Meat Packing and Gear Lubrication

Most of the machinery in meat packing plants is subjected to moisture and thus the conditions are such that rusting occurs. For this  reason  gear  cases  should  be  tight  to  prevent  entry of water. Even so, the gear oils used should contain a rust inhibitor. Another  factor  to  consider  is that  the  temperatures  to  which  the  lubricant  is  exposed  will  be  below  normal. Therefore, low cold test oils should be employed. Gear reduction units found in most packing plants may consist of spur or worm gears. A number  of these  will be on  conveyors and in  general  an oil  of 300 to 500  viscosity  SUS  at 100 degree F  and  containing  both  oxidation and rust  inhibitors  should  be  used. For the worm drives a compounded oil of 125 to 150 SUS at 210 degree F is best. When making frankfurters or sausages, grinders and mixers are used. The grinder will probably be driven by a motor coupled to a herringbone gear. The  mixer may  consist  of a hopper  with  paddle  agitators which  are  driven  through a reduction  gear. In either case the 300 to 500 oil noted above may be used on the enclosed gears. A reservation should  be made  that if gear  reducers operate in a cold  room  where  the temperature  is near  or below  zero, it  will be best  to use  a low  pour  point oil  of 150 to 200 viscosity SUS  at 100 degree  F. Occasionally open  gears  will be  found  in packing  plants. If this is true, residual type oil having a viscosity of 500 to 1000 SUS at 210 degree F and containing a rust inhibitor should be used as needed.

Flour Milling and Gear Lubrication

Up to time grain enters the mills, conveyors are used for handling. These  may  take the  form  of screw,  bucket, ribbon or belt and  any  one of these  types can be  driven  by gear  reducers. A  turbine type of oil  having  a viscosity of 500 SUS  at 100 degree F,  that  is AGMA  No. 3 grade, can  be  used  throughout  these  gear  reducers. In  the  northern  states  this  oil  should  have  a pour point  of zero or lower. An  oil of this  viscosity  will not cause excessive  power   loss and  yet  it  will  protect the  moving  gear  teeth.

Gear motors may be used for some conveyors and blowers. The  same  type  and viscosity of oil  should  be  satisfactory  for the  bath  lubrication  of such  gears, especially  if bearings are  serviced from the same  source. Where the drives in gear motors run quite warm, an oil of about 750 viscosity SUS at 100 degree F or an AGMA No. 4, may be desired. If such motors have a plate showing the recommended viscosity of oil, this suggestion should be abided by.

A tight  housing  is  essential  in any  of the gear cases in flour mills, more  from  the  standpoint  of prevention of contamination  from dust  than  from  leakage. Since  the oil  level  in gear  cases  should  be  inspected  every  month  or  sixty days, care  should  be  exercised that  dust  does  not enter  when  the  filling  plug or cap is removed.

Open  gears  are not  used too  often  around  flour mills; but if  these  are  encountered, it  is wiser to use  a  light  oil  as the  lubricant  rather  than  a  residual type. This can be the same oil as suggested for use in conveyor gear reducers, that 500 viscosity SUS at 100 degree F. As  such an oil  becomes  mixed  with dust, the paste formed will  slump off rather  than pack  in  the  bottom  of gears; thus, misalignment should  not be a  problem.  

Flour mills  may  be  self contained, in that cleaning, tempering, grinding and  sifting may  all take  place  in one  enclosure, or the latter operation  may be  separated. Such machinery will vary, but often the rolls are driven by gears. Here again the turbine oil type 500 viscosity SUS at 100 degree F can be used. Machinery handling middlings or bran will be much the same as previously mentioned and if gearing is used, the same recommendation will hold.  

In the manufacture of corn meal or animal feeds the same type of processing and machinery will be found. Thus, conveyors  and screens  will have  similar  drives but the  crushing or milling  can be  by  rolls  or  discs. In any event the gear oil used can be the same type and grade as recommended for flour mills.

It will  be noted that  a simplified  lubrication  application for  reduction  gears  is suggested  in grain mills, that is, a  single  oil  throughout with one  exception. This  is in  gear motors and even here  the  sanction  of the motor manufacturer  might  be  obtained for use  of the  500 viscosity  oil.

Potato chip Production and gear lubrication

The production of  potato  chips illustrates  food  handling  where  the gears  concerned are so  located that  little  contamination from the  lubricant  is possible. Numerous conveyors will be found for the potatoes, the slices, or the packages. Most of the gear reducers  for  conveyors will  be  subjected  to  only  moderate   temperatures  and not too  much  stress. Hence, either  straight  mineral  oil  or  MP  lubricant  of SAE  80  grade  can be used  for  the gears.

 If  a batch  peeler is used,  this may consist of  a  vertical  cylinder with  a rotating  abrasive  disc in the  bottom  which  will  be  driven  by  gears. Also, in washing potato slices, a gear driven drum will probably be used. The gear oil mentioned above will also serve these latter applications.  

Carbonated Beverages and Gears

In preparing   beverages, gears are often used on meters to synchronize delivery of syrup and water to carbo coolers. Also on automatic   bottle cleaners, gears are used to rotate brushes both on the inside and outside of the bottle. These latter gears are often flooded with the detergent   solution used in washing and other lubrication is not permitted.

Conveyors, in such  establishments, when  driven  by  reduction gears,  can be  serviced  by  an  oil  of about  500  viscosity SUS at 100 degree F, if enclosed, or a residual  type  of about  2000 SUS at 210 degree F, if of the open  type.

Alcohol and Brewing Industries and Gear Lubrication

The raw material for either alcohol or beer is to a large extent, grain with lesser amounts of molasses or sugar. The use of speed reduction gears starts with the handling of the grain. This  may be  by  conveyors  of  various  types  which, if not  chain  driven, will  be driven  by gear  reducers. Often the grain will be screened before going into storage bins. The screens, which may be of the reel or shaker type, can be driven by gear reducers. A suitable  gear  oil  for  the  above  operations is one  of about  500 viscosity SUS at 100 degree F, equivalent  to  AGMA lubricant No.3.

In a  brewery  might be  found barley sieves  driven  with  open  gears, grading  screens  with similar drives, melting drums  likewise  driven  with  open  helical  gears, malt  grinders with  gear  driven  rolls, spent  grain presses  with  open  gearing, hop  extruding  machines  having  enclosed  gears,  beer  centrifuges  with  enclosed gears, etc. The  open  gearing  in the  above  applications  should be  lubricated  with  a  residual  oil  having a  viscosity of  about  2000 SUS at 210 degree F. This  should  be  applied sparingly  and if there is the  least possibility  of contamination  of  the  material  being  processed, a  shield  might  be installed  to  prevent  this. Enclosed gears can be  lubricated with well  refined oils of 200 to  500 SUS at 100  degree F. Centrifuges  should  use  the lower  viscosity  grade or  an  equivalent  to  AGMA  lubricant  No. 1 or 2.