What Is Lubrication?
Lubrication is use of a material between surfaces to reduce friction. Any material used to reduce friction is called a lubricant.
Friction - is created when there is relative motion between two surfaces. Resistance to motion is defined as friction.
Reducing friction and reducing heat are only a couple of the reasons we use lubricants. If you look under a microscope at two surfaces moving across each other, you would see something that looks like two mountain ranges rubbing against one another.
As this happens, pieces of the weaker material break off and create smaller abrasive particles, resulting in more broken off pieces, which go on to create more abrasion. It’s a vicious cycle, and the way we prevent this from occurring is by creating a lubrication film. Two of the preferred and most common types of fluid related lubricant films are hydrodynamic and elasto hydrodynamic. Hydrodynamic films are present between sliding contacts. The most common example would be a journal bearing.
To understand what lubrication is, you first need to understand why we use it. Friction is the force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact. If friction didn’t exist, nothing would ever stop moving. We need friction to function, but there are instances where you want to be able to reduce the amount of friction present. When you rub your hands together, you create heat because of the friction between the sliding surfaces of your hands. Now imagine rubbing your hands together 3600 times a minute – your hands would be on fire! Similar heat is generated by friction in your machinery. If the lubricant in your equipment has not been appropriately selected with standard operating temperatures, load, speed, etc., in mind, catastrophic failure may result.
So a lubricant is a substance that reduces friction, heat, and wear when introduced as a film between solid surfaces. Using the correct lubricant helps maximize the life of your bearings and machinery, therefore saving money, time, and manpower, thus making operations more efficient and more reliable.
Function of Lubrication:-
Friction - is created when there is relative motion between two surfaces. Resistance to motion is defined as friction.
Reducing friction and reducing heat are only a couple of the reasons we use lubricants. If you look under a microscope at two surfaces moving across each other, you would see something that looks like two mountain ranges rubbing against one another.
As this happens, pieces of the weaker material break off and create smaller abrasive particles, resulting in more broken off pieces, which go on to create more abrasion. It’s a vicious cycle, and the way we prevent this from occurring is by creating a lubrication film. Two of the preferred and most common types of fluid related lubricant films are hydrodynamic and elasto hydrodynamic. Hydrodynamic films are present between sliding contacts. The most common example would be a journal bearing.
To understand what lubrication is, you first need to understand why we use it. Friction is the force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact. If friction didn’t exist, nothing would ever stop moving. We need friction to function, but there are instances where you want to be able to reduce the amount of friction present. When you rub your hands together, you create heat because of the friction between the sliding surfaces of your hands. Now imagine rubbing your hands together 3600 times a minute – your hands would be on fire! Similar heat is generated by friction in your machinery. If the lubricant in your equipment has not been appropriately selected with standard operating temperatures, load, speed, etc., in mind, catastrophic failure may result.
So a lubricant is a substance that reduces friction, heat, and wear when introduced as a film between solid surfaces. Using the correct lubricant helps maximize the life of your bearings and machinery, therefore saving money, time, and manpower, thus making operations more efficient and more reliable.
Function of Lubrication:-
- Lubricate - Reduce friction
- Cooling - Heat transfer
- Cleaning - Detergency
- Noise pollution - dampening
- Sealing – prevent leakage
- Protection – prevent wear
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