Excavator slewing bearings daily checking

Slewing bearing lubrication

Slewing bearings should be lubricated regularly with No. 2 extreme pressure lithium grease. Slow-rotating equipment or swinging applications (e.g., backhoes, excavators, cranes) should be relubricated every 100 hours or so of operation. For fast-moving or continuously rotating equipment, such as trenchers and drillers, more frequent lubrication may be required, daily or even every eight hours. When adding grease, the bearing should be rotated to disperse the grease everywhere. Infuse it until you see old grease squeezing through the seal; This is called a purge of the skin. The removed grease carries contaminants out of the slewing ring bearing. If you find grit or metal chips, there may be a problem inside the slewing ring and you need to stop for inspection. The grease dries out over a long period of time, which can form condensation within the bearing. You can avoid this by adding grease at least every six months, even if the equipment is idle.

Gear lubrication

Most large bearings have teeth that need to be lubricated, and these requirements are different from those of the bearing itself. Because the meshing action of the teeth tends to extrude the lubricant, the gears should be lubricated every eight hours for slow or intermittent rotating equipment, and more frequently on equipment that rotates quickly or continuously. A small amount of grease should be added to the meshing point between the gear and pinion.

Seal

It is advisable to carry out regular visual inspections of the seals on the slewing bearings to ensure that they are intact. Many people overlook the importance of seals, but they go a long way in preventing contamination of the backing raceways.

Bolt

Torque checking of Bolts should be part of any routine maintenance routine. The frequency of these inspections depends on the severity of the service. Vibration and shock tend to loosen bolts, but regular torque checking and tightening will help maintain proper preload levels. Mounting bolts should be tightened to the proper level and checked regularly to ensure proper preload. Bolts that are not properly preloaded may fail, resulting in damage to the equipment.