Glossary
Oil lubrication
Ölschmierung
Oil lubrication supplies rolling bearings with liquid lubricant and is used where grease reaches its limits – high speeds, high operating temperatures, or where adjacent components such as gears are oil-lubricated anyway. Common methods include oil bath, circulating oil, oil jet and oil-air (minimal quantity) lubrication for high-speed spindles. Its key advantage is heat dissipation: circulating oil carries away friction heat and wear particles and can be filtered and cooled, enabling higher speeds than grease. The correct operating viscosity in the rolling contact is decisive for bearing life; oil analysis and scheduled changes support condition monitoring.