February 11, 2004
    Today's Tip

  1. Greasing Gearbox Bearings

    Book Bits

  2. How Additives Work

    Lube-Trivia

  3. Testing Stored Lubricants

    Q & A

  4. Why Does Oil Analysis Data Vary?

Today's Tip : Greasing Gearbox Bearings

Does your gearbox have a sealed or a open input shaft bearing? This bearing is often above the gearbox oil level and must be greased if it is an open bearing. Manufacturers may ship the gearbox with a plug where the grease fitting is needed to prevent damage during shipping.

Also, the manufacturer may change the input shaft bearing design from open to sealed and back to open without notification. Small changes like no longer receiving an attached plastic bag with a grease fitting included with the replacement gearbox may be a clue to a change in design.

Always check the manual included with the new gearbox to see if lubrication needs have changed. (Submitted by Lanse Carpenter, Reliability Engineer, Celanese. Thanks Lanse!)

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Book Bits: How Additives Work

From "Lubricant Additives"

Some additives involve both physical and chemical processes. Oiliness additives, depending on their structure, can absorb on the surface to form films that reduce friction between moving surfaces. A polar head adsorbs onto the surface with the long slippery hydrocarbon chain exposed to the moving surfaces reducing the friction. They can also contain polar elements that adsorb and chemically react with the surface to form a protective film.

More information about the book "Lubricant Additives"

Lube-Trivia: Testing Stored Lubricants


Test your knowledge and prepare for ICML lubrication and oil analysis certification.

QUESTION: Why should stored oils be tested occasionally?

Get the answer here.
Q & A: Why Does Oil Analysis Data Vary?

"What will cause zinc levels in my oil to fluctuate?"

There are several reasons why zinc may be present in your oil samples. These include wear of zinc-containing alloys such as brass, zinc plating and galvanized surfaces; also zinc-containing additives, most notably zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP), a common antiwear and antioxidant additive.

The most common reason for fluctuating data is improper sampling. Sampling accuracy dependents on sampling from the correct location, using the same methods and procedures each and every time. If you do not have a good handle on the correct procedure, this would be the first place to start looking.

Other factors that may impact zinc concentrations include the addition of make-up oil (possibly the wrong oil), the method used by the lab to analyze the sample (this is particularly true if the data is being compared between different labs that may use different instruments) and changes in particle size if the source of the zinc is from active machine wear.

Mark Barnes, Director, Noria Reliability Solutions

Submit a question

Resources

 


FEBRUARY 2004

Machinery Lubrication I
18-19 León, Mexico

Oil Analysis I
11-13 Daegu, South Korea
23-24 Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom

Oil Analysis II
25-25 Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom

MARCH 2004

Contamination Control
9-11 Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom

Lubrication Excellence 2004
23-25 Nashville, Tennessee

Machinery Lubrication I
1-2 New Orleans, Louisiana
1-2 Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom

Machinery Lubrication II
3-4 New Orleans, Louisiana
3-4 Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom

Oil Analysis I
8-9 Bilbao, Spain
29-30 Sunninghill, Johannesburg, South Africa

Oil Analysis II
10-11 Bilbao, Spain
31- April 1 Sunninghill, Johannesburg, South Africa

Oil Analysis – The Complete Course
10-12 Bangkok, Thailand

APRIL 2004

Best Practices for Machinery Lubrication
5-7 Sunninghill, Johannesburg, South Africa
14-16 Daegu, South Korea

Machinery Lubrication I
14-15 Santiago, Chile
19-20 Miami, Florida
20-22 Gaborone, Botswana

Machinery Lubrication II
21-22 Miami, Florida

Oil Analysis I
5-6 Gaborone, Botswana
26-27 Tucumán, Argentina
27-29 Mexico City, Mexico
28-30 Sao Paulo, Brazil

Oil Analysis II
28-29 Tucumán, Argentina

Técnicas de Lubricación
30 Mexico City, Mexico

Entire training calendar | Course links

 

Lube-Tips is published by Noria Corporation, 1328 E. 43rd Court, Tulsa, OK 74105 USA.
The presence of advertising in Lube-Tips does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services in such ads. Further, because results will vary widely based on a number of factors, Noria Corporation cannot warrant the results, the accuracy or the completeness of any material published herein.

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