Basic trends of machine-tool industry
One of the basic trends of machine-tool construction along with automatization and improving processing accuracy is reducing need in frequent maintaining the equipment.
Under conditions of limited timing, financial, human resources, minimization losses for the equipment downtimes including for the cause of maintaining it is one of the directions to improve efficiency and productivity of the enterprises.
Up-to-date machine tools and machining centers are capable to fulfil several high-precision operations on mechanical processing workpieces simultaneously, that is why time costs for lubricating movable units get more and more critical.
Image source: Sergey Ryzhov / www.shutterstock.com/ru
Today, it has become possible to create maintenance-free friction units that have no need in further additional lubricating. That is provided due to implementation anti-friction solid-film coatings into equipment structure. And we are going to talk below about their advantages, properties, application ways.
MODENGY products application in machine-tool industry
Anti-friction solid-film coatings are lubricating materials which are a composite layer steadily adherent to the part surface that consists of a polymer binder, finely dispersed particles of solid lubricating materials, functional additives.
Fig. The scheme of an anti-friction solid-film coating layout on the part surface
These coatings are used at manufacturing and maintaining the parts of the variously purposed equipment providing long-term dry lubrication of the contacting surfaces, even if friction takes place under complex conditions such as heavy loads, high temperatures, contacting with the aggressive chemicals, etc.
Fig. Structure of the MODENGY anti-friction coating in an electron microscope lens
They are effectively used where the conventional lubricating materials such as greases and oils lose their operability, or their properties get not enough already.
Properties and advantages of the anti-friction coatings:
- They enable to create maintenance-free friction units, or extend the interval between maintenances
- They have anti-corrosive properties (up to 1,000 hours in neutral salt mist at the accelerated tests, acc. to ISO 9227 Standard)
- A lubricating layer is not squeezed out of the friction zone at very high contact pressures
- Operability in dusty environment
- Low and stable friction coefficient
- Improving smoothy mechanisms going
- Preventing stick-slip motion
- Reducing noise
- Keeping accuracy of processing workpieces during the long while due to wear reduction, and preventing gaps in the units from widening
Open mechanisms of the machine tools operate in dusty environment, under conditions of metal and wooden shavings getting into them. The greases which are often used to maintain the parts accumulate dust and abrasive from the environment. While getting into the friction zone, those solid particles lead to premature wear of the parts.
Dry anti-friction coatings accumulate no abrasive. The small particles are easy to remove off the surface treated with the coating by using compressed air, water, or a rag.
Solid-film materials are often applied just once for the entire service term of the item, and require no further additional lubrication in process of operating the unit.
These coatings can run both by their own, and in presence of the greases if necessary, creating synergistic effect.
As the contacting surfaces of the machine tools are getting worn, wear signs are forming on the parts which causes decreases accuracy of the up-to-date precision machine tools operating.
Use of the anti-friction solid-film coatings at the stage of design and manufacture of the machine-tool equipment enables to significantly reduce wear intensity, and to keep high quality of processing the parts for a long while.
In Russia, the Modengy company, Bryansk town, designs and produces the anti-friction solid-film coatings.
Fig.The machine tool parts treated with MODENGY coatings
MODENGY coatings are used on the following machine tool parts:
- Lead screws to control the operating elements
- Spline joint, and key connections
- Guideway adjusting wedges / wedge-shaped elements
- Bearings, and slide guideways
- Machine tool variators axes, and the others
There are the coating in the Modengy’s product line that get cured at heating in a kiln, or at room temperature. The latter ones are especially relevant when processing the parts under conditions of the work shop is required.
Also on basis of the solid lubricating substances, the MODENGY products to maintain friction units in process of operating them such as solid-film pastes, and dry adaptive lubricating materials are designed.
MODENGY products to maintain machine tools
MODENGY solid-film pastes are the materials with especially high content of solid lubricating substances compositions dispersed in a base oil together with the functional additives and a thickener. They are used in the units subjected to high pressures, and extremely high temperatures.
The pastes are characterized by convenient application as they are applied with a brush, spatula, or a rag, and hold greatly on the surface.
So, for instance, MODENGY 4002 paste based on molybdenum disulfide is used to lubricate the lathe chuck cams.
Fig.4. MODENGY 4002 Paste
It provides wear reduction, cams smooth moving increase, prevents stick-slip motion, holds well on the surface even at contact with a lubricoolant.
Due to use of the solid-film coating at keeping tightening force, reliability of workpiece fixation increases.
MODENGY dry adaptive lubricating materials contain no film-forming material nor oil in its composition as solid lubricating substances in the form of powders freely migrate along the mated surfaces after applying, and are filling in the microroughness cavities in process of friction, and thus forming a thin dry lubricating film.
They are effective in open units running under conditions of dustiness. These lubricants are applied out of an aerosol can without need in dissembling the mechanisms.
In the metal-to-metal friction pairs,
For example, MODENGY A-FLON is applied onto the drill machine rack-and-pinion drive parts. The lubricant is sprayed out onto the steel rail that is running in pair with a polymer gear wheel.
Fig. MODENGY A-FLON dry lubricant on the drill machine steel rail
This lubricant demonstrates great results: it removes the issue of dust sticking to the unit, reduces noise at the drive running, prevents wear.
The solid lubrication technology meets the relevant conception of the lean manufacturing of nowadays. Use of MODENGY products enables to minimize time loss because of unscheduled equipment stops, to extend between maintenance intervals, to reduce wear and need in replacing the components, to keep high accuracy of processing the parts on the machine tools for a long while.
For more details, address the Modengy company, please.Request information