Regularly lubricate these areas of your autoclave’s door:
Want your autoclave to work at peak performance all the time?
Downtime slows production and that equals dollars lost!
It’s important that you follow even the smallest details of proper autoclave maintenance to keep your vessel in tip-top shape.
And those small details ARE critical.
Add the following procedures to your autoclave maintenance checklist to ensure you’re covering all the bases.
Here’s what you need to know about door lubrication guidelines.
Before you begin: Make sure that any lubricant or grease you use for this process is compatible with the equipment and the product you are processing within the autoclave.
Use a top-notch, high-temperature grease like Chevron Molybdenum Grease EP, NLGI2 to wipe clean and lubricate all the wedges on the locking ring and the door, paying attention to each face.
The wedges should have a thin film of lubricant on them at all times. Check this at least once a day. It may need to be checked more frequently, depending on the number of cycles run each day.
The rear of the lock ring provides lubrication via several hydraulic grease fittings.
This is another task that calls for a high-quality, high-pressure grease like Chevron Molybdenum Grease EP, NLG12.
It’s important that you don’t allow too much grease or debris to build up. The locking ring surfaces (and the wedges) must be cleaned completely and re-greased every month.
The face of the O-Ring needs to be wiped clean and lubricated daily – or as often as necessary.
Keep the metal seal face and seal as clean as possible.
You’ll want to use O-Ring grease that is suitable for the gasket material and can stand up under the necessary operating temperatures.
Use a grease that conforms to NLG12 penetration. It shouldn’t have any chemical impurities like dust, rust, metal particles or any other abrasives.
We recommend Chevron Black Pearl Grease EP, NLG12.
Pump the grease slowly until a slight bead forms around the seals. This bead is an indicator that re-lubrication is adequate, but that’s not all.
It’s also extra protection against foreign material that would try to get in the hinge bearings.
Grease the hinge bearings about every three months.
These rollers are lubricated by a grease fitting in the rear of the roller axle.
Each guide bracket usually has two rollers.
These door-lubrication tasks may seem almost insignificant, but the opposite is true.
For your autoclave to work as it should and keep production moving along, you have to pay attention to the smallest details.
Proper lubrication of door wedges, locking rings, O-rings, hinge bearings and locking ring rollers is an important task with big implications.
You’ll understand just how big if you neglect the job and experience issues that cause downtime and lost revenue.
Add these vital tasks to your autoclave maintenance checklist and stay on track.
