The development of lubrication systems in industrial automation

In today’s manufacturing landscape, the topic of industrial automation is constantly evolving and is a driving force behind the paradigm of industry 4.0.

The term automation identifies technology that uses control systems (such as logic circuits or processors) to manage machines and processes, reducing the need for human intervention. It is used for executing repetitive or complex operations, where safety or certainty are required, or simply for greater convenience.

It is a process that is therefore intrinsic to all activities aimed at giving an innovative boost to the operation of industrial machinery and the entire production chain within the company, which provides advantages in terms of quality and scheduling in processing the product.

Even in the industrial lubrication sector, this process has introduced new instruments and technologies. In fact, automation is one of the most dynamic sectors that is constantly evolving in the current industrial scenario, and therefore improving productivity, quality and safety are key requirements in this area.

The performance, reliability and durability of the lubricant are far from secondary components, and the use of specific “long life” lubricants guarantees reliable performance for manufacturers operating in this sector, as is the case for machine tools.

These machines are complex processing systems that work at a high intensity for long periods of time without stopping, which have evolved over the years to assume a central role within production cycles.

Through the development of automation, these machines have acquired the ability to operate faster and with an even higher level of precision, which has a positive influence on the quality and processing time of products, as demonstrated, for example, by CNC machines (computer numerical control). These industrial machines (presses, lathes, milling machines, bending machines, sheet metal cutting machines) enable numerical control through an external CNC computer, which enables them to work at high levels of precision by repeating the task in series.

In order to collect and manage data from machine production, the mechanical process is must not be interrupted - a result that can be obtained thanks to the installation of lubrication systems.

In fact, machine tools require their components to be constantly and properly lubricated in order to function correctly and  avoid downtime: this is why lubrication solutions have also reached a technological level in line with the trends related to automation and Industry 4.0 in general.

DropsA offers a wide range of products capable of satisfying various application requirements, such as bearing lubricants that are resistant to mechanical stress and washdown, and medium-high viscosity synthetic lubricants for high-load applications.

In light of these aspects, it is clear that companies and businesses must understand how to make the most of the potential that this process offers in order to be competitive and keep up with industrial development.

An explanatory example concerns car body handling robots, for which we have designed and installed a progressive system for grease lubrication with the aim of perfectly facilitating the handling and dragging processes.

In this case, the progressive grease system is composed of the pump series 989, which belongs to the category of electric pumps and is ideal for small- to medium-sized machine tools, and of SMX distributors, providing a measured amount of grease to the lubrication points.

The system is completed by Vip 5 plus, a controller that makes it possible to set and monitor pump lubrication cycles.

This shows how a plan that includes state-of-the-art lubrication systems as an integral part of the company’s strategy will make production processes simpler and faster, thus reducing wasted time and maintenance costs.