NTN Corporation recently launched a revolutionary "lubricant supply unit for grease-lubricated bearings", providing a new lubrication solution for machine tool spindles. This new device is specially designed to solve the problem of grease degradation in grease-lubricated bearings during high-speed rotation, making ultra-high speed applications with a DMN value of 1.9 million possible.
In the past, oil-gas lubrication was the mainstream choice in the field of high-speed rotation because it can provide stable and long-term lubrication. However, this lubrication method relies on additional compressed air and oil supply equipment, which is not conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction. In contrast, although grease lubrication does not require complex auxiliary equipment, the grease ages rapidly due to the increase in temperature at high speeds, limiting its service life.
To solve this problem, the new product developed by NTN integrates a special oil supply mechanism into the spacer adjacent to the spindle bearing. The unit not only includes an oil supply device and a lubricant storage tank, but is also equipped with sensors, data processing circuits, wireless communication modules, and an independent power supply system. In particular, this system uses the energy generated by the rotation of the spindle to supply power, without the need for external power support, thereby simplifying the installation process and improving the convenience of use.
Based on the research on the principle of grease deterioration and the results of a series of basic experiments, NTN found that the service life of grease can be effectively extended by replenishing lubricating oil at regular intervals and in a quantitative manner. In the future, the company plans to further develop intelligent sensing technology to determine the best time to supply oil, with the goal of achieving a breakthrough of more than 15 times the service life of existing products.
This new supply unit can operate in an environment with a dmn value of up to 1.9 million, which increases the speed by more than 35% compared to traditional models and increases the service life of grease by 2.5 times. NTN will continue to conduct actual operation tests, optimize product performance, and is committed to increasing the demand for grease-lubricated bearings in the machine tool industry, especially in improving their performance in high-speed rotation environments.
