Despite the millions of dollars companies invest in new equipment every year; still, the equipment keeps breaking down. Today, when you look at the top reasons for equipment downtime in the industrial environment, bearing failure comes first. Often time, bearing failure is as a result of improper greasing.
Improper greasing occurs as a result of several actions. Some of the notable actions include the following:
- When the grease is contaminated by dust
- Failure to apply adequate grease to the bearing
- When too much grease is applied to the bearing
- Dirt and moisture across the bearing
Whenever there is a bearing failure, it has direct impacts on the crane’s operation. Although bearings replacement can be costly, when you look at how much it would cost you to get the affected bearing replaced, it is very small when compared to how much you would lose as a result of operational downtime and the cost of repairing the damage.
Looking at how advanced technology is today, you may want to know why companies are still facing the problem of improper lubrication. Well, there are still a lot of bearing failures as a result of improper greasing because a lot of companies still carry out bearings greasing manually.
What a lot of companies have failed to realize is that manual greasing can be difficult, irrespective of having a schedule in place, or having diligent and dedicated maintenance personnel. When you look at it, employees are expected to manage several responsibilities in an environment that requires timely execution of tasks or duties at least cost with greater efficiency. Under this kind of condition, proper greasing of equipment may not be considered or seen as a priority.
Benefits of using auto creasing system
Irrespective of the type of cranes, every bearing needs to be greased properly. Without proper greasing, it will lead to high, yet preventable operating cost. Some of the costs that could result from improper greasing are bearings replacement, labor for bearings repair or replacements, excess grease and labor for wasteful manual application, operation downtime, and extra energy consumption.
While a lot of companies make use of grease guns and manual lubrication when it comes to maintenance operations, although it seems to do what is required, you can’t compare the benefits to what you stand to gain when you make use of the automated greasing system in terms of energy, productivity, service life, and personnel safety. When you make use of the auto greasing system, it eradicates bearing failure by ensuring that a sufficient amount of fresh and clean grease goes to the right place at the appropriate time.
While the manual greasing process requires maintenance personnel to grease at a scheduled period, which can be daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly, instead of when the bearing really needs to be greased, the automated greasing system ensures the bearing gets greased or lubricated regularly, at the right amount that ensures it works at its full capacity. One top advantage of having the bearing greased properly is that it prevent contaminants from entering the bearing. Once there is proper greasing, it keeps contaminants away, and it allows the crane to attain top performance.
Ifaistus automatic greasing system ensures the right amount of grease is delivered to the appropriate place at the appropriate time without experiencing downtime- while the equipment is still in use. This eradicates the issue of overgreasing and undergreasing, which are major reasons for bearing failure.
Also, all the places that can’t be greased manually as a result of distance (difficult to access), automatic greasing system services those places with ease.