Industrial machines have various moving parts that need regular lubrication to prevent wear and damage. Historically, this requires regular inspection by maintenance personnel to maintain lubrication and smoothness. The automatic lubricator eliminated this work by regularly adding fresh grease to the machine, [big Clive] decided to see what made the machine work.
The unit can be set to deliver full load grease within 1-12 months.
The simplest models use only springs, which slowly extrude the grease over time. Changing the spring will change the distribution rate of grease. The chemical version also exists. Select chemical pills and insert them into the chamber containing the liquid, which will release gas over time. When the gas is released, it creates pressure that forces the plunger downward to distribute grease over time.
However, the highest grade model may be an electronic model with a dial on the back to select the grease delivery speed. Turning the dial changes the resistance connected to the two sealed zinc air batteries. Obviously, according to a patent [big Clive], when current passes through these batteries, they are excluded from oxygen, and these batteries will release hydrogen. Then push the plunger downward to distribute the grease. Turning the dial will change the resistance and thus the distribution rate of grease.
In order to save labor in industry, a variety of automatic lubricator designs have been produced, all of which are very simple and optimized for specific purposes. It shows how much can be achieved with several components and some creative thinking. One’s first impulse may be to find a timer or microcontroller to complete the work.
Lubrication is extremely important – don’t forget when manufacturing CNC machine tools! Video after break.