Conveyor Lubrication Systems
SKF Dry Lubrication Systems for Conveyors
Applications
SKF Dry Lubrication systems for conveyors practically eliminate the use of water-soluble lubricants. These systems have been developed to lubricate the belt surfaces as well as the guides of plastic conveyors used in bottling and packaging, using special lubricants.
The adjusted amount of lubricant is applied to the belt surface with the lubricating plate in contact with the conveyor chain. At the same time, the appropriate amount of lubricant is fed directly to the conveyor guides by the same lubrication unit. The quantity of lubricant is in no way affected by possible viscosity changes, lube line length or number of lube points.
SKF Dry Lubrication Systems are used in filling lines in the beverage industry, plastic bottles, and various sectors of the food industry, such as:
* Dairy farms
* Fruit juice, sauce and liquid food production
* Drinking water facilities
* Beverages (soda, beer, etc.)
In addition to these sectors:
* Cleaning products
* Cosmetic industry
* Pharmaceutical products
Specifications
* Lower slip resistance
* Decrease in chain wear
* Cleanliness and safety
* Dry environment, no water
* Lower metal corrosion
* No packaging damage is observed on the products in the waiting area.
* No frictional noise or "stick-slip" "stick-slip" effect
* No bacteria growth
* Comply with environmental regulations
* Approved for use with food
Problems in the conveyor lines Due to the speed difference between the filling machine and the packaging machine or the damage of one of them, the product flow in the line may slow down, the products may fall off the line and accumulate at the end of the line. At the same time, the guides continue to support the belt conveyor with constant friction. If the friction between the conveyor belt and the product is too high (no lubrication), the packaging bases (especially cardboard ones) may be damaged. In this case, more power is needed to continue the movement, which can cause belt damage.
A lubrication system allows a constant and suitable friction coefficient to be obtained. This system can be adapted to any belt conveyor type production line.
Too much friction (insufficient sliding motion) leads to the following consequences:
* Damage to product packaging (especially cardboard ones)
* More power requirement for belt movement (motor draws excessive current, too much belt tension)
* The probability of the product falling off the line increases during direction changes
* Increased wear on belt surfaces and guides
- If there is not enough friction, the products slide too much on the belt and their transportation on the line becomes very difficult (product flow may slow down or even stop completely)
Disadvantages of lubricating with water + soap
Currently, some lubrication systems operating on the basis of water + soap spraying are used. With these systems, it is not possible to precisely adjust the amount of lubricant applied to the belt (usually more than necessary) and also the use of water in these lines causes many problems:
* Bacterial and organic growth
* Excessive water consumption and high cost of wastewater treatment
* Foaming
* Corrosion
* Slippery floors
* Damaged packages
Dry lubrication
Dry lubrication systems have been specially developed for the lubrication of conveyor surfaces and guides with a suitable lubricant. These systems replace conventional water lubrication due to the superior performance of PTFE based lubricant suitable for food industry. If the amount is correctly adjusted, the lubricant leaves a dry coating mark on the band and / or guides. The purpose of dry lubrication systems is to continuously apply the lubricant from a central unit that feeds many lubrication points to the correct friction zones (belts or guides) in an automatic and precisely adjusted volume.
Application of Lubricant
* Conveyor belt surface lubrication: Very low quantities of regulated oil are fed intermittently by a reciprocating system to a series of lubricating plates in contact with the conveyor chain. As long as the unit is running, the lubricating plates deliver a lubricant film on the chain.
* Lubrication of the guides: The same lubricant system connected to the central unit supplies the set amount of lubricant to the guides through the piping channel connected to the connectors in the guides.
SKF Dry Lubrication Systems for Conveyors
Lubricating the Chain Surface
Reciprocating distributors with adjustable lubricant amount can be used to lubricate chain surfaces. These intermittently supply the set amount of lubricant via an additional pipeline to the lube plates located in the lower part of the rotation row. The chain surfaces sliding on the lubricating plate will be automatically coated with lubricant.
Lubricating the Chain Guides
Preset piston distributors can be used to lubricate chain guides. They supply the intermittently adjusted amount of lubricant to the guides through a pipe channel connected to the lubrication holes on the chain guides.
