26
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March - April 2018
|
www
.
machinerylubrication.com
Lubrication in the cement
indu st r y of fers some
unique challenges. It's
not so much the type of
equipment that is the issue but the
environment in which the machinery
is operating, which can vary from
season to season depending on the
plant's location. is factor must be
carefully considered when selecting
and applying lubricants, as oils and
greases that work well in almost
identical equipment might not be
as effective in the conditions this
industry must often face.
Transporting
Raw Material
Typically, a cement plant is located
adjacent to or very near a quarry. Raw
material must be transported from
the quarry into the cement plant and
eventually into large storage hoppers.
e mode of transportation is gener-
ally via conveyors, with the most
common types being belt conveyors.
Even if raw material is brought into
the cement plant from a source some
distance away, there will still be
numerous conveyors throughout the
plant. ese conveyors usually are
driven by electric motors, some of
which will be large due to the power
required to pull the belts. e larger
types have grease nipples that require
infrequent greasing. ere will also
be greased bearings on both the drive
end and non-drive end as well as on
tension rolls in between.
Lubrication
Strategies for the
Cement Industry
LUBRICATION PROGRAMS
Andrew Monk
|
Lubrisolve Engineering Solutions
"Although
every cement
plant will
have its own
existing
lubrication
strategies,
optimum
solutions can
be identified
regarding the
lubricants
selected, the
equipment
utilized to
apply those
lubricants
and the
maintenance
regime."
