Leak-resistant gear oil and areas of savings
A small puddle of oil fluid under your machinery component is a prevalent issue across every industrial sector which requires a gearbox component for its machinery operations. Gearboxes are machinery's most common transmission component, and a smoothly operating gearbox is essential for high operational efficiency.
Gearbox leakage is independent of the gearbox type (worm, helical, planetary, bevel-helical, and affects all gearboxes. Oil leaks in the gearbox can result in gearbox failure, which leads to safety incidents, increases operational costs, and wastes expensive oil. Gearbox oil and industrial lubricant spills can occur in various degrees due to several factors in the production and manufacturing process and different pressure and vibration at each touchpoint.
Primary contributing factors for gearbox oil leakages
1. Welding and casting box leakage
During welding, the welding box is stitched by the steel plate. If a clear gap through the steel plate is not visible, the oil leakage can be due to cracks in the surface. This condition is known as lubrication leakage due to the weld phenomenon. The casting box can also crack due to inevitable casting defects such as slag, shrink holes, or pores on the surface.
2. Box section
A loose sectional binding in the gearbox can create a gap in the weld through which lubricant can seep.
3. High-speed shaft of the reducer and oil leakage at a low shaft speed
High pressure, high temperature, and other factors can damage the shaft and not fit into the oil seal. As a result, the mechanical seal leaks gear oil.
4. Other factors
Other factors include leakage problems at the oil release site, oil distribution pipe leakage, and failure to tighten the fastener during gearbox maintenance.
Solution for gearbox oil leak problems
The only real and effective solution for a gear oil leakage problem is to stop further processing and repair the machine. If the oil continues to leak from the gearbox, it causes health and environmental concerns.
However, if the machine cannot be halted and repaired immediately, there are a few effective short-term solutions to the gear oil leakage problem. Lubricant manufacturers make compounds which can be mixed with the gear oil to plug the oil leak temporarily. These compounds form deposits when mixed with the oil at the point of leakage. Careful consideration and research are required before mixing compounds to ensure there are no unforeseen problems in the future.
Another quick fix to gear oil leakage is seal-enhancers. Seal enhancers are manufactured with synthetic bases, which cause the seal material to swell. These swells reduce leakage. When the machine is taken out for maintenance and repairs, the seal should be replaced, and the gearbox must be flushed to remove any traces of seal compound to minimise cross-compatibility.
Greasing is also another temporary solution to plug a gearbox leak. Grease has a lower flow characteristic than oil and does not leak quickly. Careful temperature monitoring is required when greasing, as grease does not dissipate heat as well as oil does.
Conclusion
The temporary solutions mentioned above must not be considered permanent solutions to the gear oil leakage issue but crutches until you can plan an effective maintenance routine. It is necessary to keep in mind that after adding anything other than lubricant to the machine, it is essential to flush out the entire system to remove any traces.
Castrol is a global leader in liquid engineering. Our leak-resistant gear compounds are specially formulated to help control leaks when repairs cannot be immediately performed to eliminate the cause of leakage. Our synthetic leak-resistant thickeners form a mat-like matrix at the point of flow to minimise oil flow.