Tag: Industrial Lubricant

How Can You Achieve Lubrication Excellence?

  Lubricating your machines and other equipment is necessary to make them function properly. A high-quality industrial lubricant not only improves the functionality of the machine but also makes it last longer. Achieving lubrication excellence is necessary, so you know you are using the right product with the right method. When we talk about excellence in the lubrication method, it means knowing the right methods and developing a sound lubrication program for your facility or equipment. This helps improve the service and lifetime of a machine. Forming industrial lubricant excellence also requires you to know your machines well and their requirements. This will help design an effective lubrication plan to achieve lubrication excellence. This blog post mentions some tips that might help you with achieving lubrication excellence.

Don’t Overgrease

Overgreasing might have the same negative effects as that of under greasing. There is no use in over greasing your machines and using excessive amounts of lubricants. Greasing is a way of filtering contaminants from the bearings. If you overuse your lubricant, it can affect the function of the machine.

Key Points For Not Overgreasing

If you are greasing a bearing, it is important to know its geometry and dimensions. There is a misconception to apply more grease to purge out the contaminants, which is not true. The right way to achieve lubrication excellence is to apply a fraction of the calculated quantity at shorter intervals. The technician or the machine operator must know how much grease to add at the right time and calibrate the automatic lubrication system accordingly.

Testing New Deliveries

It is a wise choice to test the quality of new lubricant deliveries, especially when equipment reliability is your prime concern. A little deviation from your original lubricant to opt for a new one can have a devastating impact on your machine. This is because there can be variations in the chemical and physical properties of a lubricant. Moreover, your Industrial lubricant supplier can also help you select the right lubricant for your machine.

Opt For The Condition-based Oil Changing Method

You might sometimes think that your machine needs an oil change, but actually, it doesn’t. Many organizations change their oil based on intervals. These intervals include considerations, such as the calendar, operating hours (meter), fuel consumed, miles/kilometers driven, or production/work performed. A condition-based oil changing strategy is useful to reduce oil consumption and save costs. The most important pre-step for a condition-based oil change is oil analysis. The analysis of the oil’s condition can tell you whether it is time to change oil or not.

Educate Your Team

The maintenance team is responsible for maintaining the machines and ensuring their proper lubrication. If the maintenance team is not well-informed about the necessary practices and the right lubrication methods, their wrong methods of lubrication can negatively impact the machines. Lubricating and achieving excellence in it is an extensive procedure that demands dedication and relevant knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to educate your maintenance team so lubrication standards can be achieved and they can enhance their competencies.

Interpret Oil Analysis Reports

Oil analysis is an important part of condition-based oil changing. Many teams and plant personnel who receive oil analysis reports do not understand how to interpret them. Oil analysis is a report with a summary section with recommendations written in layman’s terms. They might not be precisely tailored according to the condition of the machine. The oil maintenance team must know all the facts and important information about the machine to interpret the oil analysis report. This is necessary to achieve lubrication excellence.

Avoid Lubrication Starvation

Lubrication starvation must be avoided at all costs. Shortage of lubricants can put a strain on the machine and make it hard for it to function properly. There must be some kind of alarm system installed that alerts you once the lubricant levels have gone down beyond a certain point. Your machines are dependent on lubricants, and they need an adequate and sustained supply of the right lubricant to keep operating at an optimum level.

About Micro Lube

Micro Lube is a full-service conveyor lubrication Company with international experience and a genuine commitment to professional, affordable, and personalized service to our diverse customers. Our staff has over ten years of “hands-on” experience in conveyor and chain lubrication which has earned our customers’ confidence in our products and services. Contact us here for more information.

5 Different Types Of Grease Used In Industrial Applications

Industrial machinery requires grease for its effective and smooth running. This is due to the grease’s ability to reduce the friction between various components and parts of these machines and allow them to run smoothly. In addition to this, greases are also used for vessels and vehicles. Each type of grease is manufactured differently, and no two greases are similar. These unique properties allow each type of grease to have different functions. Grease contains thickener, base oil, and additives. What sets them apart from one another is the additive. Some greases are designed for high speed, while others are designed for high pressure.

Uses Of Grease

Traditionally, grease was used to keep vessels, vehicles, machines, and their components lubricated at all times; now, they serve other purposes as well. Due to their versatility, greases or lubricants have found a wide-range of applications across industries, such as manufacturing, automotive, mining, steel, construction, marine, the farming industry, and so on. Continue reading our post to find out more about the different types of grease used in industrial applications.

Different Greases & Their Applications

Lithium Grease

Lithium grease is a multipurpose grease and is commonly known for its high viscosity, durability, and stability. Its design provides long-lasting protection against corrosion, extreme temperatures, oxidation, as well as wear and tear. These greases are known for their high water resistance, excellent lubrication, long-lasting performance, smooth running, and ability to withstand shock loads and high pressure. They are suitable for multiple applications, such as bearings, chassis, winches, automotive, axle arrangements, industrial, gardening, household, and other metal-to-metal applications.

Calcium Grease

One of the first greases to be manufactured for general use was Calcium grease. A high-temperature environment or activity affects its structure, resulting in reduced capability. Thus, it is well-suited only for low-temperature environments. Some of its key features include great mechanical stability, water resistance, and corrosion protection by smoothening friction. Its water resistance makes it a suitable option for marine use. Other applications of calcium grease include automotive, agriculture, and industrial.

Polyurea Grease

Polyurea grease gained popularity due to its outstanding water-resistant capability, oxidation, mechanical stability, rust and corrosion prevention, durability, versatility, and high-temperature performance. These properties make polyurea grease suitable for life-long applications across various industries. Polyurea grease is considered vital for the proper lubrication of electric motor bearings, CV joints, pulleys, and steel plants among machine owners. Also, due to the absence of soap, it is recommended for low noise applications.

Bentone Grease

It is a clay-based, non-soap grease developed with bentonite clay. This grease type has no known dropping point and is called a non-melt lubricant. It has high-temperature resistance as it can retain its stability at any temperature. It has great mechanical or shear stability, exceptional water tolerance, and impressive adhesiveness. Its high viscosity provides effective protection for bearings and is ideal for highly demanding applications. It is typically used in the steel, construction, manufacturing, ceramic, and mining industries.

Sodium Grease

Sodium grease is formulated by mixing soda soap with base oils and additives and has a fibrous texture. This mixture provides good mechanical or shear stability, good rust protection, a high dropping point, and good lubrication. However, it has poor water resistance and oxidation stability. Due to these shortcomings, sodium grease is now mostly used for lubricating wheel bearings. It is a low-cost grease as it requires mixing with other greases to produce a higher quality grease for satisfactory results. Micro-Lube has been in the lubrication industry for years. We offer the best range of lubricants and related products, including filtration systems, dispensing, storage, and more. To learn more about us, click here. Related blog:  Know about the Basics of Automatic Lubrication System    

Six Factors That Affect The Life Of A Lubricant

Six Factors That Affect The Life Of A Lubricant Lubricants play an essential role in a machine’s life and must carefully be monitored so its unexpected short life does not ruin your equipment. An old or dried-out lubricant can wreak havoc on your machines and lead to their downtime costing your industry millions of dollars. A lubricant that is kept in good condition with the right physical and chemical properties, optimal additives’ levels, and minimum contamination and wear can perform the following functions:
  • Minimize friction between metal parts of the machine
  • Decrease wear of machine parts
  • Regulate your machine’s operating temperatures
  • Minimize contamination
On the other hand, an old lubricant can cause permanent damage to your machine’s components as it will not regulate friction, and create contamination between the moving parts. For this reason, maximizing the life of a lubricant is critical. Below are the various factors that can make a lubricants’ life shorter. Preventing these factors can help prevent unscheduled downtimes and stoppages in your company’s production line.

Factors That Lead To Shorter Lubricant Service Life

In general, industrial lubricants lose their optimal functionality and efficiency after some time. However, this time is usually pre-determined by its manufacturer. If the lubricant goes bad before this time, it can lead to machine malfunctioning. Factors that can lead to shorter lubricant service life include:

Oxidation

This is a chemical reaction that occurs when the base oil comes in contact with free oxygen. It greatly reduces the lubricants life and its effectiveness as a lubricating agent. This is because oxidation leads to an increase in oil viscosity, resulting in varnish deposits. The accumulated sludge decreases machine efficiency by reducing heat transfer, blocking oil ways, promoting foam and emulsification, and ultimately resulting in seizures and machine breakdown.

Thermal Degradation

Machines that operate at high temperatures cause lubricating oils to undergo higher degradation rates in the absence of oxygen. This yields volatile gases and carbonaceous residues that contribute to heat build-up and machine damage. It is best to keep your machines at the lowest possible temperature to avoid this degradation and increase your lubricating oils’ service life.

Contamination

Oil contamination is the most common cause of oil degradation, which also facilitates other chemical reactions. These hinder basic machine processes such as aeration, foaming, air release, and demulsibility. Lubricating oil contaminants include water, airborne, dust particles, fluid soluble and insoluble materials, and the degraded oil components themselves.

Foaming

This constitutes the formation of froth/bubbles in the lubricants oil due to excess air that determines its poor quality. Air or oil foam can easily escape the reservoir and accumulate in the headspaces of gearboxes, crankcases, sumps, and other components with air spaces. It can also be ingested into the circulation pump and interfere with the gears and bearings’ effective lubrication.

Air Release

Air release is a necessary action that allows air to escape through bubbles in the oil. Poor quality lubricants are unable to perform this task effectively, and hence, contribute to oil foaming. Air release is greatly influenced by oil viscosity, temperature, and the presence of contaminants. Therefore, employing a good quality lubricant is an ideal solution to avoid this.

Demulsibility

This constitutes the lubricant oil’s ability to release water, which is imperative when the machinery is operating in a humid atmosphere. The oils’ inability to demulsify results in the corrosion of ferrous metals. A significant reduction in the fatigue life of ball bearings, roller bearings, and gears. It also hinders the removal of rust inhibitors, anti-wear, and lubricity additives from oils.

Maximize Your Lubricating Oil’s Service Life

The service life of lubricating oils is determined by their capability to avoid degradation. Good quality lubricating oils generally have an increased service life which you can further extend by operating the machinery at low temperatures, maintaining the oils and keeping it clean, preventing water ingress, and minimizing air contamination. For more information on how to increase your lubricant’s life, visit our website or contact us here today.

4 Lubrication Mistakes That Cause Machine Downtime

For most manufacturers, unscheduled machine downtime is the largest cause of lost production time. These downtimes, which result from equipment malfunction or failure, can cost industries millions of dollars and ruin their reputation in the market. For this reason, companies must figure out the factors that may lead to machine malfunctions and breakdowns. One of the biggest reasons for machine failure is its incorrect and inadequate lubrication. Proper lubrication is essential to ensure all moving parts of a machine are operating efficiently. A lack of investment in a lubrication program can lead to high maintenance costs, lost revenue, and equipment downtime. To establish the perfect lubrication program for your machines and avoid these premature machine failure incidents, below are five common lubrication mistakes and tips to avoid them.

Using The Wrong Lubricant

Selecting the right kind of lubricants for your machine is often difficult. Besides considering the type of application and mechanical technicalities, you must also consider the lubricant’s properties and its changing additive packages. Moreover, the wide variety of available oils in the market make the selection process even more challenging. For machine bearings and guides, selecting the right lubricant is even more critical, as the wrong one will shorten their useful life and may also result in catastrophic failures. Therefore, choosing the appropriate lubricant for a machine will directly influence its efficiency and performance. To select the proper lubricant for your equipment, follow the steps below:
  • Figure out the lubricant’s purpose
  • Consider the application’s operating conditions
  • Carefully view the properties and additive packages of the lubricant
  • Take into account the lubricant’s lifespan
  • Consider its ease of application
  • Select a reliable vendor or supplier
  • Finally, compare the prices of the lubricants and select the one most suitable for you

Neglecting Lubrication Maintenance

Manually and visually inspecting and maintaining the lubricant present inside the machine is the most important step to avoid machine downtime and failure. People often wait too long to perform this inspection. This negligence leads to unscheduled downtime and lost productivity. A structured and properly calibrated lubrication program can prevent unscheduled machine failure. It will also help extend the bearings life and will increase the efficiency of the machine. A comprehensive lubrication program will consist of self-lubricating the machine, a thorough inspection of the lubricant and its condition monitoring, and finally, its timely drainage. When visually checking the condition of the lubricant, make sure:
  • The lubricant film is thin and consistent
  • There are no signs of over or under lubrication
  • It is not contaminated

Improperly Handling & Storing The Lubricant

Proper lubrication storage and transportation are critical to improving the performance and service life of your lubricant. Although this is often overlooked, proper storage and handling can significantly impact your overall lubrication program’s success. This is because the fluids are vulnerable to contamination by dust and dirt, and other environmental conditions that can adversely affect your lubricants’ shelf life. So, whether you’re storing your lubricants indoors or outdoors, it is essential to follow proper lubrication protocols. For proper lubrication storage, do the following things:
  • Color-code your lubricant containments
  • Keep the lubricant containers in a clean and dry environment
  • Make sure the storage place is sheltered and well-ventilated
  • Do not store the lubricant near sources of heat and steam

Inadequate Training Of The Workers

For the machine lubrication program to be successful, industries must invest in their workers’ training and education. Most operators in factories handling machine lubrication are not trained enough to avoid mistakes that lead to machine failure and malfunctioning. Moreover, most maintenance staff are not as familiar with maintaining bearing lubrication and need proper instructions. Failing to invest in your workers training will lead to improper maintenance, reducing your machine’s operating life. These are the four most common lubrication mistakes that can bring your machine down. For more information on machine lubrication, visit our website or contact us here today.

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