ARCANOL bearing pastes and greases in industrial maintenance

Correct lubrication of bearings is one of the aspects that most affects the reliability of industrial machinery. Load, speed, temperature, vibrations, and environmental conditions can profoundly change the requirements of the lubrication point.

For this reason, there is no single bearing grease suitable for every application. The choice must start from the actual operating conditions of the component and the maintenance objectives.

The ARCANOL range includes bearing greases and mounting pastes developed to meet various industrial maintenance needs, from high speeds to heavy loads, through to assembly and mounting operations.

The importance of choosing lubricating greases in industrial maintenance

Rolling bearings work within systems where surfaces are continuously subjected to movement, loads and stress. The task of the bearing lubricant is to help create and maintain an effective separation between surfaces, limiting friction and wear.

The problem arises when the bearing grease is not suitable for the actual working conditions.

An application characterized by high speeds requires different characteristics compared to a large bearing subjected to heavy loads. Similarly, low temperatures, water, humidity, vibrations, or shocks can change the behavior of the lubricant and therefore its ability to perform its function correctly.

Also contamination represents a critical issue. During mounting or maintenance, solid particles and contaminants can reach the bearing and contribute to wear or the reduction of operating life.

Bearing lubrication must therefore be considered as an integral part of industrial maintenance, not as a simple periodic greasing operation.

How to choose bearing greases based on operating conditions

The selection of bearing greases starts from the analysis of the application. The main factors include:

• the load level;
• the rotation speed;
• the temperature range;
• the presence of vibrations or shocks;
• any exposure to water, humidity, or contaminants.

Speed and load

High speeds and significant loads do not place the same demands on the lubricant.

In bearings working at high speed, it is necessary to limit the resistance generated by the lubricant and ensure adequate behavior even during the start-up phases.

When loads increase, it becomes fundamental to ensure effective protection of the surfaces and maintain a lubricating film suitable for the greater stresses.

Temperature and environmental conditions

Temperature directly influences the behavior of the lubricating grease.

Low temperatures can increase resistance during start-up, while high temperatures can accelerate deterioration of the lubricant. Also strong thermal variations can create critical conditions, for example by favoring the formation of condensation inside the bearing.

Water and humidity can also compromise the lubricant, break the lubrication film and favor corrosive phenomena.

Vibrations, shocks, and severe conditions

Vibrations and shock loads subject the bearing grease to mechanical stress that can change its structure and compromise its lubricating capacity.

For this reason, applications such as heavy industrial machinery, rolling mills, plants subjected to high stress, or large bearings require formulations specifically designed for these conditions.

It is therefore not simply a matter of determining which is the “best bearing grease”, but of identifying the one most suitable for the system in which it will work.

ARCANOL: lubricating greases developed for bearings

ARCANOL is a range dedicated to the lubrication of rolling bearings, linear systems and applications related to the maintenance of mechanical components.

The formulations are developed starting from the different conditions in which a bearing may work. The range includes multipurpose greases, products for heavy-duty use, formulations for high temperatures and special solutions. The goal is to be able to select the bearing lubricant based on the behavior required by the application and not indiscriminately use the same grease on machinery with different needs.

The selection of the correct lubricant is in fact strictly linked to the ability of the bearing to work in reliable conditions over time.

I ARCANOL lubricants can offer a protection from wear protection up to three times higher compared to industry standard requirements and, for many formulations, a grease life protection up to two times longer to temperatures operating higher.

ARCANOL products for industrial maintenance

Mascherpa offers several ARCANOL solutions designed to address specific needs related to bearing lubrication and maintenance.

ARCANOL SPEED 2,6 for high-speed bearings

When a bearing works at high speeds and with low loads, using a lubricating grease that is too viscous or unsuitable can increase resistance and make the system operation less efficient.

ARCANOL SPEED2,6 is a special grease developed specifically for applications characterized by high speeds and low loads.

It is particularly suitable for spindle bearings, for machine tools, rotary tables and instruments. Its characteristics also make it suitable for applications that must operate at low temperatures and in vertical shaft configurations.

It therefore represents a specific solution when the priority of maintenance is to ensure adequate lubrication for particularly fast bearings.

ARCANOL MULTITOP for demanding industrial applications

Not all applications require a highly specialized lubricant. Many plants must instead face different operating conditions and require a multipurpose bearing grease capable of maintaining good performance in a wide spectrum of uses.

ARCANOL MULTITOP was developed for demanding applications in which the following may combine:

• moderate to heavy loads;
• sustained speeds;
• temperature variations;
• vibrations;
• shock loads.

It finds application, for example, on ball and roller bearings present in rolling mills and on spinning and grinding spindles.

The good lubrication capacity even after the first use also allows it to be effectively included in periodic machinery maintenance programs. It is therefore the ARCANOL solution that is most versatile among those considered, suitable when the application requires versatility without sacrificing bearing protection in demanding operating conditions.

ARCANOL LOAD460 for large bearings and heavy loads

When dimensions and loads increase, the requirements for bearing lubrication also change.

ARCANOL LOAD460 is a grease developed for heavy-duty bearings, particularly suitable for large bearings subjected to heavy loads.

The formulation is also designed for applications where vibrations may be present both during operation and during downtime, together with low start-up temperatures and difficult environmental conditions.

It is a solution particularly consistent with applications in heavy industry and in machinery subjected to high stress.

ARCANOL MOUNTINGPASTE for mounting operations

Bearing maintenance is not just about lubrication during operation.

Also the mounting, assembly, and running-in phases of the components must be managed correctly to avoid compromising the system even before it enters service.

ARCANOL MOUNTINGPASTE is the mounting paste dedicated specifically to these operations.

It therefore complements bearing greases with a solution intended for activities performed during assembly and maintenance interventions on mechanical components.

In this way, the ARCANOL range allows lubrication to be addressed not only during bearing operation, but throughout multiple phases of its management within the machinery.

Mascherpa and ARCANOL: from product choice to lubrication solution

A correct industrial maintenance strategy does not start from the product available in stock, but from the conditions in which the component must work.

Speed, load, temperature, vibrations, contamination, and relubrication methods must be evaluated together to identify the bearing grease most suitable for the specific application. It is in this phase that the availability of different formulations becomes an advantage.

With the ARCANOL range, Mascherpa expands its offer of bearing lubricants with solutions dedicated to different operating conditions: from high speeds with SPEED2,6, to demanding industrial applications with MULTITOP, up to large bearings subjected to heavy loads with LOAD460 and mounting operations with MOUNTINGPASTE.

To identify the most suitable solution for your machinery or to learn more about the characteristics of ARCANOL bearing greases, contact Mascherpa experts or visit the dedicated brand page.