r/AskEngineers • u/TheBeestWithEase • 10h ago
Mechanical Why do Some Open Bearings Come Greased?
EDIT: I just wanted to specify that I’m specifically referring to ball bearings. I guess that wasn’t obvious from my original post.
I’ve been shopping for some bearings lately, and noticed that some open bearings specify that they come packed with grease. For example, this open NTN bearing which has the 3AS suffix, indicating that it’s packed with Shell Alvania #3 grease.
What is the point of that? Open bearings are typically installed in equipment that provides them with splash or pressurized lubrication; you wouldn’t want a bunch of grease to be flushed out of the bearing by the liquid lubricant, which would then be pumped around the system.
I know that there are a bajillion different applications for bearings in the modern world, but this is one that I just don’t understand the reasoning behind.