Mar 25, 2025 Gary Wentzel, Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa
The dangers of over or under lubricating bearings
Having the right lubricant is an essential part of ensuring equipment functions efficiently and safely. However, the correct application of the right lubricant is just as important. Otherwise, over or under lubricating can cause major issues. Gary Wentzel from Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa says, “Yes, it’s important to have the right lubricant for the right application, but it’s also essential to apply the right amount of that lubricant at the right intervals.”
Over lubricating can cause fluid friction, which introduces heat, and that in turn burns the oil or grease. Applying too much lubricant can also lead to spillage. This is dangerous because in certain circumstances, compounded by the fluid friction, it can be flammable and cause a fire risk. In addition, spillage has a negative environmental impact as it often gets washed away into sewerage systems or surrounding areas.
One of the ways that LE mitigates this is through the additives in its greases, which keep the lubricants within the contact area and reduce the fling off. Fluid friction can actually end up causing many of the same problems as under lubricating because the heating up and burning of the grease causes it to move off the components too quickly and they are then left without protection.
How to know how much to use - Each bearing size and equipment component has different lubrication specifications, says Wentzel. At LE, they have the tools and knowledge to advise on the type and amount of lubricant that any equipment part needs, which is why working with a lubrication specialist can also help ensure the safe application of lubricants. One of the tools LE recommends, especially for critical components, is an automated lubrication system. “Single point lubricators can provide the right amount of lubricant at the right time,” says Wentzel.
One of the most common causes of under lubrication is linked to the human element at plants, says Wentzel. “If the person who usually does the lubrication goes on leave, then even a few days or a week without constant monitoring can leave a component vulnerable.” Then, when operational teams become aware of the issue, they overcompensate by adding too much lubricant, which can cause problems associated with over lubrication. “The damage can be catastrophic. It can cost millions of Rands in broken equipment, downtime and loss of production. The impact of one small bearing on a whole plant cannot be ignored,” says Wentzel.
In contrast, a plant that is running with the correct lubrication across its components often sees a significant benefit in reduced electricity usage and the cost savings from that. “There is also a broader environmental benefit when operations use less fossil-fuel based electricity,” says Wentzel.
The importance of training - Training maintenance teams about why correct lubrication matters is a key way to protect critical and massively expensive equipment. This is especially true where lubrication is done manually using a grease gun. “If the person responsible for lubrication doesn’t understand why it matters and how much should be used in a particular place, it can result in over or under lubrication, and this exposes a plant to all the associated issues with that,” says Wentzel.
He adds that LE also uses colour-coding systems on its packaging to help people easily identify the correct use of a lubricant – red, for instance, indicates a high-temperature environment, while blue indicates colder operating temperatures. These often correlate with markings on machinery too. Another reason that training and education around lubrication are so important is that each grease gun, whether it’s a pistol or a lever, dispenses a different amount of lubricant. So, someone who walks around a plant with a grease gun needs to know where to apply one pump, two pumps, etc. and which lubricant to apply at what intervals.
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