The Problem: Pellet Mill Maintenance Spread Across Two Floors
The manufacturer used 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 into any gaps as needed. 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. 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 required the manufacturer to transport 120 lb. kegs of grease via elevator to the fourth floor frequently. The process was time-consuming and labor-intensive, leading to significant operational downtime.
Airborne Contamination
The system supplying grease to the dispensing gun sat in an environment prone to airborne debris and contaminants. While typical for operational settings, these foreign particles shortened the lifespan of the system’s components and complicated grease container changes. 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 maintenance of the feed pellet machine were critical factors in the design of the lubrication system.
The Challenge: Four Constraints on One System
GP Reeves began by identifying the specific aggravations the new grease dispensing equipment needed to avoid. We took the manufacturer’s issues with their previous 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 had to consider a more practical dispense system layout to ease the manufacturer’s space and distance issues. Ideally, the system could be configured so the pump could be reloaded from the main floor of the plant, eliminating the back-and-forth. That meant the new system would need to pump against gravity to reach the facility’s third floor.
Prevent Wasted Material
Saving material expense was a high priority in the system design. 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 required.
Combat Factory Conditions
GP Reeves recognized the need to seal the dispense system from the plant’s environmental conditions. To limit the potential of airborne particles entering the system, we needed to provide an extra level of protection.
Each of these challenges had to be 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: One System, Two Floors, 3.3× the Capacity
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 each component’s specific needs, including the appropriate amount, rate, pressure, and volume. GP Reeves developed a decoupled grease dispensing system with components 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 eliminated the need for a dual-system setup, replacing it with a single system that automatically lubricates the back components while allowing 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 volume capacity by 3.3 times. This significantly reduced the frequency of container changes. The pump’s big boost ratio also allowed it to 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 level indicating it was empty, the chamber refilled automatically, ensuring airless grease was always ready for dispensing. This 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 each component received the correct amount of lubrication, maintaining optimal operation of the feed pellet mill.
End Result: Pellet Mill Maintenance Cut From 45 Minutes to 10
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.
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