The contact surfaces of the parts in relative motion in the machine will produce friction and wear. According to statistics, more than 1/3 of the world's energy consumption is in friction loss. When the wear exceeds the allowable limit, it directly affects the normal operation and service life of the machine. Therefore, lubricants are added between the parts in relative motion to form a lubricating oil film to reduce friction and reduce wear. At the same time, it can also play the role of cooling, buffering, vibration absorption, and sealing.
In order to ensure the correct lubrication of mechanical parts, it is necessary to master the operating conditions of the mechanical equipment in detail, including the operating temperature, the load it bears, the operating speed, the structural material, the surrounding environment, etc., so as to select the type of lubricating grease to meet the use requirements.
When the machine is operating, how should we choose lubricating grease correctly and reasonably?
1. The operating temperature of the grease should be at least 20~30 degrees lower than its dropping point
When the operating temperature is high, grease with good antioxidant properties, small evaporation loss and high dropping point should be selected; when the operating temperature is low, grease with low starting torque and similar viscosity should be selected, such as grease with synthetic oil as the base oil.
2. The selected grease should be adapted to the speed of the lubricated friction pair
At high speed, a grease with a large cone penetration made of low-viscosity base oil should be selected; for grease used at low speed, a grease with a high cone penetration grade made of high-viscosity base oil should be selected.
3. The selected grease should be adapted to the load size
When the load is heavy, a grease with a high base oil viscosity and a high thickener content should be selected. When the load is particularly large, attention should be paid to selecting grease with extreme pressure additives or fillers (molybdenum disulfide, graphite); when the load is medium and low, a grease with a short fiber structure of No. 2 consistency soap and a medium viscosity base oil is generally selected.
Mechanical equipment lubrication is an effective way to reduce equipment wear, improve equipment operating efficiency, and save materials and energy. Construction machinery often operates under high temperature and high load conditions, with a harsh working environment and a relatively long construction period. Lubricating grease also has higher requirements under such conditions. Mechanical equipment must of course be maintained, not only machinery, but other mechanical equipment also need maintenance. The benefits brought to the company by maintained machinery and unmaintained machinery are obvious. Mechanical grease can increase the service life of machinery. All these benefits illustrate the great role of lubrication maintenance.
