What are the effects of using too little lubricant in a blown film machine?

As the core equipment of plastic film production, the blowing machine works by melting plastic granules at high temperature, extruding them through screw, molding them into molds, and then blowing them into continuous films. In this process, mechanical components (such as screws, gears and bearings) must be able to withstand extreme conditions of high temperature, pressure and high-speed operation. As an important auxiliary material, lubricating oil plays three core roles:

1. Reduce friction: form lubricating film on metal contact surface, reduce friction coefficient;
2. Control energy consumption: reduce energy consumption and prolong the service life of equipment;
3. Stability process: ensure uniform flow of molten plastic, avoid local overheating or stress concentration.

 

However, in actual production, the phenomenon of insufficient usage of lubricating oil is not uncommon, its potential risks are often underestimated. This paper will systematically analyze the harm of the problem from the aspects of its direct impact, long-term hidden danger and solution.

 

1.Increased mechanical wear: from minor damage to Catastrophic Failure

• Key Components damage: Insufficient lubrication increases the gap between the screw and the cylinder, causing molten plastic to flow back and exacerbate wear; bearings are dry-abraded due to lack of lubrication, resulting in metal shavings that further contaminate molten plastic.
• Case study: PE film manufacturers did not add lubricating oil to the standard, resulting in the screw surface chrome chipped off, resulting in repair costs up to $200,000, downtime losses more than $500,000.
• Data support: Experiments show that insufficient lubrication increases screw wear by 3-5 times and shortens equipment life by more than 60%.

2.Decreased Production Efficiency: Increased Energy Consumption and Production Fluctuations

• Motor Load surge: Increased friction forces the motor to operate at higher power levels, increasing energy consumption by 15%-30%.
• Frequent Maintenance Downtime: due to insufficient lubrication insufficient lubrication A multi-layer co-extrusion blown film machine experienced an average of 4 downtime per month, each repair takes 2 hours, resulting in an annual capacity loss of 8%. Contrast Analysis: If sufficient lubrication, unit energy consumption can be controlled below 0.15 kWh/kg; if insufficient lubrication, energy consumption soars over 0.22 kWh/kg.

3.Product Quality Defects: from Appearance Imperfections to Performance Degradation

• Surface Defects: Insufficient lubrication results in uneven flow of plastic melt, resulting in fringe, crystal points or film surface thickness deviations (e.g., local thickness exceeding ±10%).
• Performance Degradation: 15% -20% reduction in Tensile strength, transparency decreases (30% increase in fog haze) and failure to meet high-end packaging requirements.
• Economic costs: A food packaging company is losing more than $1 million a year by increasing customer returns by 25% due to substandard film quality.

 

 

1.Shortened Equipment Lifespan: from Component Replacement to complete obsolescence

• Cumulative Wear and tear: Insufficient lubrication accelerates fatigue damage in gear and bearings. Parts originally designed to last five years may require to be replaced after only 2 years.
• Chain reaction: A failure of a single component can lead to the closure of an entire production line, leading to an exponential increase in maintenance costs.

2.Safety upgrades: From Localized Overheating to Catastrophic Accidents

• Plastic Decomposition Risk: Excessively high localized temperatures cause plastics to degrade, releasing toxic gases such as hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide, threatening the health of operators.
• Fire risk: In one company, insufficient lubrication caused bearings to clog up and frictional heat ignited plastic debris, ultimately leading to a workshop fire with direct losses of more than $10 million.

3.Increases in hidden costs: The "Triple Burden" of Energy, Labor and stocks

• Energy waste: Long periods of high workloads can increase electricity bills electricity costs 20% -40% increase.
• Labor costs: Frequent maintenance requires more additional maintenance teams, and labor costs increase 15%%. Spare parts inventory: To cope with unexpected glitches, companies need to stockpile large quantities of spare parts, which can reduce inventory turnover by 30%.

 

1.Scientific Usage Management: Precise Control and Intelligent Monitoring

• Standardized Operation: Determine lubrication cycles (e.g., every 500 hours) and usage amounts (e.g., 200 ml per trip) in accordance with the equipment manual.
• Intelligent Monitoring System: installation of Install oil level sensors, real-time monitoring of oil level, through temperature alarm to prevent local overheating.

2.Lubricant Selection Optimization: Matching Process and Material Characteristics

• High-temperature wear-resistant type: For PE, PP and other high-temperature extrusion processes, should choose high viscosity index, high limit pressure performance of lubricating oil.
• Food-Grade Certification: When producing food packaging films, choose lube that meets FDA standards to avoid contamination risks.
• Brand Compatibility: Avoid mixing different brands of lubricant to prevent chemical conflicts that can performance degradation.

3.Operational specification training: from theory to practice.

• Regular training: Organize quarterly lubrication and maintenance training to assess operators' understanding of equipment structure and lubrication points.
• Record: Establish equipment inspection sheets and lubrication records, implement traceable management.

 

 

The harm of insufficient lubricant usage goes far beyond equipment damage. The resulting quality defects, safety hazards, and hidden costs are becoming "invisible killers" restricting enterprise competitiveness. Preventive maintenance, through scientific usage management, optimized selection, and standardized training, can reduce maintenance costs by more than 50% while improving production stability and product quality. In the future, with the popularization of intelligent monitoring technology, film blowing machine lubrication management will enter a data-driven era of precision, injecting new momentum into the overall efficiency improvement of the industry.

 

Further Consideration: Excessive use of lubricant can also lead to problems such as excessive oil content in the plastic melt and oil contamination on the film surface. Enterprises need to determine the optimal usage range through experimentation to achieve a win-win situation of "precise lubrication" and "cost balance."