Contaminant filtering and moisture control of breathers can be avoided by using a bladder reservoir on the breather outlet. Charging the bladder and gearbox chamber with dry nitrogen removes air moisture contained in the chamber and bladder when closed. As the air or dry gas in the gear chamber heats and expands, it flows into the bladder. When it cools, it draws back into the gearbox chamber.

Generally, the amount of expansion of air/dry gas in gearbox chambers is small in comparison to the total volume of air/dry gas in the chamber. Therefore, the bladder does not have to be large in comparison to the chamber volume. If the bladder is flat or limp when the gearbox is cold, the expansion may be observed as the gearbox heats as it is operated. If the bladder does not inflate to rigidity when the gearbox is at its highest temperature, then it is large enough. A relief valve is recommended for situations of over- or underpressurization.

- Al Grayson, proprietor, Al Grayson Mobile RV Service

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From the book Conference Proceedings, Lubrication Excellence 2006 Most industrial maintenance organizations depend upon a casual system of work method management based largely on "tribal knowledge" that is passed from one generation of technicians to the next. When asked why a task is performed or why it's performed in a particular way, the most common response is "that's the way we've always done it." This is a risky proposition for several reasons.

The selected tasks, intervals and methods may not align with the organization's objectives or effectively manage failure modes, mechanisms and causes. Perhaps most concerning is the fact that a great deal of the plant's intellectual property resides unsecured in the heads of the maintenance technicians, meaning it could walk out at any time. This phenomenon is referred to as corporate amnesia, whereby the organization actually forgets how to run its business due to planned or unplanned staff losses or changes.

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The majority of chains used in industry suffer unnecessarily short lives. This leads many companies to forego chains all together and replace them with belts. In most cases, however, the problem is not the fault of the chains but rather the method in which they are lubricated.

The current chain lubrication practice consists of applying a heavy oil or grease to the outside of the chain. While this does a nice job of lubricating the sprockets and the outside of the chain, it does little to protect the most vulnerable area of the chain: the contacting surfaces inside the pin and bushing/ plate/ roller/ hook.

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