TASK-BASED TRAINING | INSPECTING A SINGLE-POINT LUBRICATOR

A single-point lubricator is a device engineered to attach to a single unit to regularly and automatically deliver a small amount of clean grease or lubricating oil to a specific area.

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Figure 1: A spring-loaded single-point lubricator..

What is a Single-Point Lubricator? 

It is often used to keep bearings lubricated but can also be used to lubricate pumps, electric motors, fans, chains and conveyors, among other applications. Manually greasing bearings often result in over and under-greasing, eventually leading to premature bearing wear. Single-point lubricators can be configured to dispense the correct lubricant quantity to a single point for a predetermined period. Single-point lubricators are a popular method of extending the life of bearings and other components and preventing extended downtime due to lubrication-related failures. While there are many types, the most common are spring-loaded, electrochemical and microelectronic.

Figure 2: An electromechanical single-point lubricator.

Why use a Single-Point Lubricator? 

Single-point lubricators are designed to give a consistent, measured and continuous supply of fresh grease or lubricating oil. Some applications are hard to reach, unsafe to get to or may require a lot of excess grease. You will use a single-point lubricator to add the grease more frequently than if you could do it manually. Some suitable environments for single-point lubricators include: