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Technical

GreaseMax® is a chemically operated automatic lubricator

It is designed to be screwed into the bearing grease nipple seating, or onto an extension line, and to feed lubricant at a constant rate for a set period.
GreaseMax® is designed to operate for a set period.

There are 4 operating periods: 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. After the service time has elapsed, the unit is replaced with a new unit.

Because it is self-regulating it should be used in conjunction with the plant maintenance scheduling. Therefore, changeovers of the GreaseMax® can be planned and carried out at set periods.

GreaseMax operation is simple and trouble free. Quite frequently its capabilities are not at first appreciated because of its simplicity.

GreaseMax® can be used anywhere, on most applications, both large and small, even underwater.

Importantly, GreaseMax® has no electrical or mechanical components and has only one moving part, which is the piston. For this reason, GreaseMax® is extremely reliable

2.1  Cost savings:
  • Direct cost savings over manual greasing.
  • Direct cost savings by reducing the necessity to stop machinery and production for lubrication.
  • Indirect cost saving with reduced maintenance and down time from bearing failures caused by incorrect or missed lubrication.
2.2  Maintenance advantages
  • Lubrication occurs when the plant is in operation, when it is of the most benefit.
  • Constant replenishment of new grease which minimises bearing wear.
  • The bearing is sealed while GreaseMax is in use.
  • Dust and moisture are prevented from entering the bearing.
  • The lubrication is fully automated, and changeovers can be programmed into the plant maintenance schedule.
  • GreaseMax ensures that as a warm or hot bearing cools, the slight vacuum normally created does not draw in foreign material.
  • A continuous supply of fresh lubricant flushes out any foreign matter, moisture or harmful chemical substances which may otherwise accumulate in the bearing if it is unused for some time.
  • A constant grease supply ensures that seals are lubricated and more effective in preventing contamination.  This is particularly the case with labyrinth seals.
  • GreaseMax changeovers can be programmed with plant maintenance schedules

Problems of manual lubrication

  • excess lubrication
  • insufficient lubrication
  • application of incorrect
    lubricant are overcome

The main problems causing lubrication related failure in ball and roller bearings are overcome.Typically, these are:

  • solid contamination 20%
  • unsuitable lubricant 20%
  • insufficient lubricant 15%
  • water or liquid
    contamination 5%
  • aged lubricant 20%
  • other causes 20%
2.3  Safety & Environment
  • Lubrication is cleaner and environmentally responsible; there is no excess lubricant affecting either plant cleanliness or the environment.
  • Safety is improved as operators are not required to lubricate hazardous areas
2.4  Design
  • GreaseMax has no electrical or mechanical components (which can contribute to unreliability).
  • GreaseMax has a steel body ensuring that it efficiently handles high output pressures and heat with total reliability.
  • GreaseMax has excellent output pressure.

GreaseMax® is activated by screwing in the color coded plastic starter cap. The color coding of this cap should match the color coding of the plastic activating screw in the base of GreaseMax®, (into which this cap is screwed).

When the starter cap is screwed in, a controlling element located internally in GreaseMax® is forced into a reagent, contained in a neoprene expansion diaphragm. When this occurs a galvanic reaction commences, and gas is produced. The gas expands the diaphragm and as it does so a steel piston (located between the diaphragm and the lubricant) is pushed down and the lubricant is forced out.

GreaseMax® requires a minimum of approximately 8 hours for a type 1 unit to approximately 40 hours for a type 12 unit to develop sufficient internal pressure to commence discharging lubricant. This period is normally not a problem for well maintained bearings however if lubrication is required in less than the start-up period then activate GreaseMax® in advance

GreaseMax® has no internal pressure prior to activation. Pressure is developed, and the lubricant discharge pressure is virtually in equilibrium with bearing or grease line resistance

GreaseMax® discharges lubricant continuously, at a constant rate, for a set period, without maintenance or adjustment

GreaseMax® discharge rate is not affected by bearing or seal condition, movement, vibration, etc.

The starter caps are color coded. Ensure that the color of the starter cap matches the color of the activator screw in the base of the GreaseMax®, into which the starter cap will be screwed.

  1. Screw the starter cap in hand tight.  (While the starter cap is being turned down, the seals will be heard to break.
  2. Then use a screw driver or similar to tighten the cap FIRMLY.  This is essential to ensure a gas and liquid tight seal.

Do not loosen the starter cap or attempt to remove it.

When this has occurred GreaseMax® is operational.  Allow the following minimum starting times:  1 month units – 8 hours, 3 month units – 24 hours, 6 month units – 30 hours, 12 month units – 40 hours, for lubricant discharge to commence.  (see “Operation of GreaseMax®“).

Pre–grease with a grease gun before the first installation. The short time delay will not adversely affect bearings which have been properly pre–greased before the installation of GreaseMax®. For subsequent installations, pre–greasing is not necessary as prior use of GreaseMax® will have ensured that there is adequate grease in the bearings.

Pre-greasing before the first installation of GreaseMax® is also important to ensure that all grease ways are free of old hard grease which can block completely the grease ways.

GreaseMax® is designed to operate in most conditions.  It will operate satisfactorily in:

  • Areas of vibration. If this includes high shock loading, consider using mounting brackets and/or remote mounting with flexible feed lines.
  • Underwater, wet or humid installations.
  • Heat and cold (see discharge table below for discharge rate variations)

GreaseMax® units may be mounted in any position. Movement is OK but brackets may be required to support the unit. For oil filled units see section 4.5

4.1  GreaseMax® discharge rates

GreaseMax® is designed to operate at an average temperature of 770F. The discharge rate and operating period of GreaseMax® will be different if the average operating temperature varies from 770F. The following table gives details.

Note: The average temperature is the average operational temperature of the GreaseMax® unit. This may be different to the average environmental temperature.

4.2  Output pressure of GreaseMax

GreaseMax® develops sufficient pressure for most applications including use on feed lines. The pressure required to move grease into a rotating bearing, with the grease nipple removed, is normally not high. GreaseMax® holds the output pressure virtually in equilibrium with grease-way resistance.

4.3  Effect of bearing and grease way pressure

GreaseMax® builds up discharge pressure to the point where fundamentally a balance exists between the resistance of the grease way and the output pressure of the GreaseMax®.  For example, if GreaseMax® is activated and allowed to discharge without being placed on a bearing, the full operating period will be taken before the unit is empty.  If GreaseMax® is activated and placed on a grease-way requiring pressure GreaseMax® will build up to this pressure and then discharge according to its normal operating period.  GreaseMax® adjusts to grease way resistance but does not rely on this resistance to control its’ operation.

GreaseMax® will maintain the pressure balance. If something occurs to change the grease way resistance, then GreaseMax® will automatically adjust its discharge pressure to accommodate this change.

4.4  Installation with extension lines

GreaseMax® may be used with extension lines for remote positioning.  Extension lines are also useful for installations where extreme movement or shock loadings may be applied to the GreaseMax®.  In this case, mount the GreaseMax® firmly in a bracket (which DIS can supply) and feed the lubricant into the bearing via tubing.

LubricantMaximum line length*Min. INSIDE diameter
Grease1.6 yards8mm
Oil10 yards3mm

*Note: It is possible to install GreaseMax on longer feed lines than the above. For proposed installations outside these limits call for specialist advice.

All extension lines MUST be pre–filled with lubricant. We recommend only clear extension lines, so that the condition of the lubricant can always be observed.

Ideally GreaseMax® should be used in conjunction with the plant maintenance schedule. This minimizes the time taken for lubrication and ensures that an orderly changeover of expired units takes place.

GreaseMax® discharge periods may vary depending on the operating conditions. Monitor initial GreaseMax® installations to observe actual results in the conditions.

We recommend that time is not spent checking for the piston to appear in the cone of the unit after the scheduled date. It is far more economical to change the units on a fixed schedule, even if a small amount of grease remains. In any event the costs and savings are calculated on set time periods, and the cost in time of attempting to exceed these periods with the resulting requirement for very regular checking is more than the value of the small amount of lubricant remaining.

GreaseMax® is designed so that the piston will first become visible as a silver ring in the plastic end cone when there is approximately 10% of lubricant remaining. This is to give a visual forward warning of expiry. GreaseMax® will continue to operate until all lubricant is expelled. At this point, all of the piston is visible.

Caution: When using moly grease in GreaseMax® the piston may not be visible when the unit is empty due to the opacity of the grease.

GreaseMax® uses only very high-grade lubricants chosen for their performance and suitability for use in GreaseMax®.

A full range of greases and oils is available to cover all applications. We can assist customers with special lubrication requirements.

GreaseMax® standard lubricants (part range):

Product CodeDescriptionBaseTemp
Range		Drop Point 0CApplication
001Multi-purpose greaseLithium
/Calcium
Complex		–30°C–
130°C
86°F–
265°F		180

Universal

Highly loaded sliding and rolling bearings, difficult operating conditions, lubrication points exposed to weather, humidity, dust, underwater

003Multi–purpose
grease + moly
5%		Calcium Sulfonate40°C–
120°C
–40°F–
250°F		300Bushes, slides & where
water load & vibration is a
problem
100Food grade
grease		Aluminium
complex		–40°C–
180°C
–40°F–
360°F		240+Bearings, bushes, slides
inc. in wet conditions.
FDA 21, H1, HACCP,
GMP, Kosher, Halal

Lubricant data sheets are available on request

An identification code for the grease type and production batch is impressed into the GreaseMax® label. The activating cap is color coded according to the operating period.

  1. Lubricant type: GreaseMax® has a 3–digit numeric code, which corresponds with the lubricant code (see table above or refer to supplier for full details).
  2. The other 2 letter group is a production code (month and year as mmyy).
  3. Operating Period: The GreaseMax® activator screw (in the base of the unit) and the starter cap are color coded according to the operating period:
ColourTypeDischarge Period @ 770F
White11 month
Blue33 months
Red66 months
Grey1212 months

 

There are no hard and fast rules for selecting the type of GreaseMax® to be used on any given application. Every bearing is different, the variety of operating conditions is unlimited and other factors need to be taken into account such as wear, seal condition, moisture presence, heat, etc. However, the following can be taken as a guide:

Shaft SizeGreaseMax®  type
4” – 6”1 mth
2.5” – 4”3 mth
1.2” – 2.5”6 mth
up to 1.2”12 mth
  • For shaft sizes greater than 6”, use one or more GreaseMax® coupled together.
  • If moisture, severe dirt or dust, wear, heavy vibration or other factors are present, consideration should be given to using a quicker acting GreaseMax®.

 

In terms of strokes per day from a small hand grease gun the GreaseMax® discharge is roughly equivalent to:

GreaseMax® typeStrokes per day
Type 14-6
Type 32-3
Type 61
Type 120.5

 

 

GreaseMax® and the lubricants used in it have a shelf life of 2 years. The units should be installed within this period to ensure optimum performance. A date of manufacture appears on the side of GreaseMax® as a 4 digit number representing month and year as mmyy.

 

GreaseMax® will improve plant personnel safety by reducing the need to visit hazardous plant and equipment to lubricate. When properly installed, it is possible to change GreaseMax® without stopping moving machinery, saving on down time.

GreaseMax®, made in Germany, is a safe product. Both the production and the GreaseMax® unit have safety certification from the German and worldwide TüV safety organisation. The following TüV certification symbols are licensed for use on

GreaseMax®:


GreaseMax® has been tested as required by all the relevant statutory German Safety Authorities and approved for both manufacturing and mining, including underground coal mining, without restriction. Further details are available on request.

GreaseMax® uses a small quantity of potassium hydroxide solution as part of its operation.
For this reason, it is important that the activating cap is not loosened or removed after the GreaseMax® is placed in service. The screw cap is designed to prevent liquid under pressure being released from the unit. Note that it is not possible for the liquid to escape unless the unit is deliberately cut open or opened as above. Internally the steel piston has rubber seals so that in the unlikely event that the neoprene diaphragm is damaged the liquid cannot escape into the lubricant.

GreaseMax® is designed to partially release the plastic cone from the metal body when discharge pressure exceeds approximately 150 psi. This is to prevent continued pressure build up to dangerous levels.

Should a GreaseMax® be observed in this state immediate maintenance is required as this situation is generally caused by blockages of the grease ways by old grease.

 

 

Expired GreaseMax® should placed in the industrial waste or recycled. Pressure is retained for a period after the service life is completed and this, combined with good housekeeping, means they should not be left lying around. GreaseMax® does not contain any item which precludes burial in land fill either according to law or according to good environmental practice. They may be recycled but the method should be chosen with care as GreaseMax® should not be opened because of the residual pressure that remains for a period after expiry and as they contain a small quantity of caustic solution.

GreaseMax® is manufactured to the highest quality standards. The manufacturer as well as Delta is committed to providing the best product of this type together with the best technical support and training of personnel. As part of this commitment, we will not introduce any element into the design of GreaseMax® which can contribute to unreliability, such as electrical or mechanical components, plastic bodies, or by reducing components or using cheaper material including lubricants, to save on production costs.