What are the basic purposes for using lubricants?

8 days ago Like CommentFollow Flag More santosh kumar vishwakarma likes this 21 comments Jump to most recent comments

Follow santosh kumar santosh kumar vishwakarma The basic purpose of using in anti friction bearings to reduced friction between rolling elements.Mainly grease recommended by OEM is used.

The basic purpose of using lubricants mainly recommended grad of Oil by OEM for reducing friction between rotating elements and take away heat generated due to friction between rotating shaft & bearing. 8 days ago Like

Follow Desmond Desmond Chen Lubrication? Lubricants reduces heat,reduces friction between moving metals,plastics,ceramics.Anything that moves has got friction. The reason why Roller Bearings are produced is to reduce contact between metals using balls or cylindrical bearings in open or closed casing guides.It can go to very high revolutions until if overload of bearing it actually glides on not rolling over, causing screeching sound. Rubber tires has reverse requirement it needs resistance, traction on the road,performs to the condition of the weather.That is why you have all weather tires,rain,snow tires. Friction gives off sound, burn out,reduction in depth, thickness of the moving parts. Lubricant helps to prolong the service life of equipment, gear boxes of car engines,turbines all requires lubricant to reduce foremost heat dissipation. Lubricants comes in Lube Oil or the thicker version known as Grease from grades 0, 00 , 000,1,2,3 to 6 NLGI consistency. Specialty grease are produced for specific purpose from Very Low To High Temperatures touching 1200*C. Food Grade, SubSea,High Temperature,Sea Water Resistance, Prevents Water Washout in harsh weather conditions.

Interflon has taken the guess work out of the equation. We produces specifics to your requirements. WWW.INTERFLON.COM 8 days ago Like4

Follow Ron Ron Lacher Good answers. So far we have, reduce friction, reduce wear, cool moving elements and seal out dirt and contaminants. Is there more? 8 days ago Like1

Follow Jitendra Kumar Jitendra Kumar Sharma Lubricants are said to be the blood-stream of machinery. Its often said if plant lubrication programme is carried out effectively, then half of the maintenance problems get vanished automatically.

The aim of lubrication is to facilitate keeping the mating parts separated from each other by providing a lubricant film and thus help in minimizing friction, heat and abnormal wear & tear.

However, the basic purposes of using lubricants could both be Primary and Secondary as indicated below:

(1) To lubricate moving parts to minimize friction & wear. (2) To remove heat from the moving parts by acting as a cooling agent. (3) To absorb shocks. (4) To provide sealing. (5) To act as a cleaning agent. (6) To reduce noise & vibration. (7) To minimize power consumption. (8) To reduce failures and down time.

(9) To extend service life of parts and machinery. (10) To reduce workload of breakdown jobs. (11) To reduce maintenance cost. (12) To reduce inventory of wear-out parts. (13) Etc. 8 days ago Like6

Follow Ron Ron Lacher Corrosion protection. Lubricants control corrosion by providing a protective film. If acid is a problem a lubricant can be customized to neutralize the acid. 7 days ago Like1

Follow Diane Diane Gordon I'd like to share an article on this topic. Title: How Lubricants Affect Equipment Reliability. Written by Ronald Hughes, RCA Investigator, Reliability Center, Inc. http://reliability.com/industry/articles/article38x.pdf 7 days ago Like4

Follow Mark Mark O'Brien Don't forget hydraulic fluid and ATF, lubricates plus all of the above and provides power to produce the work. 6 days ago Like1

Follow Kevin Kevin Howe One addition I can think of from the top of my head is the ability of ""lift"".

Under compression, lubricants become more "lubricative" (they are capable, wihtin reason of reducing -more than otherwise- the coefficient of friction between surfaces).

Lubricants are slightly compressible within specified ranges (depends on the type and/or composition).

Now combining the two attributes (greater lubrication and the "compress-a-bility" in modern lubricaants) - when looking at the use of grease in a bearing or oil on a (for instance) turbine shaft they can literally lift/seperate the two surfaces which they are designed to protect by creating a wedge between them in the direction of travel. They will compress to a specific point, stop compressing, and then maintain space between the spaces when rotational compression/energy is applied and (with proper amounts applied) continue to do so, thereby (not only making the surfaces more slick and therefore reducing friction, heat and wear) it seperates the two completely from one another.

Oil and grease may be specified in such an application where it shall reach optimum temperature, steady state maintenance of this temperature, and optimum gapping distance (between surfaces) at speed/rotational spin during steady state operation.

Sometimes "wear packages" *(specific detergents, rare earths and chemical inhibitors) are added to the lubricant where there is a need for some attribute that is not being provided by the standard product.

This "oil wedge" is maintained throughout the time the device is at speed. This explains why it is always harder on a shaft/bearing/wear surface to start and/or stop the machine. It is during those periods that this distance is not maintained and we get metal-to-metal wear and/or abrassion occurring.

As we all know, even when there is reduced friction there is heat generated between the two because that is not "no friction" - this is also how we explain why there is not a buildup of heat past toleration levels (of the lubricant and the materials seperated). Besides the heat transfer capabilities inherent in a lubrication product (removing heat from the surfaces protected) this distance allows for less heat to build over time.

Part of the science of studying lubrication and wear products is an actual consideration of the trace metals and alloys found in the lube used on our products. This trace is mostly generated during the start and stop of our machines and the percentages contained may allow us to determine the damage done over time.

Anyway... hope this contributed something to the discussion. 6 days ago Like3

Follow Desmond Desmond Chen You are absolutely spot on Mr.Kevin Howe, well the lift in Interflon Products is Teflon wedged between moving parts whether its sliding or revolving.Its actually elevates the two metal to metal contacts be it ceramics,aluminium, hardened steel, plastics.

By using teflon infused greases reduces the Coefficient of Friction almost frictionless contact between surfaces. Thus reduces heat tremendously on the equipment in operation, prolongs the serviceability of the equipments, less downtime, saves cost ultimately for the user.

We are working in line with many OEM's they specified Interflon Lube Oils & Greases to be used on their equipments for protecting unnecessary premature wear on moving,with high pressure contacts, less spare parts replaced. A name they learned to trust, INTERFLON beyond comparison in lubrication technology. 5 days ago Like2

Follow Kevin Kevin Howe I am glad to have been able to segway this into a selling opportunity for you...LOL 5 days ago Like3

Follow Jitendra Kumar Jitendra Kumar Sharma Thanks Mr. Kevin for your comments and giving brief account of boundary & hydrodynamic lubrication and wear debris monitoring & analysis of lubricating oils in service.

I would also like to add a new dimension to the discussion. Conventionally, the separation of the mating surfaces in relative motion is achieved by using various lubricants, viz. solids (e.g. graphite), semi - solids (e.g. greases) and liquids (e.g. oils).

Can there be any other suitable material especially in the form of a gas that could also be used to separate out mating surfaces to reduce friction in certain cases?

Yes, it's possible. Some of you must have heard about the hydrostatic bearings that utilize compressed air (in place of any conventional lubricant) to keep the mating metal surfaces separated from each other to achieve a frictionless drive. 5 days ago Like2

Follow Nagendra Prasad Nagendra Prasad Tiwari Dear Ron The purpose of lubrication in all rotary equipment is well known but many people are not fully aware how lubrication is carried out on line when machine is running. I recommend you to refer to my following blogs. Pl feel free to comment if any. http://maintenance-engineering-tips.blogspot.in 4 days ago Like1

Follow Gilbert Gilbert Hamambi Prolong equipment/machine/component life. 3 days ago Like1

Follow Larry Larry Holmes Kinda interesting a manufacturer of specialty lubes would ask such a question....... Good and varied answers, tho. 2 days ago Like1

Follow Dave DJ Dave DJ Tomlinson Easy, Lubrication is used to prevent failures:). Its the life blood of machines, without it machines die.

2 days ago Like3

Follow parmin parmin sitompul Choice of the lubricant is one of the key to succesful implementation preventive maintenance and related to reduce cost, minimize down time and keep the spririt of the technician. 2 days ago Like3

Follow Mike Mike Trumbature Geasing bearings reduces friction. Over-greasing them may result in excess friction, rupturing bearing seals (too much gun force), and contamination http://www.petersonpredict.com/apps_bearingmaintenance.php

The solvents in the grease can deteriorate motor winding insulation, resulting in a fire or explosion. Here is a photo from one of my jobs. https://www.box.com/s/1xu80yauf5sjbdn8rki7

Oil also reduces friction and carries heat out moving parts 2 days ago Like2

Follow Ron Ron Lacher Mike T. I've never seen anything like that in my life. They must have been using a super duper gas powered grease gun? My guess the motor overloaded? Wow any more grease and the case would have hydraulically cracked! LOL

Larry H., Thanks for your input! Very informative. 1 day ago Like1

Follow Kevin Kevin Howe IRT Mr. Trumbature's link - it suggests listening to the bearing for noise like "popcorn" using an ultrasonic detector.

What specifically is being heard at that point? If this is grease being heard to bubble - that would not be a poor thing... but, if we are listening for the sound of metal on metal rubing (which may sound like popcorn at speed), then we are already too late.

I am curious as to what specifically is thought to be heard at that suggested point. 14 hours ago Like Reply privately Flag as inappropriate

Follow Mike Mike Trumbature Kevin,

I don't know how much acoustical flaw monitoring and signature vibration analysis you've done but with the proper equipment you can not only detect worn bearings, you can even detect a cracked race as well as other problems leading to premature failures, regardless of lubrication like misalignment, pipe strain, piping problems (horizontal elbows on double suction pumps) "soft feet" on drivers and equipment. https://www.google.com/search?q=bearing+vibration+analysis&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo =u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=IjhaUMDxD8WU2QXZz4C4Bw&ved=0CFQQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=900

I've built and designed machinery monitor systems like this where the motor, gearbox and pump all have sleeve bearings - https://www.box.com/s/lfs600ny1b4nrm9ve3je It monitors bearing temperatures, vibration and shaft to journal clearances on two axis, X - Y down to .0001. There is a forced feed pre/post lubrication system for all the bearings that is automatic on start up and shutdown. The system is routed through a air cooled heat exchanger that is thermostatically controlled.

Here is an example of a system mounted on the outside of these pumps - top photo. https://www.box.com/s/6a8b4088bc40548dc7ee

I also use portable filtered field vibration analyzers and thermal scans to look for any pending problems with rotating equipment as well as any external maintenance or installation problems that may result in premature failures.