The life of a Falk drive is only as good as the lubricant you use to keep it running properly. When you’re dealing with large volumes of lubricant, as many industrial power transmission equipment users do, it’s easy to damage your equipment productivity and reliability by using lube that has been improperly stored or handled.
To maximize the ROI of your power transmission equipment, follow these best practices for storing your Falk drive lubricant:
1. Prevent contamination.
Dirt and other particles can easily contaminate greases and oils, reducing the lubricant’s performance. To prevent contamination during the storage and handling process, store lubricants in a dedicated indoor lube room with a cool, dry climate and minimal airborne debris. Keep containers tightly covered, and wipe off the edges of each container before opening to prevent the introduction of dirt.
2. First in, first out.
The shelf life of your oil or grease is another important factor in properly lubricating a Falk gear drive. Pay close attention to the recommended shelf life of all lubricants, and implement a handling system that facilitates a “first in, first out” policy to use the oldest products first and the newest last. This will help ensure your Falk drive lubricants don’t exceed their shelf life.
3. Label carefully.
Cross contamination of lubricants, or mixing two lubricants together, can have disastrous results on a Falk gearbox. The type of labeling system you use – color coding, alphanumeric or a combination of the two – doesn’t matter; the important thing is to have one at all. Be consistent, and choose a system that is easy to read. An ideal labeling system will focus on matching stored lubricants with the power transmission products in which they are used.
Any mechanic knows the importance of lube, so it stands to reason that proper storage and handling of lubricants should be a priority in extending the life of your Falk gearbox.
Posted under Machinery Maintenance on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011