Lubrication basic

From practical experience, we know that adding a lubricant to a solid-solid contact will significantly reduce friction. The reduced friction leads to less wear, heat generation and energy loss – all of which reduce operation costs and downtime. How lubricants provide these benefits will be explored in this course.

Many people believe that a lubricant is simply used to make things “slippery.” While it is the primary function, there are more advantages to using the right lubricant. In addition to friction reduction, it also reduces the amount of wear that occurs during operation, reduces operating temperatures, minimizes corrosion of metal surfaces, and assists in keeping contaminants out of the system. 

 

Lubricants have many properties that can be mixed and matched to meet your operating needs. For example, there are different chemicals that can be added to allow a machine to efficiently run at extreme temperatures. We can also make a lubricant more effective in protecting machine surfaces under extreme pressures. By looking at the demands of the machine, you can properly identify the type of lubricant best suited for its proper function.

The primary function of a lubricant is to provide protection for moving parts – thereby reducing friction and wear of the machine. Cooling and debris removal are the other important benefits provided by a fluid lubricant.