For your industrial machinery such as conveyors and gears to run effectively, they need to be properly lubricated. Good lubrication comprises of two main things: the right lubricant, and the correct method of application. If any of the two fails, the risk of equipment failure increases. In this post, we are going to describe the main types of lubrication systems that you can adopt in your system.
Manual Lubrication System
This involves the manual application of greases to the moving parts. The technician uses a grease gun to apply grease to the moving parts. Today, the process has been made easier with the radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology that helps to identify the lub points easily. The main advantage of this method is that the technician can easily inspect different parts of the machinery when applying lubricant.
Automated Lubrication System
Although the manual model is considered beneficial because the technician is able to interact more with the machinery, it is laborious. The automated lubrication system was designed to address the challenges of the manual model. The model helps to increase efficiency, reduce lub contamination, and avoid hazards associated with manual application.
Dual Line Systems Lubrication System
If you have a heavy industrial operation such as a mining unit as captured here, the most recommended pressurized lubricant application method is the dual-line model. The system is designed to deliver high flexibility and reliability. The name comes from the fact that the system uses two distribution lines. Besides, it also allows users to expand or reduce the lub points easily.
Single Line Progressive Lubricant System
The single-line progressive system uses a hydraulic pump to push lubricant to the targeted parts. The system is designed with three dispensing components that feature hydraulic spool that feeds a specific amount of lub (grease) with every stroke. The volume of the grease pushed in every stroke is dependent on the length and diameter of the piston. Notably, this is adjustable.
The main advantage of the single-line progressive system is that it can be used alone or together with other systems like the manual lines. Besides, it is also highly flexible because it can be used to apply either grease or oil. But it is important to appreciate that the lubrication system is larger and its maintenance is also relatively higher.
Whether your machinery is new or has been in use for some time, using the right lubrication system will help to reduce wearing down and increase operational efficiency.