The best way of gear lubrication and oil level management
Gear lubrication is a crucial link in mechanical engineering. The correct lubrication method can not only promote the sliding between the tooth surfaces, reduce the coefficient of friction, but also effectively inhibit the temperature rise caused by rolling and sliding friction, thereby extending the service life of the gear and avoiding tooth surface wear and premature failure.
In the practice of gear lubrication, we commonly use three methods: grease lubrication, splash lubrication (oil bath method) and forced oil circulation lubrication. These three methods have their own characteristics, which one to choose, the key is the tangential speed or linear speed of the gear.
Low speed gears are usually lubricated with grease. The advantage of grease lubrication is its good adhesion and sealing, which can effectively prevent external impurities from entering the gear system and reduce gear wear. At the same time, the viscosity of the oil is high, and a stable lubricating film can be formed on the surface of the gear to play a good lubricating effect. However, the shortcomings of grease lubrication are also obvious, its heat dissipation performance is poor, for high-speed gear may be due to the heat generated by friction can not be dissipated in time, resulting in a rise in temperature.
For medium and high speed gears, splash lubrication and forced oil circulation lubrication are more suitable. Splash lubrication Lubricates the gear surface by splashing the lubricating oil driven by the gear during operation. This method is simple and convenient, and is suitable for closed gear box. However, the lubrication effect of splash lubrication is affected by the gear speed and the amount of oil, if the gear speed is too high or the amount of oil is insufficient, the lubrication effect will be greatly reduced.
The forced oil circulation lubrication is forced to transport the lubricating oil to the gear surface through the oil pump, which has the characteristics of good lubrication effect and excellent heat dissipation performance. This type of lubrication is suitable for high-speed, heavy-duty gear systems. However, forced oil circulation lubrication requires specialized lubrication systems and equipment, which has high cost and maintenance requirements.
It is important to note that although there are guidelines for the best way to lubricate, in practical applications, we also need to consider the specific conditions and maintenance needs. For example, some equipment may require grease lubrication even at high speeds due to space constraints or ease of maintenance.
In addition, the management of oil level is also an important part of gear lubrication. Too high or too low oil level will affect the lubrication effect. High oil level may cause excessive resistance during gear operation and increase energy consumption; However, too low oil level may cause the gear to be inadequately lubricated and increase wear. Therefore, we need to check and adjust the oil level regularly to ensure that it is within the appropriate range.
To sum up, the best way of gear lubrication and oil level management needs to consider various factors such as gear speed, load, working environment and maintenance needs. Only on the basis of a comprehensive understanding of these factors can we choose the most suitable lubrication method and effectively manage the oil level, thus ensuring the normal operation of the gear and extending the service life.
