Food grade grease for pneumatic clutches

A major UK confectionery manufacturer approached Kluber with a task to fulfil on an automatic conveyor system for transporting confectionery products with six pneumatic clutches, unlubricated

A major UK confectionery manufacturer approached Kluber with a task to fulfil.

This company has a PRB (Italy) automatic programmable conveyor system for transporting finished stickpack confectionery products from six high speed ACMA GD stickpack machines to three ACMA GD display making machines - running 24 hours per day, six days per week.

After extensive modifications to improve run times by the original makers PRB, payback of the capital investment was 2 years.

The system had to achieve a run time of 11.75 hours within a 12 hour shift.

The equipment was fitted with 6 pneumatic clutches, unlubricated.

Each clutch is fitted with 2 quad rings as the sealing device.

After several repairs and renewal of the seals it was noticed the seals were trying to roll within their seatings and cutting, then allowing air to pass.

This would render the clutch non-operational.

Conventional pneumatic oil feed lubrication was fitted to each clutch, this was successful for a limited time, extending the life of the seal, however there was only a marginal improvement on run times.

Our engineers had worked with a number of pneumatic systems and had knowledge of pre or non lubricated components i.e solenoid valves etc A Kluber grease was put forward as a viable option, the Kluber Polylub WH2.

The result of which is that pneumatic oil lubrication is no longer used.

Each clutch is now lubricated with the Kluber Polylub WH2 grease.

"Run times are exceeding 11.75 hours, the frequency of required lubrication is now being evaluated and has so far exceeded 10 weeks".

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