Proper lubrication vital for optimal functioning of machinery, equipment

MUSCAT: With the onset of summer Eint Automotive, a division of Towell Group has explained how to get the best out of machinery. Eint is the sole distributor of the popular Gulf Lube in Oman. Gulf Lube has an extensive range of customised lubricating grease solutions.

When it comes to lubrication for any equipment or machinery, making sure that the grease being used is appropriate for the machinery is of primary importance. It is also important to check that the grease is within the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) recommendations and guidelines for the lube system and settings, to avoid any impact on warranties.

Factory-installed automatic lubrication systems (ALS) are designed to dispense the right amount of lubricant to all points on the machine, when it is needed. For optimal performance, however, the systems need to be correctly set up and monitored regularly.

When setting up, every point on the system needs to be physically checked, and the amount of lubricant being dispensed to each point noted. That information should then be measured against the OEM specification and setting to ensure the correct amount of grease is being dispensed relative to the metering device setting. If there is a discrepancy in output higher or lower than the specification, you may need to change out that injector.

Environmental factors will also affect how a system is set up and maintained. It might be that the OEM recommends a specific amount of grease to a point, but fine dust or really coarse or wet materials can wash the grease out of pins and bush joints. In that situation, it is advisable to adjust the amount of grease being applied, to ensure that those points are being adequately lubricated.

It is also important to schedule routine checks for wear, and carry out preventative maintenance. Just a day of working under stress with insufficient grease can cause significant damage and put the machine out of use, resulting in unnecessary down time and extra financial outlay.

There should be a fresh, uniform bead of grease around each of the inspection points, including the bottom seal on the swing bearing, boom foot pins, boom-tostick pins, stick-to-bucket and all other bushes and pins around the attachment. The performance of a machine can be greatly reduced if any of the injectors are underlubing and there is not enough products getting down to the pins. On the other hand, if the injectors are worn out and ‘bypassing’, or dispensing extra grease to every point, you will quite likely find that far more grease is being used than is necessary, and it’s all ending up on the ground. It is possible under the circumstances that a 600-tonne machine that should be using around 1.5 kilograms of grease an hour might in fact be consuming up to four kilos in the same amount of time.

There should be no need to change components such as boom foots pins or swing bearings during the life of the equipment, so long as: ‘The right product is being used’, ‘They are being lubricated correctly’, ‘The lubrication system is functioning properly’

A quick, regular audit has the potential to save considerable wastage and cost, especially if you have multiple heavy equipment and machineries working on site.