Lubricators and cartridges can be refilled multiple times

Manual lubrication frequently takes place too late and with too much lubricant. An automatic lubricant supply prevents over-lubrication and under-lubrication and also saves time and extends the bearings’ operating life. 

Maintenance outlay and maintenance costs can be reduced by up to 30% compared with manual lubrication, and problem-free production is ensured in the long term.

Schaeffler has now expanded its CONCEPT range through the addition of further automatic lubricators.

In addition to the existing lubricators – the CONCEPT2 with two lubricant supply line outlets and the CONCEPT8 with eight lubricant supply line outlets – the range is now completed by the CONCEPT1, launched in the UK in November 2020 and CONCEPT4 lubricators. The CONCEPT1 is designed for automatic relubrication of one lubrication point, while the CONCEPT4 can independently supply up to four lubrication points. 

Another new development is that the CONCEPT1 lubricator itself and the replacement cartridges for the CONCEPT4 can be filled up to three times in just a few steps, even with greases from outside Schaeffler’s proprietary Arcanol range. This reduces waste, helps protect the environment, and saves maintenance costs.

Thanks to its ease of installation and application, the CONCEPT1 is primarily suitable as a starting point in the field of automatic relubrication. It is available in 60cm³ and 125cm³ sizes and is powered via electrochemical reaction by a gas-producing dry cell, which means that an external power supply is not needed. 

The CONCEPT1 is suitable for use in a wide range of applications, including electric motors, pumps, and belt conveyors. Due to its compact dimensions, it can be mounted in virtually any lubrication point. Furthermore, the CONCEPT1 is also certified for operation in explosion-proof areas (according to ATEX). 

The CONCEPT4 is suitable for minimum-quantity lubrication, dispensing just 0.15 cm³ per actuation impulse. It was intentionally designed without an integrated timer for the lubricant dosage and without a display with control buttons, which makes it particularly robust in application.

The CONCEPT4 is regulated solely via an external control unit and is thus aimed exclusively at customers who have an existing PLC infrastructure.

Unlike the CONCEPT1, the CONCEPT4 utilises special lubricant cartridges (as do the CONCEPT2 and CONCEPT8).

The CONCEPT4 lubricator, which utilises cartridges with a standard size of 400 cm³ and has four outlets for lubricant supply lines, can also create particularly high delivery pressures of up to 70bar. This ensures that lubricant reaches even hard-to-access points that require long lubricant supply lines, such as those found in electric motors, fans, pumps, gearboxes, compressors, and machine tools, for example.