Periodic inspections help to ensure that your automatic lubricators are effective and working properly to meet your performance expectations. This is especially important after the initial installation. You may find that by injecting a small amount of fresh grease at regular intervals, you will need less amount than when manually lubricating with a grease gun. Inspection becomes even more important if the single-point lubricator will be exposed to an adverse environment.
Water– Exposure to direct sunlight, rain or snow, equipment wash-down or wet manufacturing environments can cause problems if the moisture gets into the internal electronics. Protective covers should be used. Water – Exposure to direct sunlight, rain or snow, equipment wash-down or wet manufacturing environments can cause problems if the moisture gets into the internal electronics. Protective covers should be used. |
|
High Temperatures– Elevated temperatures can cause the oil to separate from the thickeners in some greases. This separation can create a blockage in lube lines and in the bearings. |
|
Low Temperatures– The base-oil viscosity increases with exposure to colder temperatures. This reduces the flowability of grease and can cause a single-point lubricator, depending on the design, to dispense reduced volumes of lubricant or stop dispensing altogether. Be sure to know the operating temperature of the lubricator prior to installation. |
|
Vibration– Vibration can also cause the oil to separate from the thickeners and create blockages. In addition, high vibration can damage internal components in some single-point lubricators. |
|
Location– It is important that single-point lubricators and connected lube lines be installed in a protected area. Lube lines can become damaged, interrupting lubricant supply to the lube point. Lube lines can also work their way loose from a fitting if the connections are not secure, so they should be regularly checked. |
These inspections should be done by personnel who are familiar with the type, operation, and the check function of their lubricators.
When inspecting single-point lubricators in the field, here are some areas to check:
The recommended frequency of inspection is based on several factors, including:
Single-point lubricators have been widely used for years to reliably and economically lubricate industrial equipment all over the world. And technological advancements have made them more versatile and dependable than ever. Of course, the greatest risk in using them is failure to inspect them. So, the take-away here is that they should be inspected regularly just like any other piece of equipment.