How to smear plastic gears on rs models. CISS forum: important: who smears printers with what? Common lubricants for plastic mechanisms

The need for lubrication of gears is obvious. This reduces friction, wear, and increases the productivity of mechanisms. Depending on the version of the unit (crankcase or "dry"), the lubrication method also changes.

In the first case, liquid oil is poured into the unit, in the second, a grease is used, which is held on the gears.

As with metal components, plastic gear lubricant can be thick or thin. It is believed that gears made of PTFE or Teflon are anti-frictional in themselves.

Is there a special grease for plastic gears?

Almost all manufacturers lubricants have in their assortment compositions for plastic, and composites based on it. In theory, standard multipurpose greases can be used. However, not all of them interact well with plastics.

When in contact with ordinary grease, plastic can lose strength and crack. The teeth are destroyed, the transmission unit fails.
The material of gears and toothed racks swells when interacting with some compounds. Jamming occurs.
The adhesion on the surfaces of the plastic gears is too weak, so the standard greases do not hold and are splashed with vigorous rotation.

Interestingly, some traditional greases that have proven themselves well in metal gearboxes are destructive plastic gears... For example, in use, the teeth wear off as if an abrasive paste were being applied.

For this reason, special adapted formulations are produced for plastic gears of reducers and worm gears.

Another technical nuance: plastic gearboxes get hotter than metal gear pairs. This is due to the low thermal conductivity of plastic: heat is not removed from the working area.

In this regard, high temperature grease for plastic gears must maintain basic properties, both in the cold and in the hot state.

Applying grease to plastic gears

multimedia equipment using outdated storage media (CDs, cassettes), which use rotation mechanisms;
computers, servers (CDs);
computer peripherals: scanners, printers, game manipulators;
printing equipment: plotters, devices large format printing, duplicating equipment;
office equipment: copiers, multifunction devices;
cash registers;
mechanisms for cooking: for example, coffee makers;
Medical equipment;
aircraft modeling.

Given their application areas, specialty lubricants have to meet more than just mechanical requirements. Sanitary and hygienic certification is required in medical and food processing units. Therefore, such formulations, by definition, cannot be cheap.

Common lubricants for plastic mechanisms

Silicon Fett by Liqui Moly

perfectly adheres to the surface, repels water. Properties are maintained over a wide temperature range. Due to its good stickiness, it does not splash on high speeds.

This composition has a long service life: it is not replaced due to aging, after several years of use, the grease dries out naturally.

It interacts neutrally with both clean plastic and transmission pairs from various materials: plastic + metal, plastic + rubber.

note

The only limitation: Cannot be used in the food and medical industry unless the gearbox mechanisms are in a sealed area.

Another product from Liqui Moly

Thermoflex Spezialfett. It is a versatile grease that can work in both metal and plastic gearboxes. The undoubted advantage of this composition is the retention of viscosity at low temperatures.

However, with strong heat, the grease does not adhere well to the surface of the gears. Therefore, it is not suitable for high speed gearboxes. Not a food product.

Silicone grease SI-180

Not a bad option for domestic production. It is mainly used for aircraft modeling, so the form of release is quite compact.

This grease can withstand high temperatures and rotational speeds. In addition, it adheres perfectly to the teeth and does not splatter. Traditional limitation: the grease is not food grade.

Nutritional formulations

For example, OKS 1110. The instructions indicate the application: sealing mechanisms. In fact, these lubricants work great on gear pairs as well.

Outcome

If your plastic gear or worm gear works occasionally, you can get by with inexpensive silicone grease or a simple one.

And at high temperature and high-speed loads, it is necessary to carefully select the composition of the lubricant according to its characteristics.

Today, the world of printer lubricants is a mess. Lubricants for printers are usually sold by spare parts sellers who have no idea what and why they are doing, so they can simply sell lubricant for old Xerox copiers under the guise of lubricant for thermal films of modern Hewlett Packard printers. At the same time, prices for lubricants border on prices for precious metals.
The company "Oltar" together with the representative office of the world famous manufacturer of lubricants Molykote decided to put things in order in the issue of sales of lubricants for printers on the Russian Market. All offered greases are tested and recommended by experienced technicians by Molykote, not homebrew parts dealers. You can be sure of your choice.

The main types of lubricants used in Hewlett Packard laser printers.

1. Lubrication of gears of gearboxes, where the latter rotate at an average speed when exposed to temperatures up to 80 ° C. The load on the gears is uniformly rotational. In this regard, HP grease works perfectly. This grease is not commercially available. Instead, various lubricants are sold that meet the assigned tasks by 50 - 70%. As a rule, sellers have no idea what they are selling, what properties and durability their product has.

2. Thermal film lubricants. HP uses a unique lubricant that is ideally suited to the application. The grease does not flow, has negligible viscosity, does not evaporate, and does not lose its mechanical and chemical properties... The thermal film is rotated exclusively by the pressure of the Teflon-coated rubber shaft and does not have any gears. Works at temperatures up to 240 degrees, has several basic types. Grease for thermal films is a separate topic. It's not realistic to buy it... On Russian market are presented either mediocre lubricants that can work for a limited time at temperatures up to 200 degrees or just an outright surrogate, after which blurry images appear, paper jams in the oven, image repetitions, and others. Usually, after 700 - 1200 copies, such grease turns brown, becomes sticky, viscous and slows down the rotation of the thermal film.

3. Lubricant used in the gears of the stoves (fusing units). This is the most difficult case. Gears work with vector or directional load. In addition, the gears operate at sharp temperature changes and at speeds much higher than average. 20 to 120 degrees. HP uses the same lubricants as in point 1. This approach is fundamentally wrong. The grease is squeezed out of the teeth and the gears run no more than 50 - 70,000 copies. The problems of these lubricants are clearly shown in Fig 1, Fig 2.

4. Lubricants for bushings, bearings, teflon-rubber stove shafts. Hewlett Packard generally does not use any lubricant at all on fusing unit bushing. In modern high-speed laser printers, this leads to the fact that after 30 - 60 thousand copies, the bushing is eaten away by 1 - 2 mm, the rubber shaft sags, the film falls to one side and eats up its edge. The gears begin to work at the edges of the teeth with a lot of noise, which turns into a loud crackle. The printer breaks down and needs repair.

Oltar offers the following types of printer lubricants.

1. For lubrication of gears of reducers, as well as for lubrication of oscillating units of stoves and gears of rubber shafts of fusing units - Molykote EM-50L grease.
Unlike conventional greases, the proposed grease works up to 150 degrees Celsius, does not thicken over time, is not afraid of temperature changes and does not lose its properties over time. This grease can be applied to both plastic and metal gears.

2. Lubricant for thermal films of printers, both polymer and aluminum. Lubricant type - Molykote HP-300 Grease. The grease works at temperatures up to 280 degrees, does not evaporate, does not change its physical and chemical properties over time. The lubricant does not become sticky and does not slow down the movement of the thermal film, the image is not smeared. The grease is universal and can be used both in home-class printers such as HP LJ 1012 and in powerful modern printers such as HP LJ P4515 with a print speed of 45 sheets per minute. The lubricant is also good in that even if the thermal film is punctured, it continues to work. While other lubricants under the influence of toner begin to crystallize and cut the rotating film from the inside.
The grease is excellent for bushings of rubber shafts of printer ovens, does not corrode plastic bushings and does not introduce additional heat into aluminum shafts of the printer rotating under the influence of high temperature. The grease does not destroy the protective layer - aluminum oxide!

Modern types of plastics and polymers make it possible to use not only as seals, but also to make gears from them. This opens up many opportunities for engineers, but also many challenges. The main problem was the lack of suitable lubricants. Conventional products intended for metal are not suitable, as they can corrode plastic, change its structure and physical properties. Therefore, special types of funds have been developed. Lubrication for plastic gears allows you to achieve the necessary lubricating properties, protect the material from external factors and provide minimal friction.

Features of the use of grease for plastic gears

Many people believe that if the gears are made of plastic, they do not require lubrication. Unfortunately, this often leads to damage and premature wear of the mechanisms. Plastic grease should be used for almost all types of plastic gears, as it provides the following functions:

provides a long service life of plastic gears and prevents premature wear;
ensures stable operation of mechanisms without interruptions;
prevents the occurrence of unpleasant noises and squeaks, providing almost silent operation;
keeps the working surface of rubbing parts intact, without roughness and abrasions;
prevents the deformation of the working elements of the gearboxes and the occurrence of cracks;
protects nodes from the influence of external factors, especially high and low temperatures.

There is a misconception that plastic gears can be lubricated with conventional lubricants. It is categorically impossible to do this, since negative consequences are possible.

Even universal formulations cannot guarantee high effectiveness. Exposure of plastics to conventional mixtures can have the following consequences:

Under the influence of conventional lubrication, the plastic loses its strength, and small cracks appear on its surface. This quickly leads to damage to the teeth of the gears, which becomes the cause of the failure of the entire mechanism. Then it will not work to restore the gear pairs with lubricant.
Certain types can cause the surface of plastic parts to swell. This leads to jamming of the gears, which can lead to damage to the teeth and the entire assembly as a whole.
Plastic surfaces have poor adhesion. Because of this, the classic grease does not stick to the gears and flies to the sides during fast rotation.
Some types, such as grease, act as an abrasive. During operation, the teeth of the gears can wear off before our eyes. This usually renders the parts completely unusable.
Classic greases cannot provide the required heat transfer. Plastic gearboxes differ from metal gearboxes in that they get very hot during operation. Regular oil melts and loses the desired consistency, which leads to overheating of the plastic and changes in its shape and physical properties.

Today, plastic gears are used in various fields:

computer hardware, especially servers;
office equipment, including printers and scanners.
multimedia equipment, the work of which is based on rotary mechanisms;
printing equipment, copying equipment and devices for large format printing;
in some car parts;
cash registers;
food processing equipment, including conveyors, mixing and transfer equipment.
kitchen appliances;
medical equipment;
children's toys, radio-controlled models of airplanes and cars.

Special attention is required for lubricants for plastic gears intended for medical and food equipment, since they are subject to not only mechanical requirements, but also hygienic ones.

How to choose?

Before buying oil, you need to study all the varieties, determine what it is for and make sure that it meets the following requirements:

Inertness to polymers (the grease should not react with plastic, so as not to harm moving parts, even universal mixtures can damage the plastic surface).
Stability of the composition (grease for plastic gears should adhere well to the plastic surface and not change the viscosity and density at low and high temperatures).
Versatility (very often in moving mechanisms, elements are used not only from plastic, but also from metal with rubber, so the tool should be suitable for different materials).
Compatible with PTFE (most plastic gear mechanisms are made from this material, so if there is no information about the material, such a lubricant will almost certainly work).
Resistant to ignition (plastic gearboxes get very hot, so the grease should not spontaneously ignite from high temperatures).
Environmental friendliness (it should be safe for humans, since plastic friction pairs are often found in kitchen and other equipment with which a person comes into direct contact).
Resistance to moisture (it must protect the mechanism from water and not wash off with it).
Good adhesion (the plastic surface is very smooth, so ordinary oils do not adhere well to parts).

When choosing a lubricant, it is important to consider the type of operating mechanisms and the conditions under which they operate. With this in mind, several types can be distinguished:

For mechanisms with plastic and metal parts (the lubricant must adhere perfectly to the surface of various materials, protect the metal from corrosion and dissipate heat well).
For mechanisms operating at high temperatures (the lubricant must retain its properties and structure at extreme temperatures)
For mechanisms that operate at low temperatures (ordinary oils in winter or refrigeration equipment freeze, therefore, a lubricant should be selected that is capable of maintaining the base viscosity, regardless of temperature).
For gear drives operating under increased loads (conventional grease under high load is squeezed out of the working area, as a result of which it is destroyed protective film and the service life of the mechanisms is significantly reduced).
For equipment Food Industry and for plastic parts household appliances(production food products provides for direct contact of working mechanisms with food, therefore ordinary lubricants are not suitable for such purposes, because they contain substances harmful to humans).

Common formulations

To lubricate plastic gears of the beam, choose formulations from global brands that have specialized in developing formulations for many decades. Among the most common are the following:

Silicon Fett. A multipurpose grease for plastics with excellent adhesion and water repellency. It can work in a wide range of temperatures, both at low and high temperatures. When working at high speeds, it does not fly apart, but adheres well to the surface of the plastic. long term service, it does not require replacement until it is practically dry, which occurs after several years of operation. It can be used in mechanisms that combine plastic with metal or rubber.
Cannot be used for food processing equipment and in open gearboxes. An analogue is Silicot silicone grease.
Thermoflex Spezialfett. It also belongs to the universal ones, which can be equally used not only in plastic mechanisms, but also in metal ones. It differs in that it retains its properties and structure at low temperatures. But it is not suitable for tall ones, as it begins to melt and spread, as a result of which the protective film is destroyed and friction increases. Also cannot be used for food processing equipment.
SI-180. Domestic silicone grease. It is sold in small syringes, as it is used to lubricate small mechanisms. The white grease adheres perfectly to the plastic surface without changing its properties at high temperatures. It does not belong to the food group.
Lubricants for food processing equipment. This is a separate group, the price of which is much higher than usual, and is used in household equipment and in manufacturing. The most popular is OKS 1110, which is used not only for lubrication but also for sealing. You can also highlight the food grade Loctite grease for plastic and rubber, made on the basis of silicone.
The service life of plastic mechanisms directly depends on their care. Choosing a quality lubricant will allow you to achieve optimal, trouble-free operation and save money on repairs.

Better find real lubricants like
O-2 (liquid yellow) (shaft),
O-12 (liquid transparent (more viscous than O-12)) (gear axles),
G-26 (thick white) (shaft (rubbing), gears),
G-58 (thick pink) (gears, etc.)

If there is no way to get such things -
which of liquid lubricants are ideal: silicone grease, teflon oil
from thick (lithols will not go - they are reactive enough) - as already mentioned - honey vaseline

| Message Submitted March 28, 2007 - 13:25 TuMyPuK

;) I'll add to FreeKnight's answer But how I do it myself:

O-2 (liquid yellow) (shaft) - high-speed coolers and Epson shafts - matrix and jet (impregnation of felt under P / G, 5-6 drops along the length of the shaft)

O-12 (liquid transparent (more viscous than O-2)) (gear axles) - I don’t know, we have WHITE GREASE, MOLYKOTE X5-6020, UKOG-0158FCZZ is a silicone grease for low-speed coolers, shafts, etc. ...

G-26 (thick white) (shaft (rubbing), gears) - yes, but not using.

G-58 (thick pink) (gears, etc.) - yes, movement (fastening) and sliding of the Epson C42-84 carriage, etc.

| Message Sent 09 April 2007 - 15:47

GuestYura_ *

Has anyone come across such a "fuel oil"?

SP5539 / 284 g
Silicone grease STEP UP

Water-repellent, heat-resistant, universal protection for metal, rubber and plastic. Forms on the treated surface the thinnest, super-slippery corrosion-resistant protective layer with 100% water-repellent properties, efficient from -50 ° C to + 220 ° C. Contains WetOut silicone moisture expelling agent. It is actively used in everyday life: it lubricates, protects locks, door and window hinges from freezing and corrosion. It is used as a multipurpose grease for motorcycle, bicycle equipment and household appliances. Gives water-repellent properties to shoes.

It burns, when applied, it evaporates quickly, it is also written on the cylinder that you cannot lubricate electric motors with it. Here I think whether it is worth lubricating the shaft with it or not: -X
For testing, I lubricated the guide on a roller cutter with it, the impressions are the most favorable, there is no lubricant as such (it evaporated), but the handle slides perfectly.

Attached Images

| Message Sent 09 April 2007 - 22:14 Yuha

I figure it out like this:
The most problematic place in inkjet printer is the guide bar (or guide rail). Due to the ingress of dust, the lubricant turns into an abrasive, which must be removed from time to time. It is better to lubricate with greases (thick) based on silicone, if the PG bushings are not bronze-graphite.
The rest is not worth smearing. It seems to me that there is enough lubricant there for the entire real service life.

| Message Submitted 10 April 2007 - 07:28 TuMyPuK

@) -> - Let me disagree with Yukha in the aspect "The rest should not be smeared. It seems to me that there is enough lubricant there for the entire real life." turns into gray-dirty colors and starts to squeak noticeably, I won't say 100% for sure, but there are grains of sand, and just working off from the guides.
And when the whole thing is cleaned and lubricated anew, then everything becomes much better. All printers without CISS. ;)

| Message Submitted 10 April 2007 - 08:56

GuestYura_ *

In those places where the factory grease remained, it thickened, so I removed it and sprinkled it with silicone, like the printer somehow began to work softer when the paper pulls and the pump works: -X. Plus, this fuel oil cleans, that is, it first washes away the dirt, and then evaporates, forming the very "Super-slippery protective layer". I wanted to lubricate the shaft with it precisely because it will not collect dust, but after several A4 photos a creak appeared, in short, for these purposes, thick grease is still needed.
I don't know about a printer, but the cutter that I processed with this silicone definitely began to work better :)

| Message Submitted 10 April 2007 - 10:43 TuMyPuK

@) -> - I repeat, but still
O-2 (liquid yellow) (shaft) - high-speed coolers and Epson shafts - matrix and jet (impregnation of felt under P / G, 5-6 drops along the length of the shaft).
After removing the remnants of the old grease with a dry cloth (I use lint-free optics from copiers). And I wipe it with alcohol to make it completely clean. Next, I remove the felt from under the carriage, the one between the shaft and the carriage, turn it over on the contrary, 2-3 drops on it and collect it. And everything becomes as good as new, white and fluffy. IMHO! And so on until the next time, or until the change of the shaft, carriage or head, then fig as he knows. @) -> -

| Message Submitted 10 April 2007 - 15:04 Yuha

I would not like to go into terminology again, although it should be clarified that the word "cooler" means a cooler. Usually, this is a heatsink-fan bundle. In life, this ligament cannot be high-speed. :)
This is my only comment on TuMyPuK's post.
Otherwise I agree with him. Half. :)
......................
There is something to talk about in the topic, to argue, like, but I have a request to the mega-moderator: to consider removing the punishment from the previously "distinguished" participants.

| Message Submitted 10 April 2007 - 15:35 TuMyPuK

@) -> - JuHa, thanks for the support and for "There is something to talk about in the topic, to argue, like, but I have a request to the mega-moderator: consider removing the punishment from previously" distinguished "participants." But after all, there are rules, and I am their violator, and the "flags" will remove the numbers that way on the 16th, so I do not worry about this. Naturally "cooler" was meant - FAN, but thanks for the comment. With this grease "O-2" I lubricate the rods of the impeller of fans in sleeve bearings with a speed of more than 2500 revolutions, such as, for example, Thermaltake. For some of these bastards are spinning at 5500 rpm. Whoever heard the spread - he will not forget! And for example, I use MOLYKOTE X5-6020 in a 50g can on the fans of power supplies. Silicone, as declared non-drying, has actually been used in my power supply for 2 years.

| Message Submitted 10 April 2007 - 18:04 Yuha

TuMyPuK, my computer uses a boxed version of the fourth "pentium".
Four years - no fan lubrication. Previously there was a second pentium, then a third. Boxing too. And also did not bother with lubrication.
I try to buy additional fans with SWING bearings. They make a little more noise, but there are fewer problems.
As for the names of "branded" lubricants, then the situation is similar to that of "branded" ink - you cannot find "firmU" in the village, and what is offered under "firmOy" usually does not turn out to be one.

| Message Sent 11 April 2007 - 07:05 Dimka_Dzerzhinsk

Now, joining the post, YuHi would like to ask a question:
"Since you won't find firms in the village," you can't find such lubricants, as described here, in the daytime with fire ... And my printer is R220, 2 months old as it whistled when the carriage moved, and continues ... the lubrication is noticeable on the ground, where the carriage pauses ... but then why is this squeaking happening? How can you lubricate? In principle, it does not really interfere, but the creak just does not appear and does not pass without a trace.
I tried to find silicone grease or a spindle in our village - also a disastrous thing: (Litols, as it was written at the beginning of the topic, are destructive.

| Message Sent 11 April 2007 - 08:16 TuMyPuK

@) -> - YuHa - with all due respect. BOXING fans from Intel are a thing for almost the entire life of a computer. They are not intended for additional lubrication. There is a composite grease for life, just like in sealed bearings. And, I agree, they are less noisy. It is about greases for shafts and guides. So we ourselves do not live in Moscow either, and Zip-Zip is not around the corner. But still, everyone in the city has those who are engaged in copying technology! So you can ask them or order through them? Guys in services are usually accommodating, if humanly asked! Or am I wrong? >: o

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