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03
Installation
Operator’s Manual 2010 Rev B p/n 2010
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
REGARDING LUBRICATION
What are the perceived modes of failure when
blowers are run beyond the specified duty cycles?
Several things are happening as the lubricant goes
through the unit. First, it is absorbing frictional
energy in the form of heat. This heat has to be
dissipated through either surface contact with
cooler materials or in a volume of lubricant. While
reducing the friction, the lubricant is also going
through a shearing process and the molecular
structure is broken down.
The result is that the lubricant will begin to thicken
because of the shorter molecular chains and the
drop out of additive packages. The thickened
lubricant will cause more drag, increasing the
friction and heat and further degrading the
lubricant.
Operation of the blower (environment, run time,
speed, and pressure) has a direct effect on duty
cycles. The published cycles are based on worst-
case conditions.
What is the functional detriment if the “wrong oil” is
used?
The lubricant is selected based on bearing
speed, gear speed, and operating temperature.
If the lubricant is too light, it increases wear by
not separating the sliding surfaces and it will not
remove the heat adequately. If the lubricant is too
thick, the drag in the bearings is increased, causing
them to run hotter. Thicker lubricant will not flow
as readily into the gears and it will reduce the
available backlash. Lubricants at our conditions are
incompressible.
What is the functional detriment if the oil is not
serviced?
If the lubricant is not serviced at the proper
interval, the shearing action in the bearing and the
gears will begin to take its toll and the lubricant
will thicken. The blower will run hotter and the
wear on moving parts will increase. The lubricant
will generally appear dirtier, caused by material
rubbing off the components. The lubricant will
discolor because of overheating. An indicator of the
breakdown of a lubricant is the increase in the Total
Acid Number (TAN) and a change of 10 percent in
the base viscosity.
Summary of Contents for 3200
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