High-quality manufacturing & assembly of the rings, rolling elements, cage & closures are critical when specifying a bearing, but the proper lubricant must also be selected for the application. If grease is a better selection over oil, the consistency of the grease should be examined carefully to ensure optimal bearing performance. It’s a tightly woven interdependence — bearing and grease — that many companies overlook, focusing mainly on the more costly component whose most identifiable characteristic is one of precision.

But just as bearings can be measured in terms of tolerance when assessing its applications, bearing grease consistency has its own defining metric: penetration level. (Many assume it’s viscosity, but that refers to oil consistency.) 

Understanding which penetration level of grease provides the most suitable environment for a particular ball bearing is critical for optimizing the performance of your product. To help you sort through the most significant considerations, we invite you to read our white paper, “Bearing Grease Consistency,” which addresses:

• Grease penetration 
• Comparing and measuring worked and unworked penetration
• Channeling grease characteristics
• Consistency and its impact on corrosion

Get the white paper:

And to learn more about bearing grease consistency, visit the AST Bearing Resource Center.