Pellet Mill Lubrication: Clean Grease, Simplified Process

The Problem

The manufacturer utilized two complete lubrication systems for their pellet mill—one for each side (front and back). The system on the back was fully automated, designed to periodically monitor grease levels and dispense grease into any gaps as needed. Meanwhile, the front system was reserved for occasional manual greasing to ensure proper lubrication of the front components.

Multi-level Operation

The pellet mill requiring lubrication was located on the third floor of the facility. However, due to space constraints, the complete lubrication systems could not be housed on the same level, and the grease kegs were stored one floor above. This setup required the manufacturer to transport 120 lb. kegs of grease via elevator to the fourth floor frequently. The process was both time-consuming and labor-intensive, leading to significant operational downtime.

Airborne Contamination

The system supplying grease to the dispensing gun was situated in an environment prone to airborne debris and contaminants. While typical for operational settings, the presence of these foreign particles adversely affected the lifespan of the system’s components and complicated the process of changing grease containers. Additional time was required to clean the area before each material change, and extra precautions were necessary to prevent contamination of the new grease kegs.

Excess Material Waste

Cost and material conservation were key priorities for the manufacturer, given the high expense of food-grade grease. Minimizing material waste and reducing the risk of contamination during the maintenance of the feed pellet machine were critical factors in the design of the lubrication system.

The Challenge

GP Reeves began thinking of the specific aggravations that needed to be avoided with the new grease dispensing equipment. We took the manufacturer’s issues with their previous pellet mill lubrication equipment into consideration. Our team had to factor in the pellet feed machine’s elevation, the facility’s specific conditions, a reduction of labor intensity, and the priority of minimizing material waste.

Reduce Manual Labor

A new solution would have to consider a more practical dispense system layout to ease the manufacturer’s space and distance issues. Ideally, the dispensing solution could be configured so that the pump could be reloaded from the main floor of the plant, alleviating the need for all the back and forth. This meant the new system would need to pump against gravity as it led material to the facility’s third floor.

Prevent Wasted Material

Saving material expenses was a high priority to be considered in the system design. As stated before, food-grade grease is not cheap. They needed to know they were getting as much use out of the grease keg as possible while also cutting back on the container changes needed.

Combat Factory Conditions

GP Reeves recognized the need to seal the dispense system from the plant’s environmental conditions. In order to limit the potential of airborne particles entering the system, GP Reeves needed to provide an extra level of protection to the system.

Overall, each of these challenges had to be intricately accounted for in the design and engineering process. Luckily, GP Reeves has the world’s smartest engineers (not yet verified) to handle even the toughest of dispensing applications.

The Solution

To meet the lubrication requirements of the feed pellet machine, the dispensing system was designed to apply lubricant to the roller, die, and drum components. Given the frequent and precise lubrication demands, our engineers tailored the system to align with each component’s specific needs, including the appropriate amount, rate, pressure, and volume. GP Reeves developed a decoupled grease dispensing system with components strategically placed on different facility levels. The grease pump and controller were installed on the first floor, while the AA dispenser was positioned on the third. This design eliminated the need for a dual-system setup, replacing it with a single system that automatically lubricates the back components while allowing for manual greasing of the front.

Container Size

The manufacturer’s previous system was limited to a 120 lb. grease keg capacity. By upgrading to the GDP grease pump, which accommodates 400 lb. drums, they increased their volume capacity by 3.3 times. This significantly reduced the frequency of container changes. The pump’s high boost ratio also allowed it to efficiently supply grease vertically to the third floor. Along with the pump upgrade, we enhanced the dispensing process by integrating a customized pneumatic AA grease dispenser, which precisely controls the volume and rate of each application.

Customized Dispense

The automated system operated via a customized controller that communicated with the pump to supply grease to the dispenser. When the AA reached a certain level indicating it was empty, the chamber was automatically refilled, ensuring airless grease was always ready for dispensing. This setup allowed grease to flow smoothly through tubing to the manufacturer’s tooling. The system maintained a precise volume tolerance of +/- 0.25 cc for each application.

Protected Equipment

To safeguard against airborne contaminants, all fluid dispensing system components were housed in custom enclosures, preventing debris from entering the system. This ensured that each component received the correct amount of lubrication, maintaining optimal operation of the feed pellet mill.

End Result

Overall, the new lubrication system significantly improved production efficiency, enhanced product quality, and promoted workplace safety. The upgrade to larger containers extended the interval between keg changes from every 2-3 days to every 10 days. Manual greasing, which previously took 45 minutes, was reduced to just 10 minutes. Additionally, the dust-tight enclosure kept the system and materials clean.

Could a dispensing system from GP Reeves optimize your production process as well? Contact us today!