The effective management of the friction that the interacting surfaces within industrial equipment can generate should be a major priority for maintenance teams.
The proactive and skilful use of well-chosen spray lubricant, oils, greases, and other machinery maintenance supplies can go a long way to shielding components from unnecessary wear.
What Is ‘Friction’ In This Context, And Why Is It Such a Problem?
Friction happens when two surfaces move against each other. As far as industrial components such as bearings, gears, chains, slides, seals, and shafts are concerned, even “merely” microscopic levels of roughness can create resistance.
In the event of such resistance between two surfaces, heat can be generated, abrasive and adhesive wear accelerated, and energy consumed at a more rapid rate.
If such friction is left unchecked, its recurrence can gradually lead to scoring, pitting, fatigue, heightened vibration, and increased power demand, on a path to eventual equipment failure.
The poor management of friction, wear, and lubrication, then, doesn’t bring “just” short-term inconvenience or momentary spikes in energy use. That’s because an inadequate approach to these aspects can contribute to significant costs through lost productivity, premature component replacement, and unnecessary energy consumption.
The Link Between Friction and Industrial Machinery’s Longevity Being Compromised
Friction that is excessive or inadequately controlled can produce several detrimental impacts for organisations in a wide range of industries:
- Accelerated wear. Metal-to-metal contact has the effect of removing material over time. This has a knock-on impact for clearances and geometries, as well as (of course) the relevant components becoming degraded and needing to be replaced sooner.
- Heat buildup. As temperatures go up, lubricants can deteriorate, materials can soften, and thermal expansion or oxidation may occur. These effects can all be bad news for the longevity of the given components.
- Energy losses. When friction happens, a significant portion of the input power may be effectively wasted trying to overcome this, compared to if the contact between the two surfaces was non-existent or much smoother. This is power and energy that isn’t put towards doing useful work.
- Contamination and corrosion. The debris resulting from wear can circulate through the given machine or equipment. The presence of heat and moisture, meanwhile, may speed up chemical attack.
- Secondary damage. As parts become worn, the resulting vibration and misalignment can cascade into seals, housing, and connected systems.
The likely cumulative outcomes from “just” one or several of these factors are reduced mean time between failures (MTBF), more frequent unplanned downtime, and shorter overall equipment lifespan.
The Right Friction Management Approach Can Help Keep Machinery Running for Longer
The term “friction management” refers to the process of deliberately controlling these potentially notorious interfacial forces. This can be done through not only lubrication, but also other maintenance practices, as well as design choices, materials, and surface treatments.
Key approaches include:
Proper Lubrication
The application of lubricants creates a protective film that separates moving surfaces, thereby reducing direct contact. Modern greases and oils also carry away heat and contaminants, inhibit corrosion, and incorporate additives that form sacrificial layers on metal surfaces.
However, it is not the case that “just any old” lubricant will necessarily help bolster equipment lifespan. Maintenance personnel must take the necessary time and care to select the correct viscosity, base oil type (mineral, synthetic, or bio-based), and additive package for the operating temperature, load, speed, and environment.
The Correct Selection and Application of Maintenance Supplies
High-quality greases, oils, dry-film lubricants, anti-seize compounds, and related products can be very much regarded as the “front line” of friction control.
Both film strength and equipment longevity can be maximised when the most suitable product is chosen for a given application. Ovens, for example, typically need to be lubricated with high-temperature greases, while food-grade lubricants may be required for applications where incidental food contact is possible.
When oil analysis, vibration checks, and thermography are carried out as part of regular condition monitoring, this can allow for timely top-ups or changes before machinery damage has a chance to occur.
Complementary Measures
Responsible and effective friction management shouldn’t be overly dependent on lubrication alone.
Various further steps can be taken to limit wear, encompassing such proven measures as surface coatings, improved alignment, cleaner environments, appropriate seals, and low-friction materials (for example, certain polymers or self-lubricating bearings).
In some cases, there may be opportunities for substantial gains from design changes that minimise sliding contact or use rolling elements instead of sliding ones.
Conclusion: Friction Is a Reality, But Short Equipment Lifespan Isn’t Inevitable
For as long as moving machinery exists, friction will likely always be present. However, this doesn’t have to automatically mean short service lives or unacceptably high running costs.
Industrial operators treating friction management as a core element of maintenance strategy, and using the right lubricants, oils, and greases in relation to this, can help them keep their equipment running longer. In the process, greater efficiency and reliability can be delivered, too.
All this, in turn, can be instrumental in bringing about enhanced productivity, streamlined lifetime costs, and a more resilient overall operation at the given organisation’s site.
