Effects of Grease Characteristics on Sound and Vibration of a Linear-Guideway Type Recirculating Ball Bearing

Abstract

This paper deals with the effects of grease characteristics on sound and vibration of a linear-guideway type ball bearing. First, sound, vibration, and temperature of a linear-guideway type ball bearing were measured by changing 16 types of greases. Next, in order to explain the effects of grease characteristics (absolute viscosity η0 of the base oil in the grease at atmospheric pressure, pressure–viscosity coefficient ξ of the base oil, and penetration P of grease) and linear velocity V on the sound pressure p and vibratory acceleration a of the linear bearing, dimensional analyses were carried out. The dimensional analyses derived dimensionless products Pp/(η0V) and η0ξV/P for the sound, and dimensionless products Pa/V2 and η0ξV/P for the vibration. The plot of the measured data using dimensionless products showed that both sound pressure p and vibratory acceleration a (under a certain linear velocity) decreased as the absolute viscosity η0 of the base oil in the grease at atmospheric pressure or the pressure–viscosity coefficient ξ increased. Whereas the sound pressure p decreased as the penetration P decreased, the vibratory acceleration a decreased as P increased.