Food-Grade Chain Auto Lube System in Stainless Enclosure

This project involved designing a 16-point automatic lubrication system for a food-grade facility where the customer needed to replace an antiquated lubrication system and reuse the pre-existing tubing that is integrated into the host machine. The primary objective was to provide a reliable oil delivery system tailored to an environment with strict hygiene requirements and operational constraints.

To meet the customer’s needs, we supplied a dual-pump system housed in a 304 stainless steel enclosure with viewing windows for visibility and maintenance access. The enclosure included both a 2-liter nylon reservoir and a 12-liter metallic reservoir, each with low-level switches, pressure gauges, and individual air filter regulators. A strobe light was wired to monitor the lubricant level in each reservoir and alert staff in the event of a low oil condition.

A secondary stainless steel enclosure housed metering manifolds, pressure switches, and 16 Ilcomatic metering valves (0.1cc per cycle) with corresponding output bulkheads and 90° push-lock fittings, allowing seamless integration with the customer’s existing tubing. The system was delivered with output groupings pre-configured to match the customer’s chain layout: three on one side and thirteen on the other.

Additional components included a 10-liter and 5-liter Xpel™ Oil Storage Container Kit, each equipped with a pump to facilitate oil storage and transfer. Because the customer already had air solenoids and controls in place, these were not included in our scope. The pumps were designed to run at a maximum of 4 cycles per minute, with flexibility for further calibration via the customer’s PLC or future metering valve adjustments.

This fully integrated system provides precise and consistent oiling at each lubrication point while simplifying maintenance in a demanding production environment.