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Stacker Reclaimer units operate under harsh environmental conditions and demanding production schedules. These circumstances present numerous maintenance challenges and often lead to neglect of lubrication tasks.

Lubrication Technologies was asked to upgrade a pre-existing lubrication system responsible for oiling multiple chains on a large Stacker Reclaimer unit. This system was unreliable and known to waste expensive lubricant due to poor design.

Lubrication Technologies designed and built seven separate, identical stand-alone lubrication systems, each equipped with an after-blow feature to keep spray nozzles clean once chain lubrication is complete. The decision to use separate systems was made to simplify the design. Each rake assembly on the reclaimer has a dedicated panel, complete with all necessary lubrication system hardware located on the traveling bridge. Six chain lubrication systems are in service simultaneously, leaving one complete panel assembly as a spare. In the event of a major problem with any of the lubrication systems, the complete panel assembly can be replaced in a matter of minutes. By mounting all essential components on the traveling bridge, any lubrication system maintenance can be performed while the Stacker Reclaimer is in operation. Only spray nozzles are mounted at the chain level.

As explained to LTI, two situations commonly occurred when the old lubrication system malfunctioned: the entire assembly would start to shake due to lack of lubrication, or lubricant consumption could be as high as one 55-gallon drum per week. With the implementation of the new lubrication systems, uniform lubrication has been achieved, and lubricant consumption has been reduced to one 55-gallon drum every five weeks. At a cost of approximately $1,100 per drum, this translates to an average cost savings of $4,400 per month. Production has increased as there is no longer a need to stop the reclaimer for manual lubrication, and employee safety has been enhanced since employees no longer need to climb on material to manually lubricate the chains.