Dry Lubricants: Keeping Bearings Hot and Reliable

At SKF, a leading Swedish bearing manufacturer, we have spent decades studying how harsh environments challenge bearings. This research has led to the creation of bearings that incorporate dry, graphite‑based lubricants—ideal for applications where traditional greases and oils fall short, such as metal processing, food and beverage production, and any operation that combines extreme heat with low speeds.

Conventional lubricants lose viscosity rapidly at high temperatures and can evaporate, compromising performance. Dry lubricants remain stable even at 350 °C, ensuring reliable operation, lower maintenance, reduced machine complexity, and extended bearing life.

Key benefits include:

• Long service life—dry bearings can run for years if kept dry.
• Low startup torque across all temperatures.
• No minimum speed requirement.
• Minimal leakage and low disposal costs.

While dry lubricants offer limited corrosion protection and may cause a brief increase in noise or vibration as small fragments detach, the advantages in high‑temperature, heavy‑load, low‑speed environments outweigh these drawbacks.

In applications ranging from kiln truck wheel bearings to cooling beds in sheet‑metal mills and continuous ovens, we use graphite and molybdenum disulfide. These materials form a lamella plate structure under load, creating a thin solid film that permits sliding while maintaining high compression strength to prevent metal‑to‑metal contact.

Our dry‑lubricated bearings provide virtually maintenance‑free operation, delivering consistent performance in temperatures from 200 °C up to 350 °C.

Steve Gahbauer, engineer and freelance writer, contributes technical articles to Machinery & Equipment MRO. Contact him at gahbauer@rogers.com. For more information on dry lubricants, visit SKF Canada.

Find the original article on the MRO website.