Analysis of the causes of oil seepage and leakage in mechanical equipment and solutions

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Oil seepage and leakage from equipment not only constitutes a waste of resources, but is also a major reason why environmental hygiene cannot be thoroughly maintained; in severe cases, it can even disrupt normal production. This article analyzes the causes of oil seepage and leakage in equipment and proposes solutions. 1. Unreasonable design and selection lead to oil seal failure and oil leakage. The operating environments of various equipment differ, and so do the types of lubricating oils used; the chemical components contained in these oils also vary. The chemical composition of the oil to be used was not considered during design and manufacturing; ordinary materials were used to make the oil seal. After installation and use, this oil seal fails quickly under chemical corrosion, resulting in oil leakage; replacing it is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. When maintaining equipment, the operating environment and lubricant used must be taken into full consideration, and appropriate oil seals should be selected for replacement in order to extend its service life. 2. Oil leakage caused by low manufacturing precision or improper maintenance. When machining or maintaining shaft components, attention is usually given to the bearing installation areas, while the machining of the oil seal installation sites is often neglected; rough machining or improper maintenance in these areas can lead to local damage. When the equipment is in operation, issues with the main body cause the oil seal lip to deteriorate rapidly, resulting in oil leakage. Therefore, during processing or maintenance, strict control must be exercised over the precision and surface roughness of the area where the oil seal is located; ensuring high quality in this area is essential to maintain the long-term effective operation of the oil seal. 3. The exhaust cap is not configured properly, resulting in positive pressure of gas inside the oil tank or equipment compartment. This issue is mainly caused by inadequate design and manufacturing; during operation, friction generates heat, which raises the temperature and causes the molecules in the lubricating oil to vaporize. If the gas is not removed from the oil tank or housing in a timely and proper manner, positive pressure will be generated, leading to oil leakage from the weak points in the seal. Generally, an exhaust cap is installed on top of the device. However, due to unreasonable selection and calculation of temperature during design, the exhaust cap failed to discharge all the generated gas from the chamber in a timely manner, resulting in a positive pressure inside the chamber. The solution is to enlarge the exhaust holes on the exhaust cap, so that the positive pressure gas can be discharged promptly and properly. Another scenario is that the lubricating oil leaks out through the exhaust cap along with the gas. In this case, the conduit of the exhaust cap needs to be lengthened so that the oil-gas mixture can be fully cooled before the lubricating oil returns to the tank, rather than being discharged along with the gas. 4. The design of the oil return hole on the bearing cover is unreasonable. For devices that use oil for lubrication, designers consider ways to supply sufficient lubricating oil to the bearings in order to ensure proper lubrication, but they do not give enough thought to how the lubricating oil should return to the oil tank housing. The oil used to lubricate the bearings does not return to the oil tank housing in a timely manner; it accumulates in the space between the bearings and the cover, and seeps out through the seal as the shaft rotates. The solution is to enlarge the oil return holes and provide appropriate oil guide channels, so as to return the oil to the tank housing in a timely and proper manner. 5. Oil leakage caused by improper configuration of inlet and outlet pipes. In devices that use circulating oil for lubrication, the supply pipes are generally smaller, while the return pipes are larger. The return oil pipeline must have a certain downward slope during installation, with as few bends as possible. Otherwise, the return of oil will be impaired, and excessive oil accumulation at the lubrication points will create positive pressure, leading to oil seepage or leakage. 6. Improper operation leading to oil leakage: For equipment equipped with a lubricating oil station, proper operation requires heating the lubricating oil to a certain temperature before starting the oil pump for lubrication. This is particularly important in cold northern regions during winter. The viscosity of lubricating oil increases as the temperature drops, resulting in reduced fluidity. If the oil pump is started at this time to provide lubrication, the oil supply pressure increases, which can lead to oil leakage ； Second is damage to the oil seal ； Third is damage to the fuel supply equipment. In cold regions in the north, it is best to heat and insulate the oil supply and return pipes to ensure smooth oil flow. 7. Failure of the static seal between the upper and lower casings. Generally, there are two reasons for this: ① During assembly or maintenance, local damage occurs to the mating surfaces of the casings or to the gasket. ②The gasket had been in use for too long; it appeared to be in good condition during maintenance, so no replacement was carried out, resulting in a failure in sealing. The solution is to disassemble the equipment, identify the existing problems, repair them, and reseal it. 8. Oil leakage at the oil pipe connections. This problem is usually caused by the oil pipes not being secured properly; the vibrations generated during equipment operation cause the connections to loosen. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that in most cases, the oil return pipes are installed close to the ground. It is essential to reinforce and protect them to prevent people from stepping on them, which could lead to oil leaks. The above are eight main aspects; there are also some other issues, most of which are interrelated, merely expressed in different forms. As long as each equipment management specialist carefully analyzes different situations and takes appropriate measures, the problems of oil seepage and leakage in the equipment can be resolved.