How to Determine the Amount of Lubricant in Bearings

We continue our Lubrication Management series.

In my previous article, I tried to explain how to select the appropriate lubricant for bearings, answering the question "Which," one of the five elements of lubrication. For detailed information, you can read my article titled "How to Select the Right Lubricant for Bearings."

In this article, I will try to answer the question "How Much."

Tomorrow, when you go to the factory, ask your most competent lubrication technician this question: "How much lubricant do you use when lubricating the bearing?"

I'm sure you'll hear two different answers to this question.

"I don't stop using lubricant until I see the lubricant coming out of the bearing housing." or "I stop pumping when the pump starts to harden."

So, how much lubricant should be used when lubricating bearings? We can easily explain this technically below.

How Much Lubricant Should We Use?

As stated in the ISO 281:2007 standard, the amount of lubricant is of great importance in extending the life of the bearing.

You can use applications from bearing manufacturers or AI tools to determine the quantity. However, theoretical knowledge always gives you the ability to interpret situations differently. Therefore, knowing the theory forms the foundation for us engineers.

When the bearing outer diameter and thickness are written in millimeters in the formula, we can calculate the optimum oil quantity in grams.