Premature bearing damage has always been an issue within the automotive and industrial sector. Seldom is it realized that 55% of this is caused by incorrect lubrication.

NTN-SNR, the European arm of Japan’s NTN Corp. and the world’s 3rd biggest bearing producer, offers grease options to help you get the most out of your machines. With over 50 years of research and development, its top of the line grease products are formulated to suit every application.

Together with Mineral Circles Bearings (MCB), its Dubai based distributor, NTN-SNR offers a variety of premium grease to meet the demands of the Middle East and African region.

Grease type matters

Hassanein Alwan, MCB’s marketing director and in-house engineer, has given practical tips on grease selection and usage to protect bearings from harmful elements.

Choose the right grease for the right application– take into consideration the temperature, humidity, speed, load levels, vibrations, and the environment in which the machine operates

Do not overdo it – over application is damaging since no space is left for proper air circulation. Two thirds of grease coverage, according to studies, is enough to provide bearings optimum protection against unwanted fluids, friction, and pollution.

Wide range of NTN-SNR grease

General awareness on different grease options can help you maximize your bearings’ lifespan, making your machine reach its optimum operational performance, thus saving you on cost and energy consumption.

Universal Multi purpose-general type of grease used for both automotive and non-automotive bearings

Food AL Food Sure– bearing grease used in food manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry

with H1 certification by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) proven to be safe, pure, and

non-toxic

Heavy Duty High Load-used for bearings exposed to high speeds and heavy loads such as truck wheel hubs, conveyors, and electric motors

VIB Vibrations & Shocks -formulated to protect bearings exposed to major vibrations and impact found in grinders, crushers, and washing machines.

HIGH TEMP High Temperature – recommended for prolonged lubrication of bearings subjected to high temperatures up to 150 degrees Celsius such as dryers, textile machines, or hot fans.

ULTRA HIGH TEMP– ideal for long term use on bearings exposed to high temperature up to 260 degrees Celsius found in copy machines, furnace equipment, and plastic industry machines

HIGH SPEED + Spindles– formulated for bearings subjected to high speeds but at lower temperature such as in textile machine spindles and milling shafts

What are automatic lubricators?

Apart from the lack of lubrication knowledge, another common problem is the inaccessibility of bearings making greasing tasks unbearable, unsafe, and sometimes, impossible.

Alwan of MCB recommends NTN-SNR’s automatic lubricators which are designed to provide accurate bearing lubrication 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A technology that’s new in the region, each is designed to contain all types of NTN-SNR grease to suit your operational needs.

As a quick overview, below are the variations with their unique characteristics.

READY BOOSTER – The most cost effective automatic lubricator available in 60cc and 125cc with a selector capable of adjusting grease distribution from 1 to 2 months.

SMART BOOSTER-an upgraded version of the Ready Booster, it is equipped with a reusable touchpad control unit plus an on/off function. This low cost automatic lubricator can withstand varying temperature conditions and is available in 130cc.

DRIVE BOOSTER– Available in 120cc and 250cc, this is the premium automatic lubricator type that comes with a service warranty and a battery pack. With its six pressure bar feature, it is capable of distributing grease up to five meters away which can be easily monitored through an LCD screen that is made visible by four LEDs around the control head.

Grease demand in MEA region

The MEA region, specifically West Africa who imports 95% of its grease, has a promising lubricant business potential. According to LUBES’N’GREASES magazine’s November 2015 issue, an annual growth of 3.8% in oil and industrial grease is seen until year 2019 brought about by the consumers’ heightened awareness on proper lubrication as the drive to cut costs through proper machine maintenance is important in this challenging economy.

MCB’s Alwan stated that this rebound in demand is made evident by increased orders especially the ones in 23kg bucket-type packaging. He believes that continuous awareness on the different types of grease and automatic lubricators will be the best bet for better sales this year.