Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/756816
44 | November - December 2016 | www.machinerylubrication.com n some applications, it is nearly impossible for oil to remain fluid at all ambient temperatures. In these situa- tions, the use of an oil heater is recommended. However, there are several things that must be considered before a heater is applied or even selected. In some cases, these devices can be counter productive for your machines as well as your lubricants. Why Utilize Oil Heaters? There are several reasons why you may wish to utilize a lube oil heater for your systems. For instance, if your machine has splash-lubricated components, it will be important for the oil to remain fluid, as it will require a certain amount of fluidity for the oil to splash and lubricate the various parts inside the compartment. As the oil's viscosity increases at colder temperatures, this splashing action is minimized and can result in premature machine wear. Other lubrication systems utilize circulating oil. In this type of system, if the viscosity becomes too high, the oil may not properly flow through piping or may not even get pumped to lubricate the different parts inside the equipment's lubrication circuit. In both of these cases, it is beneficial for the oil to remain fluid enough to do its required work inside the equipment. The Importance of Oil Viscosity Viscosity is one of the first properties to consider when choosing a lubricant. You must select the proper viscosity in order to have an adequate lubricating film at the operating tempera- ture. If a piece of equipment will operate in a very cold environment and the operating temperature is also low, you can help maintain the oil's fluidity by using a lower viscosity grade that is more in line with the ambient temperature. To ensure the lubricant will provide an appropriate lubricating film at all in-service temperatures, you must also keep the viscosity index in mind as well. The viscosity index is a measure of how much the viscosity changes within a given temperature range. The higher the viscosity index, the less the viscosity will change over that range in temperature. Depending on how great the temperature change is, the viscosity index can help determine whether a lube oil heater I V i s c o s i t y WHEN to Use An OIL HEATER IN THE TRENCHES We s cA sh | Nori a Corpor at ioN Oil heaters are not a one-size- fits-all solution to problems involving high viscosity brought on by lubricant cooling.