Long-term Lubrication

• low maintenance costs
• connection to a central oil supply is not necessary
• no soiling of coolant
• maximum dirt protection
• proven design
• tailored solutions

The modular design of wipers and lubricants improves the durability of ballscrews significantly.

As an alterantive solution to conventional central oil or grease supplies, factory-life or long-term lubrication of ballscrews is gaining importance.

Long-term lubrication of ballnuts
Ballnuts can be filled with a specific quantity of special grease (normally Klueber Isoflex NBU 15), and fitted with combination wipers. The integrated felt wipers are impregnated with oil compatible with the grease used during assembly. Depending on the operating conditions, ballscrews equipped with such combination wipers are suitable for continued use for a period of 2 to 6 years. It is however recommended to lubricate after 2000 operational hours, as this also increases operational safety. Theoretically, it is not necessary to lubricate if the life of the grease is longer than the expected life of the ballscrew.

t_f: Life of grease [hours]
n_m: Mean speed [rpm]
d_N: Nominal Diameter [mm]

Ballscrews with long-term or factory-life lubrication should not be exposed to temperatures greater than 70° C. Changes in temperature must not cause condensation. Debris which cannot be wiped off, in particular debris generated from grinding processes, should be avoided.

Ballnuts with grease package
Ballscrews with nominal diameter of 12 mm and smaller are not normally fitted with felt or combination wipers due to their low torque requirements and limited space. In such cases a long-life grease, such as Klueber Staburags NBU 12/300KP, can be used to achieve a long-term lubrication with standard labyrinth seals, or moreover without wipers. Predicted life depends on contamination and temperatures, but will not exceed a few thousand hours. Speeds of the ballscrew should be kept low to avoid excessive centrifugal forces.