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.

Emulsion Tendencies of Lubricating Oils

Federal Test Method 3021.5 is intended for use in the determination of the emulsifying tendencies of lubricating oils. The test  consists  of  placing  40 ml each  of the  test  oil  and  of  either  distilled  water or  a one  per cent  salt solution in  a 100 ml graduated cylinder.  The  cylinder  is  then  placed in  a  bath  regulated to  either 130 0r  180 degree F and  the  contents  stirred with  a paddle  at  1500 rpm  for  5  minutes. Following this, while  still  maintaining  the  cylinder at  the  test  temperature , the time  required for  the  emulsion to  break  is  noted.

In  the  case  of  circulating  oils where  the  lubricant may  become  contaminated with   water, a firm emulsion  would  interfere  with  both  circulation and  lubrication. Therefore, under such  conditions  of  operation,  oils  which  show  little  tendency  to  emulsify  are  desirable.

Hand application of Gear Lubricants

Hand  application of gear lubricants, while often used on slow speed  exposed gearing, should  be discouraged because  there is  always  a certain  amount of hazard to  such a procedure, the amount  of lubricant used is indeterminate, and  the operation is wasteful of both time and lubricant. However, primarily because of the lower initial cost, open gears have considerable use. Also, both location of the gears and immediate economy, dictate hand application of lubricants to such gears. Consequently, some of the methods of hand application follow:

(1)    By paddle, when the lubricant is a heavy residual type or consists of a solid or stiff grease. Usually more of the lubricant than is necessary is applied and consequently the excess either   drops off or is thrown off into the surrounding area. This is not only wasteful but also contributes to poor housekeeping.

(2)    By hand in case the residual type is heavy enough. Such a product can be formed into a ball by hand and then dropped into the gear mesh where in time it is distributed.

(3)    By bags, made of plastic, most often polyethylene, which is filled with the gear lubricant. A filled bag is dropped between the gear teeth where eventually it is chewed to pieces by the gears and the lubricant is released. This makes a somewhat cleaner operation than the previous methods and the hands are not soiled while applying the lubricant. If a large opening is provided in a gear case, this method of application can sometimes be used for enclosed gears.

(4)    By pouring from a can, bucket, or any spouted container. Such applications are made at intervals and in case of gear oil is very heavy, it may require heating to reduce the consistency before applying. The lubricant is then poured in a fine stream into the teeth as the gears slowly revolve toward each  other. If the oil is applied relatively frequently in small amounts rather than at longer intervals in large amounts, there will be less chance of its being thrown off.

(5)    By hand spray at intervals, most often from “ AerosoI” containers. Such a package, which ordinarily holds up to a pound of a diluted gear compound, makes for ease of application and cleanliness because an excess of the lubricant is not applied. The gear compound is diluted with a non-inflammable solvent which evaporates rapidly after release from the container and leaves a viscous coating on the gear teeth. While the diluents present may be toxic, the amount released at one application is normally so small that it dissipates without harmful effects.