and the plunger 13 are parts of a syringe whereby the handle 14 of the plunger 13 is connected to a linearly moving mechanism and is led through pipes 15. Furthermore, the housing part 7 is equipped with a connection 16 which is connected by way of a pipe - not shown here - to a positive gas pressure source - not shown either - e.g., compressed air. To test a specific kind of lubricant, an amount of this lubricant is placed into the roller bearing 1 by means of a plunger 13 during, e.g., five seconds, after which the plunger motion is reversed for three seconds. Subsequently, the inner race 3 of the roller bearing is brought to rotation and, if needed, after an initial period of ten seconds, excess lubricant is blown out of bearing 1 during one second by means of compressed air supplied by way of the connection 16. Afterward, a peak value is measured each time after three seconds, until ten peak values have been obtained. Subsequently, the lubricant inside the bearing is removed entirely by means of the aforementioned compressed air, following which the steps described above are repeated ten times for the new amounts inserted in turn into the bearing 1, so that ultimately one hundred peak values are obtained for an accurate determination of the quality of the lubricant.

Claims: Method for determining the extent to which noise occurs in a rotating roller bearing of a specific type lubricated with a specific lubricant, whereby an amount of the lubricant to be examined is applied to a roller bearing of the type mentioned, the inner race of the roller bearing is rotated for some time by means of a rotatable rod inserted in the inner race of the roller bearing until it interacts with it, and the vibrations occurring in the bearing are recorded by means of a vibration recorder which is in contact with the immobile outer race of the bearing, and a peak value is determined, following which these steps of the test cycle are repeated several times with new amounts of lubricant, characterized by the fact that a single roller bearing (1) of the type specified is used in which every time, at the start of the steps of the test cycle, an amount of the same lubricant to be tested is applied under pressure by a moving mechanism, whereby the amount of lubricant in the roller bearing which has been examined in a previous cycle is driven out under positive gas pressure before a new amount of lubricant is inserted into the bearing (1). Method according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that, every time, the amount of lubricant is inserted into the roller bearing (1) by means of a plunger (13) which moves linearly inside a tubular holder (12). Method according to Claim 2, characterized by the fact that after the amount of lubricant has been inserted.into the roller bearing (1) by means of the plunger (13), the motion of the plunger is reversed. Method according to Claims 1 through 3, characterized by the fact that every time an amount of lubricant is being inserted into the bearing (1) and before the measurements are made, the inner race (3) is rotated for some time during the initial period, following which any excess lubricant is removed from the bearing. Method according to Claim 4, characterized by the fact that any excess lubricant is removed by means of compressed air. Device for applying the method according to the previous claims, including a rod to be brought to rotation on which the inner race of a roller bearing can be placed until it makes contact, and a vibration recorder which can be brought into contact with the outer race of the roller bearing, characterized by the fact that a housing (6, 7) is placed around the roller bearing (1) and the rod (4) with a collector (9) for the lubricant being driven from the bearing, which housing (6, 7) has furthermore a connection (10) which is coupled to a device, controlled by a moving mechanism, for bringing the lubricant into the housing (6, 7) under pressure, and a connection (16) to a positive gas pressure source. Device according to Claim 6, characterized by the fact that the device for bringing lubricant into the housing (6, 7) under pressure includes a tubular holder in which an amount of lubricant has been inserted, and a plunger (13) which moves linearly back and forth inside the holder.

Inventors: VAN DEN BERG ANTONIE, VAN DEN BERG, ANTONIE
Applicants: SKF IND TRADING & DEV, SKF INDUSTRIAL TRADING & DEVELOPMENT CO, B.V.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G01N33
IPC codes: G01M13, G01N33, G01N19, G01M19