Your advantages at a glance
- Lower friction: Optimal lubrication reduces friction and ensures smooth production processes.
- Longer lifespan: Less wear and tear, fewer repairs – for maximum machine availability.
- Automated maintenance: Minimum downtimes thanks to automatic relubrication.
- Optimized costs: Reduced energy consumption and lower need for lubricants.
Regulations and what they mean
Efficiency at the machine tool is usually discussed in terms of cutting performance. The lubricant circuit rarely appears in that calculation — though it co-decides accuracy, guide life and unplanned downtime.
| Quantity | Relationship |
|---|---|
| surface quality | a breaking film in the guide causes stick-slip and chatter marks |
| guide service life | under-lubrication brings wear and play, over-lubrication brings tramp oil in the coolant |
| coolant service life | tramp oil promotes microbial growth and shortens the change interval |
| unplanned downtime | without monitoring, faults are only seen at the damage |
| lubricant consumption | metered delivery instead of greasing by feel |
The most expensive item is not the lubricant
Measured against the machine's hourly rate, lubricant consumption is negligible. Expensive are the consequences of a wrong dose: a linear guide with play is replaced, not adjusted, and the machine stands meanwhile. The second, often overlooked item is the coolant: if tramp oil shortens its change interval, new fill, disposal and cleaning fall due together — a multiple of whatever was saved on lubricant.
Before optimising, record the as-is state: target quantity per point, actual interval, pressure build-up and the warning limits. The metering template (PDF, German) carries exactly these fields; start conservatively and fine-tune from the trends.
Knowledge
More pages about DropsA metal lubrication
Talk to our lubrication experts
We support you with system design, selection and quotation – free of charge and tailored to your application.