When it comes to lubrication, adding grease guns is an obvious and affordable option to keep your operation running smoothly. But as you look to squeeze every ounce of efficiency out of your operators, mounting factors like improper use, safety risks with high-heat lube points, and the cost of time spent manually greasing every machine makes grease guns a less efficient process than expected.
Modernize your equipment greasing practice by investing in automatic lubrication. Results include better ROI and less downtime for your equipment.
The Trouble with Grease Guns:
First, battery operated grease guns take a considerable amount of time to grease all the machines in your facility. Manual greasing then comes with several issues including:
- Over greasing or under greasing
- Difficulties with couplers attaching to grease fittings
- Safety concerns with lube points near high heat or hard to reach locations
- Changing weather conditions
- Hard to reach grease locations
- Potential safety risk for employee carrying the grease gun
Auto greasing improves on many of the issues that come with manual greasing and comes at a lower ROI.
Manual vs. Automatic Lubrication
Did you know that 70% of equipment failures are due to improper lubrication? While grease guns might seem like an effective solution, they are a big time investment and safety risk. Manual Lubrication relies on an operator to go around and hit up to 50 grease points with a gun and even afterward, the grease job might not be safe and effective.
In contrast, Automatic Lubrication:
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Saves roughly one hour of equipment greasing per machine each day
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Applies calculated amounts of grease to each fitting, removing the risk of over greasing or under greasing
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Reduces safety risks found in manual grease practices, including:
- Changing weather conditions
- Hard to reach grease locations
- Slips and falls, burns and workplace injuries from workers carrying grease guns
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Grease ratings as low as #0 to #00.
- Automatic systems pump smaller amounts of grease more frequently as the machine operates, making sure the grease lubricates the entire pins.
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Quick ROI
- Less costs associated with reduced downtime, failures from inadequate greasing practices and repairs
- It is not uncommon for break-even costs to be less than a year on a machine operating daily
5 Benefits of Auto-Greasing
1. Saves Time
Auto lubrication saves about an hour of equipment greasing per machine per day. Automatic lubrication also gets those difficult grease points, so workers save time that they could working on other important tasks.
Read: Don’t let grease guns get in the way of improving your productivity
2. Reduced Risk of Over or Under Greasing
While manual greasing requires an employee to go around with a grease gun and lubricate a bunch of points. Auto greasing in contrast, applies a calculated amount of grease to each fitting. Over greasing and under greasing are far less common.
Check out Graco's automatic greasing options
3. Lighter grease ratings
NLGI grease ratings for auto lube systems are as low as #0 to #00. Heavier grease is not needed, as systems pump smaller amounts of grease more frequently while the machine operates, ensuring a constant flow of grease lubricates entire pins.
Auto greasing increases lifetime equipment productivity and profitability.
4. Reduced Safety Risks to Employees
Manual lubrication is risky. Automatic lubrication puts employee safety first, as workers no longer must risk slipping and falling, burns, and other grease application related injuries. Changing weather conditions, hard to reach grease locations, and even just carrying a grease gun can result in injury. Automatic lubrication keeps workers out of unnecessarily risky environments.
5. Quick ROI
Despite substantial investment costs, with automatic lubrication, ROI is fast. Manual greasing might seem like an affordable option, but when you factor in downtime, repairs, and component failures resulting from inadequate greasing practices, manual lubrication can come with quite a few costs.
When you invest in automatic lubrication, these risks are gone. For that reason, it is not uncommon for break-even costs to be less than a year on a machine operating daily. And auto lubrication continues to increase productivity and profits over a lifetime.
Lubrication systems consist of a metering device, tubing/hose, pump, controller, and fittings that connect to the grease points.
Click here to learn more about our lubrication product offerings. Or, submit an inquiry form to request a consult from one of our expert team members.
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