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In This Issue
| - Solving a Hot Gearbox: Is Viscosity Really the Issue?
- Pondering Particle Sizes and the ISO Code
- Bigger Isn't Better: Strategies for Lube Consolidation
- Gain a Better Understanding of Anti-wear Agents
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| Solving a Hot Gearbox: Is Viscosity Really the Issue? |
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| If a gear reducer is running hot, don't automatically think that it needs a higher viscosity oil. Take a sample of oil for a metals analysis. If the sample shows high wear metals, then the high temperatures could be a result of metal-to-metal contact – in which case, a higher viscosity oil would be warranted. If the wear metals in the sample are low, then the heat could be the result of having too high a viscosity oil, and fluid friction is the source of heat. In this case, a lower viscosity oil may solve the high temperature problem. If these solutions don’t work, check the temperature of the drivetrain (the electric motor, coupling and the reducer). If the electric motor is hotter than the reducer, then maybe the electric motor is undersized and the reducer is acting as a heat sink. In this case, have the electricians install the proper size motor for the load. The oil viscosity may have been correct.
Join us for Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication
in Dallas, Texas, on January 25-27.
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| Pondering Particle Sizes and the ISO Code |
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Test your knowledge and prepare for ICML lubrication and oil analysis certification.
Question: What three particle size ranges are used with the ISO code?
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GET THE ANSWER
| How many different lubricants do you have in inventory? Does your plant have a database that identifies the lubricant specification for each lube point in the plant? If you cannot answer either of these questions with confidence, chances are your lubrication program is not world-class. Consolidating or optimizing the number of lubricants used is an important part of designing and maintaining an effective lubrication program. Read this article for expert advice in this area. |
FULL STORY
From the book "Machinery Oil Analysis – Methods, Automation & Benefits" by Larry Toms and Allison Toms:
Anti-wear agents react with metal surfaces to form a protective low-friction film. The protective layer, one to several molecules thick, is adsorbed onto the metal surface at low temperatures. As the temperature approaches 100 degrees Celsius, the additive undergoes chemical adsorption, which produces a bond far stronger than physical attraction of adsorption. At even higher temperatures, a polymeric or oligomeric film is formed. Under the high-speed collisions, common with boundary lubrication regimes, the thin boundary film is abraded and replaced by reserve additive. Thus, this maintains metal surface protection.
The most common anti-wear additives include ZDDP, tricresyl phosphate (TCP) and other phosphorus compounds. These additive materials form stable inorganic films (Zn phosphides, Fe phosphides, etc.) under boundary lubrication conditions. Environmental concerns have put pressure on the lubricant industry to reduce the amount of phosphorous and sulfur in lubricating and hydraulic fluids. One way to address this problem is to take advantage of the synergistic effect between ZDDP and organic molybdenum compounds that reduces the amount of ZDDP a lubricant requires.
Read more about "Machinery Oil Analysis – Methods, Automation & Benefits"
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