Keeping machinery well lubricated is a critical step in ensuring equipment runs troublefree. But some lubrication points can be difficult to access. They’re either in spaces too tight for service staff to easily get to, or in a hazardous area. For these situations, engineers at SKF, with U.S. headquarters in Lansdale, Pa., have designed the System 24 LAGD 125, a single-point lubricator.
The battery-powered lubricator automatically sends grease to a lubrication point for one to 12 months, depending on the amount of grease and frequency of lubrication. It uses a gas generator to create an inert gas that pushes a piston down into the 4.25-fl-oz (125-ml) container of grease. The piston’s downward stroke forces out the grease.
Technicians set the dispensing rate by adjusting the electric current going from the battery to the gas generator. This is done using a simple dial mounted on top of the container.
Ambient temperature affects the dispensing rate. So if temperatures top 105°F, the unit runs twice as fast, and a 12-month setting will empty the container in six months. And at 15°F, the unit runs half as fast, so a six-month setting empties the container in 12 months.
If space is particularly tight, a smaller, 2-fl-oz (60-ml) LAGD60 container is available. Both versions can be mounted away from the lubrication point and use hoses to deliver the grease.