Just as a blood test can help a doctor better understand a patient’s illness and a water sample can help a biologist understand the health of a river, regularly conducting lubrication tests can help engineers, technicians and floor managers assess the health of a Falk gear reducer or other geared component.
Lubricants are crucial for reliable Falk gearbox operation. In complex mechanical systems, lube helps everything flow smoothly. But engineers also see lubrication as a sort of “canary in a coal mine,” in that it shows problems early on. For instance, if you notice lube contamination or an uptick in wear metals, chances are your system is poised to fail. Preventing failure is a top priority for all industrial workers, since downtime means lost money, wasted labor and expensive repairs.
Oil lubrication tests should be regularly conducted for all mechanical applications, regardless of whether they include brand-new or surplus gear reducers. Hydraulic systems, gearboxes and compressors should all have consistent oil samples taken.
The Proper Way to Take an Oil Sample
To avoid tainted samples, store lubrication sample containers in a clean environment where they won’t collect dust. Taking a sample while the system is running will provide the most accurate results. If this is not possible, try to take the sample as soon as possible after the equipment has been turned off.
The location where one takes a lubrication sample also matters. To accurately measure the system’s operating lubrication, take samples downstream of any oil filters. This ensures you are getting a reading of the lubrication conditions for critical components, including surplus gear reducers. There is an ideal sample location for each Falk gearbox and Falk gear reducer. Most surplus gear reducers and other gear-driven systems are designed to lubricate components through a splash method. Typically, a splash system draws from a pool of oil via a “dipper,” which scoops up oil and splashes it to lubricate all nearby parts.
In most circulation/gear systems, the sampling spigot will be located at a high flow point just after filtration. If for some reason the main sampling spigot is unavailable, you can take a sample from the return line or other safe sampling access points.
Once you’ve found your sampling location, it’s time to manually take the sample. First, remove the protective cap from the spigot. Then open the sampling valve, allowing about four ounces of oil to drain. (You will not use this portion in your sample. Draining this part removes any contaminants or stagnant lube that may have collected in the valve.) Here’s the tricky part: Don’t turn the valve off as you switch out the contaminant container for the sampling container. If your testing includes particle counts and you’re using standard sample bottles (instead of “super-clean” sample bottles), discard a couple of oil samples before taking your final selection. Remember to flush your container between samples. For both varieties of sampling bottles, the next step is to replace the sampling top, close the spigot valve and replace its shielding cap.
Recording sampling information is critical for accurate lubrication testing. Each model of Falk gearbox and Falk gear reducer has its own preferred lubrication settings, and taking regular lube data can help you anticipate and even prevent system failures. There are many system variables that can affect a reading. Incorporating noise and vibration data, system temperature and other operating information is crucial for accurate lubrication testing. Such system statistics help one precisely interpret sampling information. If you have any questions about the proper sampling procedure for a certain Falk gear reducer or Falk gearbox, contact the manufacturer.
What to Look For
Once your sample is ready, there are several aspects to consider as symptoms of a good or bad surplus gear reducer:
Viscosity. First, measure viscosity, or a liquid’s resistance to flow. Each gearbox manufacturer provides viscosity suggestions for its products. To minimize system wear, keep your viscosity within the recommended range.
Wear metals. The presence of wear metals is another thing to analyze in your oil sample. Metals show up in lubricant as gears wear down. Falk gearbox and other gearbox systems usually have gears made of lead, copper and iron – nickel, tin and aluminum are also possible, but less widespread. Most systems will show an iron spike upon installation – this sort of sample corresponds to a break-in period for the new gears. Keep sampling, and expect to see a drop in iron levels momentarily. What you want to look for going forward is increased levels in wear metal readings. For example, if you notice an unexpected increase in copper levels in your weekly or monthly sample, it’s possible that a copper component needs realignment or replacement. Again, each manufacturer of new and surplus gear reducers and gearboxes can provide detailed operation and metallurgy information on each of its products.
Regularly testing oil samples is one of the best ways to detect system inefficiencies and contaminants.
Posted under Machinery Maintenance on Wednesday, March 21st, 2012