After connecting with hundreds of clients in the machinery and industrial industries, Shanghai SGR Heavy Industry Machinery Co.,Ltd. found that the most important thing that customers are most concerned about after purchasing planetary gear reducers and worm gear reducers is: “In actual use, how to improve the service life of the planetary gear reducers ?”
planetary gear reducers
In fact, the service life of a planetary gear reducer and a worm gear reducer is not only related to the quality of the product itself, but also to the product use environment. Lubricating oil plays a vital role in planetary gear reducers, and it has a profound impact on the performance, life and reliability of the gear reducer.
So, what is the main role of lubricating oil in the planetary gear reducers? According to SGR’s many years of experience in connecting with clients, lubricating oil plays the following roles in gear reducers used in various fields of industry and general machinery:
(1) Reduce friction and wear
One of the most important functions of lubricating oil is to reduce friction between gears, bearings and other moving parts. lubricating oil forms a thin lubricating film that enables the contact surfaces between moving parts to slide more smoothly, thereby reducing friction losses and wear. This helps to improve the efficiency and performance of the gear reducer, reduce power consumption, and improve and extend the service life of the equipment.
(2) Cooling and heat dissipation
The planetary gear reducer generates heat during operation, and lubricating oil can help cool and dissipate heat to prevent the temperature from rising too quickly. By dispersing the heat into the lubricating oil, it can conduct heat between moving parts to prevent parts from overheating, thereby maintaining the normal operating temperature of the reducer. Lubricating oil can also prevent the temperature of parts from rising due to frictional heat, resulting in increased adhesive wear and corrosive wear, and even burning rubber seals or bearings.
(3) Reduce noise and vibration
Lubricating oil can reduce vibration and shock in gears and bearings, thereby reducing noise generation. This is particularly important for applications that require low-noise operation, such as office equipment and food processing machinery. By reducing mechanical vibrations, Lubricating oil can also reduce fatigue and damage risks of mechanical components.
(4) Prevent corrosion and oxidation
Lubricating oil can form a protective film to protect gears and other metal parts from moisture, corrosive chemicals and oxidation. This helps maintain the surface quality of the gear reducer and extend its service life.
(5) Improve efficiency
Lubricating oil can improve the efficiency of planetary gear reducers by reducing friction and energy losses. This is particularly important for industrial applications that require high efficiency, as energy efficiency directly affects costs and resource utilization.
(6) Enhance reliability and maintenance cycle
Good lubricating oil management can extend the maintenance cycle of the reducer and reduce downtime. It can prevent premature wear and failure of parts, improve the reliability of the reducer and reduce maintenance costs. At the same time, lubricating oil can effectively isolate moisture, oxygen and harmful media erosion in humid air, prevent leakage of internal media, and prevent water, dust and impurities from invading the friction pair.
In general, lubricating oil plays many important roles in planetary gear reducers and worm gear reducers. When SGR sells reducer products, they will recommend lubricating oil that match environmental conditions and working requirements to customers based on the load properties, size, gear material and operating speed of the planetary gear reducer products, so as to better protect the planetary gear reducers and worm gear reducers. (Author: SGR, Angie Zhang)