Food grade lubricant for plastic gears. Lubricant for plastic gears

The world of printer lubricants is currently a mess. Lubricants for printers are usually sold by spare parts sellers who have no idea what they are doing or why, so they can simply sell lubricant for old Xerox copiers under the guise of lubricant for thermal films of modern Hewlett Packard printers. At the same time, prices for lubricants border on prices for precious metals.
The Oltar company, together with the representative office of the world-famous manufacturer of lubricants Molykote, decided to bring order to the issue of sales of lubricants for printers on the Russian Market. All lubricants offered are tested and recommended by experienced Molykote technicians, not home-grown parts salesmen. You can be confident in your choice.

The main types of lubricants used in Hewlett Packard laser printers.

1. Lubricating gears of gearboxes, where the latter rotate at average speed under temperatures up to 80 °C. The load on the gears is uniformly rotating. In this regard, HP lubricant works perfectly. This lubricant is not commercially available. Instead, various lubricants are sold that satisfy the assigned tasks by 50 - 70%. As a rule, sellers have no idea what they are selling, what properties and durability their product has.

2. Thermal film lubricants. HP uses a unique lubricant that is perfectly matched to the application. The lubricant does not flow, has negligible viscosity, does not evaporate, and does not lose its mechanical and chemical properties over the course of years. The thermal film rotates solely due to the pressure of the Teflon-coated rubber shaft and does not have any gears. Works at temperatures up to 240 degrees, has several main types. Lubricant for thermal films is a separate topic. It's not possible to buy it. The Russian market offers either mediocre lubricants that can work for a limited time at temperatures up to 200 degrees or simply an outright surrogate, after which blurred images appear, paper jams in the oven, image repetitions, and others. Typically, after 700 - 1200 copies, such a lubricant turns brown, becomes sticky, viscous and slows down the rotation of the thermal film.

3. Lubricant used in heater gears (image fusing units). This is the most difficult case. Gears operate with vector or directional load. In addition, gears operate under sudden temperature changes and at speeds much higher than average. From 20 to 120 degrees. HP uses the same lubricants as in point 1. This approach is fundamentally wrong. The lubricant is squeezed out from the teeth and the gears operate no more than 50 - 70,000 copies. The problems with these lubricants are clearly shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2.

4. Lubricants of bushings, bearings, Teflon-rubber shafts of stoves. Hewlett Packard, as a rule, does not use any lubricants in the bushings of fusing units. In modern high-speed laser printers, this leads to the fact that after 30 - 60 thousand copies, the bushing is eaten away by 1 - 2 mm, the rubber shaft sags, the film falls to one side and eats up its edge. The gears begin to work at the edges of the teeth with a lot of noise, turning into a loud crack. The printer breaks down and requires repair.

The Oltar company offers the following types of lubricants for printers.

1. For lubricating gears of gearboxes, as well as for lubricating oscillating units of stoves and gears of rubber shafts of fusing units - Molykote EM-50L grease.
Unlike conventional lubricants, the proposed lubricant works up to 150 degrees Celsius, does not thicken over time, is not afraid of temperature changes and does not lose its properties over time. This lubricant can be used on both plastic and metal gears.

2. Lubricant for thermal films of printers, both polymer and aluminum. Lubricant type - Molykote HP-300 Grease. The lubricant works at temperatures up to 280 degrees, does not evaporate, and does not change physical and chemical properties over time. The lubricant does not become sticky and does not slow down the movement of the thermal film, the image is not blurred. The lubricant is universal and can be used both in home-class printers such as HP LJ 1012, and in powerful modern printers such as HP LJ P4515 with a printing speed of 45 sheets per minute. The lubricant is also good because even if the thermal film is punctured, it continues to work. Then, under the influence of toner, other lubricants begin to crystallize and cut the rotating film from the inside.
The lubricant is excellent for bushing rubber shafts of printer stoves; it does not corrode plastic bushings and does not introduce additional heating into the aluminum printer shafts rotating under the influence of high temperatures. The lubricant does not destroy the protective layer - aluminum oxide!

It's better to find real lubricants like
O-2 (liquid yellow) (shaft),
O-12 (transparent liquid (more viscous than O-12)) (gear axles),
G-26 (thick white) (shaft (rubbing), gears),
G-58 (dense pink) (gears, etc.)

If it is not possible to get such things -
The ideal liquid lubricants are: silicone grease, Teflon oil
from thick ones (lithols will not work - they are quite reactive) - as already mentioned - honey Vaseline

| Message Sent March 28, 2007 - 13:25 TuMyPuK

;) I’ll add FreeKnight to the answer But this is how I do it myself:

O-2 (liquid yellow) (shaft) - high-speed coolers and Epson shafts - matrix and jet (felt impregnation under P/G, 5-6 drops along the length of the shaft)

O-12 (transparent liquid (more viscous than O-2)) (gear axles) - I don’t know, we have WHITE GREASE, MOLYKOTE X5-6020, UKOG-0158FCZZ this is a silicone lubricant, for low-speed coolers, shafts, etc. .

G-26 (thick white) (shaft (by rubbing), gears) - yes, but I don’t use it.

G-58 (thick pink) (gears, etc.) - yes, movement (fastening) and sliding of the Epson C42-84 carriage, etc.

| Message Posted 09 April 2007 - 15:47

GuestYura_*

Has anyone encountered this kind of "fuel oil"?

SP5539 / 284 g
Silicone grease STEP UP

Water-repellent, heat-resistant, universal protection for metal, rubber and plastic. Forms on the treated surface a thin, ultra-slippery corrosion-resistant protective layer with 100% water-repellent properties, operational from -50°C to +220°C. Contains WetOut silicone moisture displacer. Finds active use in everyday life: lubricates, protects locks, door and window hinges from freezing and corrosion. Used as a universal lubricant for motorcycles, bicycles and household appliances. Gives water-repellent properties to shoes.

It burns, when applied it quickly evaporates, and it is also written on the bottle that it should not be used to lubricate electric motors. I’m wondering whether it’s worth lubricating the shaft with it or not: -X
For testing, I lubricated the guide on the roller cutter with it, the impressions were most favorable, there was no lubricant as such (it had evaporated), but the handle glides perfectly.

Attached images
| Message Posted 09 April 2007 - 22:14 YuHa

I figure it like this:
The most problematic area in an inkjet printer is the guide rod (or guide rail). Due to the ingress of dust, the lubricant turns into an abrasive that must be removed from time to time. It is better to lubricate with silicone-based lubricants (thick) if the PG bushings are not bronze-graphite.
The rest is not worth smearing. It seems to me that there is enough lubricant there for the entire actual service life.

| Message Sent April 10, 2007 - 07:28 TuMyPuK

@)-->-- I will allow myself to disagree with YuKha in the aspect “The rest is not worth smearing. It seems to me that there is enough lubricant there for the entire actual service life.” Printers are brought in for repairs where the lubricant is made of soft pink and soft blue colors turns into gray-dirty colors and begins to creak noticeably, I won’t say 100% accurately, but there are grains of sand, and just working off the guides.
And when you clean the whole thing and re-lubricate it, everything becomes much better. All printers without CISS. ;)

| Message Posted 10 April 2007 - 08:56

GuestYura_*

In those places where the factory grease remained, it thickened, so I removed it and sprayed it with silicone, it seems like the printer began to work more smoothly when the paper was pulled and the pump was working: -X. Plus, this fuel oil cleans, i.e. it first washes away dirt and then evaporates, forming that same “Super-slippery protective layer.” I wanted to lubricate the shaft with it precisely because it would not collect dust, but after several photographs of the A4, creaking appeared, in short, for these purposes you still need thick lubricant.
I don’t know how the printer works, but the cutter that I treated with this silicone definitely works better :)

| Message Sent April 10, 2007 - 10:43 TuMyPuK

@)-->-- I repeat myself, but still
O-2 (liquid yellow) (shaft) - high-speed coolers and Epson shafts - matrix and jet (felt impregnation under P/G, 5-6 drops along the length of the shaft).
After first removing the remaining old grease with a dry cloth (I use lint-free ones for optics from copiers). And I wipe it with alcohol so that it is completely clean. Next, I remove the felt from under the carriage, the one between the shaft and the carriage, turn it over, put 2-3 drops on it and collect it. And everything becomes as good as new, white and fluffy. IMHO! And so on until next time, or until you change the shaft, carriage or head, who knows. @)-->--

| Message Sent April 10, 2007 - 15:04 YuHa

I would not like to go into terminology again, although it should be clarified that the word “cooler” means cooler. Usually, this is a radiator-fan combination. In life, this combination cannot be high-speed. :)
This is my only comment on TuMyPuK's post.
Otherwise I agree with him. Half. :)
......................
There is something to talk about in the topic, argue, sort of, but I have a request to the mega-moderator: consider removing the punishment from previously “distinguished” participants.

| Message Sent April 10, 2007 - 15:35 TuMyPuK

@)-->-- YuHa, thanks for the support and for “There is something to talk about in the topic, argue, like, but I have a request to the mega-moderator: consider lifting the punishment from previously “distinguished” participants.” But After all, there are rules, and I am a violator of them, and the “flags” will be removed around the 16th, so I’m not worried about it. Naturally, “cooler” meant FAN, but thanks for the note. With this “O-2” lubricant I lubricate fan impeller rods in plain bearings at speeds of more than 2500 rpm, such as Thermaltake. Because some of these bastards spin at 5500 rpm. Whoever heard it spread will not forget! For example, on power supply fans I use MOLYKOTE X5-6020 in a 50g can. Silicone, as stated, does not dry out, in fact, it has been used in my power supply for 2 years.

| Message Sent April 10, 2007 - 18:04 YuHa

TuMyPuK, my computer uses the boxed version of the fourth Pentium.
Four years - no fan lubrication. Previously there was a Pentium second, then a third. Also boxing. And I also didn’t bother with lubrication.
I try to buy additional fans with ROLLING bearings. A little more noise, but fewer problems.
As for the names of “branded” lubricants, the situation is similar with “branded” inks - you can’t find a “firm” in the village, and what is offered under the “company” usually doesn’t turn out to be that.

| Message Sent April 11, 2007 - 07:05 Dimka_Dzerzhinsk

Having joined YuKhi’s post, I would like to ask a question:
“Since you won’t find a company in the village,” then such lubricants, as described here, cannot be found during the day... And my R220 printer, 2 months old, whistled when the carriage moved, and continues to do so... the lubricant is noticeable in places, where the carriage stops... but then why does this squeak occur? What can you lubricate with? In principle, it does not really interfere, but the creaking does not just appear and does not go away without leaving a trace.
I tried to find silicone grease or a spindle in our village - also a disastrous task: (Lithols, as was written at the beginning of the topic, are destructive.

| Message Sent April 11, 2007 - 08:16 TuMyPuK

@)-->-- JUHA - with all due respect. BOX fans from Intel are a thing that lasts almost the entire life of the computer. They are not intended for additional lubrication. There is a composite lubricant there for the entire service life, just like sealed bearings. And, I agree, they are less noisy. We are talking about lubricants for shafts and guides. So we ourselves also do not live in Moscow and Zip-Zip is not around the corner. But still, everyone in the city has those who deal with copying equipment! So can I ask them or order through them? The guys in the services are usually accommodating if you ask them in a human way! Or am I wrong? >:o

Modern types of plastics and polymers make it possible to use them not only as seals, but also to make gears from them. This presents engineers with many opportunities, but also many challenges. The main problem was the lack of suitable lubricants. Conventional products intended for metal are not suitable, as they can corrode the plastic and change its structure and physical properties. Therefore, special types of funds have been developed. Lubricant for plastic gears allows you to achieve the necessary lubricating properties, protect the material from external factors and ensure minimal friction.

Features of using lubricant for plastic gears

Many people believe that if gears are made of plastic, they do not require lubrication. Unfortunately, this often leads to damage and premature wear of the mechanisms. Plastic lubricant should be used for almost all types of plastic gears, as it provides the following functions:

• provides a long service life of plastic gears and prevents premature wear;
• ensures stable operation of mechanisms without interruptions;
• prevents the occurrence of unpleasant noises and squeaks, ensuring virtually silent operation;
• keeps the working surface of rubbing parts intact, without roughness and abrasions;
• prevents deformation of the working elements of gearboxes and the occurrence of cracks;
• protects components from the influence of external factors, especially high and low temperatures.

There is a misconception that plastic gears can be lubricated with conventional lubricants. This is strictly forbidden, as there may be negative consequences.

Even universal formulations cannot guarantee high efficiency. Exposure of plastics to conventional mixtures may have the following effects:

Under the influence of ordinary lubricant, the plastic loses its strength and small cracks appear on its surface. This quickly leads to damage to the gear teeth, which causes the entire mechanism to fail. Then it will not be possible to restore the gear pairs using lubricant.

Some types may cause the surface of plastic parts to swell. This leads to the gears jamming, which can lead to breakage of the teeth and the entire assembly as a whole.

Plastic surfaces have poor adhesion. Because of this, classic lubricant does not adhere to the gears and scatters to the sides during rapid rotation.

Some types, such as solid oil, act as an abrasive. During operation, gear teeth can wear out before your eyes. This usually renders the parts completely unusable.

Classic lubricants cannot provide the necessary heat transfer. Plastic gearboxes differ from metal gearboxes in that they become very hot during operation. Conventional oil melts and loses the desired consistency, which leads to overheating of the plastic and changes in its shape and physical properties.

Today, plastic gears are used in various fields:

• computer equipment, especially servers;
• office equipment, including printers and scanners.
• multimedia equipment, the operation of which is based on rotational mechanisms;
• printing equipment, copying equipment and devices for large format printing;
• in some parts of cars;
• cash registers;
• food equipment, including conveyors, mixing and handling equipment.
• kitchen appliances;
• medical equipment;
• children's toys, radio-controlled models of airplanes and cars.

Lubricants for plastic gears intended for medical and food equipment require special attention, since they are subject to not only mechanical requirements, but also hygienic ones.

How to choose?

Before buying oil, you need to study all the varieties, determine what it is needed for and make sure that it meets the following requirements:

Inertness to polymers (the lubricant should not react with plastic so as not to harm moving parts; even universal mixtures can damage the plastic surface).

Composition stability (lubricant for plastic gears should adhere well to the plastic surface and not change viscosity and thickness at low and high temperatures).

Versatility (very often, driving mechanisms use elements not only of plastic, but also of metal and rubber, so the product must be suitable for different materials).

Compatible with fluoroplastic (most plastic gear mechanisms are made from this material, so if there is no information about the material, this lubricant will almost certainly work).

Non-flammable (plastic gearboxes get very hot, so the lubricant should not spontaneously ignite due to high temperature).

Environmentally friendly (it must be safe for humans, since plastic friction pairs are often found in kitchen and other appliances with which humans come into direct contact).

Resistance to moisture (it should protect the mechanism from water and not be washed off by it).

Good adhesion (the plastic surface is very smooth, so ordinary oils do not adhere well to parts).

When choosing a lubricant, it is important to consider the type of operating mechanisms and the conditions under which they operate. Taking this into account, several types can be distinguished:

For mechanisms with plastic and metal parts (the lubricant must adhere well to the surface of various materials, protect the metal from corrosion and dissipate heat well).

For mechanisms operating at high temperatures (the lubricant must retain its properties and structure at extreme temperatures)

For mechanisms that operate at low temperatures (conventional oils freeze in winter or in refrigeration equipment, so you should select a lubricant that can maintain basic viscosity, regardless of temperature).

For gear transmissions operating under increased loads (conventional lubricant under high load is squeezed out of the working area, as a result of which the protective film is destroyed and the service life of the mechanisms is significantly reduced).

For food industry equipment and for plastic parts of household appliances (food production involves direct contact of working mechanisms with food, so conventional lubricants are not suitable for such purposes because they contain substances harmful to humans).

Common formulations

To lubricate plastic gears, it is best to choose compounds from global brands that have specialized in developing compounds for many decades. Among the most common are the following:

Silicon Fett. A universal lubricant for plastic that has excellent adhesion and water-repellent properties. Can operate in a wide temperature range, both low and high. When working at high speeds, it does not scatter, but holds well on the surface of the plastic. It has a long service life, it does not require replacement until it practically dries out, which happens after several years of operation. It can be used in mechanisms that combine plastic with metal or rubber.
Cannot be used for food processing equipment or in open gearboxes. An analogue is Silicot silicone grease.

Thermoflex Spezialfett. It is also a universal one, which can be equally used not only in plastic mechanisms, but also in metal ones. It differs in that it retains its properties and structure at low temperatures. But it is not suitable for tall people, as it begins to melt and spread, as a result of which the protective film is destroyed and friction increases. Also cannot be used for food processing equipment.

SI-180. Domestic silicone grease. Sold in small volume syringes, as it is used to lubricate small mechanisms. The white grease adheres well to the plastic surface without changing its properties at high temperatures. It does not belong to the food group.

Lubricants for food equipment. This is a separate group, the price of which is much higher than usual, and is used in household equipment and in production. The most popular is OKS 1110, which is used not only for lubrication, but also for sealing. You can also highlight Loctite food-grade lubricant for plastic and rubber, made on a silicone basis.
The service life of plastic mechanisms directly depends on their care. Choosing a high-quality lubricant will allow you to achieve optimal, uninterrupted operation and save money on repairs.