WIRE ROPE LUBRICATION SYSTEM
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| Overview: | The Wire Rope Lubrication System
has been designed as an alternative for the manual cleaning and
lubrication of wire ropes. Using the Wire Rope Lubrication System, old
lubricant and grit are mechanically scraped from the grooves and surfaces
of the wire ropes. Simultaneously, new lubricant is uniformly applied to
the cleaned wire ropes surface and injected into the inner core of wires.
The new lubricant will reduce wear between individual strands of wire and
displace trapped moisture in the wire rope, which is a major cause of
corrosion. These two actions help to maintain a high level of confidence
in the safety of the wire rope and extend its working life.
Currently, most wire rope maintenance is performed by hand. Shipboard or shore based personnel clean the rope using wire brushes and manually apply new lubricant using mops, rags and brushes. Manual application often means using a low viscosity lubricant that is designed to penetrate to the core by gravity. It is also tedious and requires an inordinate amount of time and labor. The Wire Rope Lubrication System can clean, scrape and lubricate wire ropes using a higher viscosity lubricant in less time. The benefit of using a higher viscosity lubricant is a longer period of fluid film support protection against internal wire friction and corrosion. The Wire Rope Lubrication System consists of a Groove Cleaner Kit, a Seal and Scraper Plate Kit that fits in the Collar Unit, a Cart/Drum Pump Unit and all the other equipment required to clean and lubricate wire rope. The recommended air pressure settings for various rope travel speeds and lubricant viscosities are provided in the equipment’s operating manual. Each size wire rope requires a correctly sized Seal and Scraper Plate Kit and optional Groove Cleaner Kit. If the user has additional sizes of wire rope that require cleaning and lubrication, the corresponding sized Seal and Scrapper Plate Kit and optional Groove Cleaner Kit will need to be ordered. The seal kits slip easily into the lubrication collar and the groovers snap directly onto the wire rope. |
| Compliance Benefit: | The wire rope lubrication
system will prolong the life of metal wire thereby, decreasing the amount
of solid waste going to a landfill. The decrease in solid waste helps
facilities meet the requirements under Executive Order
12873 requiring executive agencies (i.e., DOD) to incorporate
waste prevention and recycling in their daily operations. In addition,
since the system decreases the generation of used oil (the higher
viscosity oil last longer) less personnel time is spent managing used oil
under 40 CFR 279 or 40 CFR 262.
The compliance benefits listed here are only meant to be used as a general guideline and are not meant to be strictly interpreted. Actual compliance benefits will vary depending on the factors involved, e.g. the amount of workload involved. |
| Materials Compatibility: | The Wire Rope Lubrication System is compatible with the wire rope lubricants currently used shipboard and shore-side. The Wire Rope Lubrication System has been added to the US Navy Allowed Equipment List (AEL) and assigned a National Stock Number by the Defense Construction Supply Center. |
| Safety and Health: | Proper design, operation, and
maintenance of the equipment is required for its safe use. Care should be
taken when handling lubricants, especially when pressurized. Proper
personnel protective equipment is recommended.
Consult your local industrial health specialist, and your local health and safety personnel prior to implementing this technology. |
| Benefits: |
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| Disadvantages: |
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| Economic Analysis: | The economic analysis for the
Wire Rope Lubrication System is not complete at this time. The equipment
is part of an R&D effort to place pollution prevention equipment
shipboard to reduce the quantity of hazardous waste generated and off
loaded to the shore facility. Cost benefit data and analysis for this
equipment will be made available as it is received from the fleet.
Excerpts from customer letters to the vendor indicate that manpower
savings of up to 50% may be attainable. |
| Approving Authority: | Approval is controlled locally
and should be implemented only after engineering approval has been
granted. Major claimant approval is not required.
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| NSN/MSDS: |
*There are multiple MSDSs for most
NSNs. |
| Points of Contact: | Navy: Mr. Dan Bojorquez Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center 1100 23rd Avenue ESC 423 Port Hueneme, CA 93043-4370 Phone: (805) 982-3425 DSN: 551-3425 FAX: (805) 982-4832 Mr. Thomas Luchay Mr. Drew Jackson |
| Vendors: | This is not meant to be a
complete list, as these are other manufacturers of this type of
equipment.
The Kirkpatrick Group, Inc. Grignard Company, Inc. |
| Sources: | Mr. Daniel Bojorquez, Naval Facilities
Engineering Service Center, November 1999.
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