FB Chain believes that inefficient lubrication is one of the main reasons why conveyors don’t perform at their best, and it’s a common problem that the company’s engineers encounter during customer site visits.
To provide a simple and effective solution, the UK chain manufacturer and supplier has introduced RotaLube® – an automatic lubrication system that uses a pump and specially designed sprockets to reliably deliver the right amount of lubricant at the right time to the correct part of the chain.
“RotaLube® eliminates the hassle of manual roller and conveyor chain lubrication and ensures that the chain is always properly lubricated,” said David Chippendale, RotaLube® inventor and director of FB Chain.
Well-lubricated chains run smoothly, reducing noise and the energy required to drive them.The reduced friction also reduces wear on the chain and surrounding components, increasing uptime and service life.
In addition, automatic lubrication reduces the need for service technicians and eliminates the waste of over-lubrication.These benefits combine to save quarry operators time and money while reducing resource usage.
Since the RotaLube® was installed on the 12″ pitch chain of the recirculating reclaimer a few years ago, the system has reduced fuel consumption by up to 7,000 litres per year, which equates to an annual saving of almost £10,000 in lubricant costs alone .
Carefully controlled lubrication has also extended the life of the reclaimer chain, resulting in cost savings of £60,000 by the end of 2020.The entire system paid for itself in just two and a half months.
The RotaLube® replaced a centralized lubrication system installed in 1999 that dripped oil on the scraper chain every 20 minutes as it passed through four open pipes.A lot of oil is wasted when it is poured around the area, rather than concentrated where it is needed.Additionally, over-lubrication can cause dust to adhere to the scraper chain, resulting in wear and product contamination.
Instead, a custom steel sprocket with lubrication points was installed on the return end of the scraper chain.As the chain turns the gears, a drop of oil is now released directly to the pivot point on the chain link.
Customers went from having to replace a barrel of 208 liters of oil every 8 days to 21 days.In addition to reducing vehicle movement in the field, it also saves approximately 72 hours per year in barrel changes and 8 hours in unloading deliveries, freeing up assemblers and field operators for other work.
“We bring RotaLube® to market at a time when cement and concrete plant operators are increasingly interested in automating more processes – and we are delighted to see it help increase uptime, reduce costs and reduce environmental impact . sites across the UK and beyond,” Chippendale said.
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