Motion Control Grease: An Economic Approach to Precision Motion & Noise Control

When faced with reducing cost without sacrificing quality, motion control greases can be valuable tools in a design engineer’s bag of tricks. The primary function is to control motion and noise in mechanical and electromechanical devices. As an added benefit, a motion control grease reduces wear and protects against dust and moisture like traditional grease. Think about the smooth, gentle opening of the sunglass holder in a car. The “velvet feel,” virtually silent operation, and effortlessly smooth motion are all the work of a motion control grease.

Formulating the first motion control grease helped to economically build acceptable tolerances into microscopes, telescopes, and binoculars. Though available for more than 60 years, their use did not extend far beyond optical instruments because of their limited low-temperature capabilities. They became so viscous at low temperatures that they made parts challenging to move. That changed in the late-1970s when Nye Lubricants introduced the first broad-temperature line of synthetic motion control greases.

In the automotive industry, where -54 °C is the low-temperature norm, switch manufacturers were among the first to take advantage of these unique materials. A small amount of motion control grease on switch detents diminished plastic-on-plastic clicking, which could easily be perceived by consumers as low quality. Further, motion control grease gave a smooth luxury-feel to the hand-actuated parts of a switch without the expense of fine engineering tolerances.

These greases are widely used today in many industries and applications; some examples are:

• Automotive: Interior controls

• Medical: Injector pens and auto-injectors

• Appliance: Gears

• Electronics: Potentiometers

Want to learn more about how motion control grease works and how it can benefit your application ? Download our whitepaper below to find out!