The OCL-M system, which was developed specifically for equipment such as balers and combines, is said to dispense precise amounts of lubricant to the moving chain.
According to SKF, this reduces wear on the chain – giving it a service life up to five times longer than one that is manually lubricated.
Daniel Gonzales, SKF’s global lubrication offer manager agriculture, said: “Farmers don’t want distractions – they just need their baling machines to last the duration of the harvest. By reducing chain wear, the OCL-M automatic lubrication system lessens the chance of downtime.”
OCL-M includes brushes that clean the chain during operation. This is claimed to further improve equipment reliability by resisting the effects of large amounts of dust and hay. Accurate dispensing is expected to control costs in several ways: it reduces lubricant use; it requires no manual application; and it reduces maintenance by improving chain reliability.
OCL-M is available as pre-configured kits, which vary in size depending on the number and type of chains that need to be lubricated. It requires no hydraulic or electrical fittings.
The system is mounted directly onto a machine’s shaft. A variety of pump elements and outlets allows a range of lubricant dosage. The dosage is adjusted by moving an adjustment disk. This helps the system cope with varying demands, such as larger machinery or more extreme conditions.