CHAIN DRIVE LUBRICATION

[Prime9.9]

Hi all,

Is it ok to use grease on my chain drive,rather than using gear oil.

Thanks.

 

[MikeHalloran]

In general, no.

Your wording suggests that oil is recommended by the drive supplier or manufacturer.
You didn't tell us what the chain drives, so we can't guess what the service conditions might be.
I'd also guess that whatever documentation you got for the chain drive specifies the type and possibly the brand of oil to use. Especially if a warranty is at risk, use that.

If the recommended oil is not satisfactory to you, please explain why, and tell us a LOT more about the chain drive and what it's in.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[romke]

how do you think to get the grease to the spots where lubrication is needed (rollers, pins etc)? generally speaking lubricating a chain is not usually a success.

 

[Prime9.9]

It's chain drive for cabin part of a passenger boarding bridge and its continuously exposed to ambient conditions dust,sand as it is in middle east.

 

[3DDave]

I would look at chains that have o-ring seals and are permanently lubricated. Grease will tend to trap dust and sand and wick out the oil that does the lubrication. I have seen people suggest lubricating chain by submersion in paraffin wax, but I would not use that on a large chain.

 

[Tmoose]

Are you the manufacturer or the user ?

 

[Prime9.9]

I am the user

 

[MikeHalloran]

Some photos might help us to understand the application conditions.

For instance:
Is this the chain that drives the bogie wheels that move the tip of the skybridge?
Or is it the chain that swivels the bogie?
Or is the chain that extends/retracts the bridge extension?
I think I have seen roller chains in all those applications on various skybridges.

Skybridges are an odd market; there was a huge buildout, complete saturation, then all the suppliers, AFAIK, disappeared because the market was gone. Or maybe there are a few skinny survivors. If so, they might be able to help.

As far as protecting chain drives from dust, there are a few solutions from the motorcycle industry.
I think you can find spray-on lube that wicks into the spaces where it needs to be, then runs off or dries in place.

For chains that run between two fixed pulleys, it's possible to fit tubes or gaiters over the chain runs and housings around the sprockets. This has been used on a few high-end motorcycles, and provides improved durability, especially with an oil bath, but adds weight, which you probably don't care about.

It may be possible to fit an open-bottom shield, which will protect the chain from falling dust, but only partially from wind-driven dust.

If you have cheapish labor, you might consider hosing down the chains regularly with some sort of lubricant and wiping off the excess. You have to do it fairly often, and it's likely to make a mess on the apron, even with groundcloths spread before every application, and you generate a waste stream of oily wipes and spotted groundcloths.

If your skybridge once had guards around the chains that were removed because of damage or wear, replace them. If you need to fabricate replacements, you have an opportunity to make them better, or less awful.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Cam06]

I would not use grease, since it will be more prone to attract dirt and debris, which could shorten the lifespan of the chain.

 

[BrianPetersen]

My experience with motorcycle drive chains has been that the best lubricant is oil. It flings off and makes a mess ... but it carries a good amount of the dust and dirt along with it when it does. The chain lubes that brag about not flinging off, or call themselves "wax", attract the dirt and it remains stuck to the chain until you clean the chain with a suitable solvent ... which is an even messier job than just lubricating the chain with oil and letting it fling off.

Motorcycle drive chains have links that are sealed with O-rings (or X-rings). Standard commercial (cheap) chains don't have these seals. They make an enormous difference (factor of 10 or more) in the life of the chain. The actual lubricant for the pins is sealed inside. The lubricant that you apply, just lubricates the outside of the chain where it meshes with the sprockets.

 

[Strong]

Chain Lubrication Best Practices for Drives and Conveyors

From <

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/316/chains-drives-lubricants>

Walt

 

[Tmoose]

Prime 9.9 has not been back since March 8. Maybe he decided what to do based on earlier posts, or what his brother-in-law recommended. Or read the wonder's manual. Or couldn't be bothered with providing any useful information.

 

[BrianPetersen]

Link above didn't work, try

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/316/chains-drives-lubricants