ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATIC LUBRICATION SYSTEMS IN MINING EQUIPMENT

December 1, 2016

Unprecedented productivity levels are realised when fine mining machines are invested with friction management features. Keep that fact firmly in mind, for we’re about to give it context by considering the advantages of automatic lubrication systems in mining equipment

ENDING THE MAINTENANCE BLUES

Machines break down. They age and wear, with their drive shafts and bearings taking on the burden of this aging effect. Maintenance routines help, obviously, but the extraction industry doesn’t exactly subscribe to standard upkeep methods. Not to worry, though, lubrication systems in mining equipment solve this maintenance conundrum by adding fluid-filled reservoirs to bearing housings. In doing so, these upkeep checks are reduced, for the machines have gained the ability to grease their own wheels.

SEALED HOUSINGS ISOLATE

Yes, maintenance calendars do enjoy a break when automated lubrication systems support them, but what other advantages does this lube assembly add to the mix? Well, lube systems also segregate the bearings by employing sealed housings. These housings contain the pump, reservoir, fluid bath, and all moving parts. In essence, the wide-lipped seal stops dust and other floating particulates from entering the drive parts.

THE COOL FACTOR

We’re not referring to the streamlined profiles of the latest equipment generation, not that mining equipment doesn’t incorporate some mighty attractive designs. Instead, this section is talking about an ability to absorb and then transfer thermal energy. Hopefully, the finely engineered rolling bearings are doing their job, but, if not, then any residual heat will be absorbed by the oil. From here, it’s distributed by the fluid and convected elsewhere so that the moving parts stay within their operational thermal limits.

UNIFIED LUBRICATING ARCHITECTURE

A single housing with this kind of semi-automated feature is a handy asset, but it still needs to be maintained. A circuit offers a more elegant solution. That’s exactly how lubricating networks operate, for they use hydraulic circuits to distribute oil to equipment throughout the mining facility. In this way, every moving part receives equal quantities of the lubricating agent. Pumps, reservoirs, and controller/injector mechanisms form the heart of this branching web of interlocking subsystems.

A fairly regulated lubrication solution uses manual labour and handheld greasing tools to maintain heavy-gauge mining decks. Meanwhile, the superior solution employs automated lubrication systems to properly ensure frictional events are minimised. As a bonus, that same solution also dissipates thermal energy and seals the bearings from the effects of inhospitable mining environments.

 

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