Thread Content
The times are advancing, industry is developing rapidly, and the printing and dyeing sector is also growing at a fast pace. As the performance of printing and dyeing equipment improves, continuous production in factories requires the equipment to be stable and reliable, with long maintenance intervals. Therefore, high-quality high-temperature lubricants are one of the key factors in ensuring the efficient and stable operation of industrial equipment. High temperature, water, steam, acid and alkali corrosion, and high impact loads are the operating conditions faced by the chains in heat setting machines. In the face of these complex operating conditions, the performance of the high-temperature chain oil used is evaluated based on the following criteria: 1. Coking behavior. The amount of coking is an important indicator for assessing the quality of chain oil. Coking is a product of the high-temperature oxidation of chain oil; the presence of water and water vapor, acids and bases, as well as flocs, exacerbates the oxidation of chain oil and increases the amount of coking. When chain oil cokes, it adheres to the chain and guide rails, causing obstacles and dragging issues during the chain’s operation. Friction, impact loads, increased motor current lead to greater wear and fatigue of the chain, as well as energy waste; in severe cases, this can result in the chain skipping teeth, dragging, breaking, or even damage to the frequency converter and motor. Coking is inevitable; good chain oil has a stable chemical structure, produces little oily coke that can be removed, thereby extending the maintenance and coking-clearing intervals for the chain. 2. Volatility is another important indicator for assessing the quality of chain oil. Good chain oil should have as low evaporation as possible. Excessive evaporation of chain oil leads to increased fuel consumption and environmental pollution. It is worth noting that if the volatilization rate is too high and the exhaust fan fails to remove the vapors in time, no oil mist will form above the oven; however, after condensation, the oil mist will drip down and contaminate the fabric. The main reason for high fuel consumption in chains is the high volatility of the oil, which reduces the economic efficiency of chain lubricant. 3. Permeability. There are mainly four types of friction points in the operation of a chain: ① between the rollers inside the chain and the sleeves, between the sleeves and the pins, between the rollers and the inner link plates, and between the inner link plates and the outer link plates; ② between the rollers and the guide rails; ③ between the pin plates and the guide rails; ④ between the rollers, the inner link plates, and the sprockets. There is a slight gap between the inner and outer link plates of the chain, as well as between the rollers and the inner link plates; chain oil seeps into the friction surfaces between the sleeve and the pin, and between the rollers and the bushings through these gaps. Chain oil with poor permeability makes it difficult for the oil to reach the friction points, exacerbating chain wear and even causing binding, thereby shortening the chain’s service life. 4. Lubrication performance. It refers to the ability of chain oil to maintain an oil film at high temperatures; poor lubricity leads to increased friction in the chain, higher energy consumption, and greater wear. 5. Low-temperature performance. In winter, when equipment is restarted after being shut down for an extended period, if the viscosity of the chain oil is too high or it freezes, it can make it difficult to start the equipment, increase the preheating time, and even damage the inverter or motor. Therefore, the chain oil is required to maintain good fluidity at low temperatures. 6. Easy to clean. If the oil becomes too thin at high temperatures, and when the chain speed is very high, the oil on the chain and tracks can be splashed onto the fabric. Therefore, it is required that the viscosity of chain oil at high temperatures not be too low, and it must be easy to clean once it contaminates the fabric. Chongqing SKALN Lubricants Company specializes in the production of high-temperature chain oils, which are suitable for use in heat setting machines and stretching machines in the textile and printing industries; for chain drive systems in high-temperature drying ovens in the building materials industry; as well as for oven chains, bearings, and drying ovens in coating lines.