Five factors affecting gear lubrication
author: Leila
2024-12-12
1. Temperature: When the temperature drops, the lubricant will become thicker. When the temperature rises, it will become thinner. Therefore, low-viscosity lubricants are needed under low temperature conditions, while heavy oils are needed under high temperature conditions to prevent dry friction between metals.
2. Speed: The faster the sliding and rotating speed, the less time the lubricant has to squeeze in between the gears. At the same time, lubricants are more likely to clump and thicken under high-speed operation. Therefore: high viscosity (thick oil) is used at low speeds, and low viscosity oil (thin oil) is used at high speeds.
3. Load (pressure): High-viscosity oil can withstand heavy loads better than thin oils and prevent metal-to-metal collisions. Therefore: light loads require low-viscosity lubricants, and high loads require high-viscosity lubricants.
4. Impact load: For example, the rhythmic force generated by the engine requires relatively heavy oil to prevent boundary lubrication caused by the instantaneous fragmentation of the oil film, because only a small amount of lubricant can be left. In this case, a lubricant containing extreme pressure additives (EP) is required.
5. Gear type: When using spur, helical, herringbone and bevel gear pairs, sliding and rotation will produce effective oil film formation to slow down the direct contact between meshing gear teeth. On non-equal shaft transmission devices such as turbine worms and hypoid gears, the direction of relative sliding operation is not conducive to maintaining oil film. In these transmission devices, boundary lubrication often occurs in large quantities. Therefore, still heavy oil is required on turbine worm devices and large eccentric hypoid gear transmission devices. When these transmission devices are subject to heavy loads and high pressures, it is necessary to select lubricants with high oil film properties (high viscosity), smoothness, lubricity or even extreme pressure additives.
2. Speed: The faster the sliding and rotating speed, the less time the lubricant has to squeeze in between the gears. At the same time, lubricants are more likely to clump and thicken under high-speed operation. Therefore: high viscosity (thick oil) is used at low speeds, and low viscosity oil (thin oil) is used at high speeds.
3. Load (pressure): High-viscosity oil can withstand heavy loads better than thin oils and prevent metal-to-metal collisions. Therefore: light loads require low-viscosity lubricants, and high loads require high-viscosity lubricants.
4. Impact load: For example, the rhythmic force generated by the engine requires relatively heavy oil to prevent boundary lubrication caused by the instantaneous fragmentation of the oil film, because only a small amount of lubricant can be left. In this case, a lubricant containing extreme pressure additives (EP) is required.
5. Gear type: When using spur, helical, herringbone and bevel gear pairs, sliding and rotation will produce effective oil film formation to slow down the direct contact between meshing gear teeth. On non-equal shaft transmission devices such as turbine worms and hypoid gears, the direction of relative sliding operation is not conducive to maintaining oil film. In these transmission devices, boundary lubrication often occurs in large quantities. Therefore, still heavy oil is required on turbine worm devices and large eccentric hypoid gear transmission devices. When these transmission devices are subject to heavy loads and high pressures, it is necessary to select lubricants with high oil film properties (high viscosity), smoothness, lubricity or even extreme pressure additives.
Why should we pay special attention to viscosity when choosing lubricating oil in winter?
How to maintain the quality of lubricating oil
