What should you establish before choosing the oil?
Describe the chain and its joints, not only the machine name. Before sending an enquiry, collect at least:
- the chain’s continuous temperature and short temperature peaks; if you only have the dryer air temperature, mark it as indirect data;
- chain speed, pitch, number of cycles and lubrication method — manual, drip, spray or automatic;
- load, tension, chain position and joint geometry;
- dust, moisture, steam, chemicals and any material that could be contaminated by the oil;
- the current oil, cleaning method, dosing interval and requirements from the chain or machine manufacturer.
In dryers and stenters, the heating-zone temperature may differ from the temperature of the chain joint. Equipment documentation describes the process, but it does not replace a measurement on the chain or confirmation from the chain manufacturer. Compare the temperature range in the oil data sheet with the chain temperature, not the air temperature.
Why does high temperature change the choice?
Tsubaki lists lubricant deterioration and carbonisation among the effects of running a chain at high temperature: the joints articulate poorly and wear increases. For these conditions Tsubaki recommends a special lubricant. When the lubricating film does not reach the surfaces between pin and bush, friction and wear rise and the chain elongates. Temperature also changes viscosity, so an oil that penetrates well when cold may behave differently once hot.
Do not transfer the temperature claim for one formulation to other oils of the same brand. In the data sheet for the specific product, check the operating temperature range, ISO VG viscosity grade, flash point, compatibility with the current lubricant and the recommended application method.
Viscosity must let the oil reach the joint
The oil has to form a film and also enter the narrow gap between pin and bush. iwis lists both high viscosity and good flow properties among the properties a chain lubricant needs. Too low a viscosity may not hold a film under load; too high a viscosity may hinder penetration and dosing. So do not reach for the highest viscosity grade by default; match it to speed, temperature and delivery method.
Thermal stability is not enough
Stability at high temperature is only one requirement. iwis also lists adhesion, compatibility with the initial factory lubricant, corrosion protection, load-carrying capacity of the oil film and creep capability. The process adds contamination, the oil’s effect on the material and the possibility of regular cleaning. If the oil can reach the product, check the approval of the specific oil: in the Molyguard catalogue, NSF H1 registration for the food and pharmaceutical industries is listed for MOLY CHAIN AL, not for every chain oil in the range.
How should you read a chain-oil range?
In the chain oils and fluids category, several products mention high temperature in their descriptions, including ERRE 9 (chains at high temperature and under heavy load), ERRE 19 (conveyor and transmission chains at high temperature) and RSM 9 with molybdenum disulphide (chains, bearings and rollers in ovens and dryers). They differ in viscosity grade and additives, so a shared reference to high temperature does not settle the choice.
For textile installations, the Molyguard 2022 catalogue (p. 7) lists MOLYGUARD MOLY CHAIN among oils for the textile industry: a synthetic ester oil for chains and bearings in the textile industry, especially for stenter and dryer chains. The catalogue gives an operating temperature of −10 to +250 °C and viscosity grades from ISO VG 100 to 460. Use these values as a starting point for comparison with the temperature measured on the chain and the machine maker’s requirements, not as a ready recommendation.
The delivery method is part of the choice
iwis links the lubrication method to chain speed and pitch, from an oil can or brush, through drip-feed lubrication, to an oil bath and pressure circulation. Whatever the method, the oil has to reach the joint between pin and bush, not just wet the outer plates.
- Apply the oil into the gap between the inner and outer plates and between roller and bush, on the slack side of the chain, where it has time to penetrate the joint; follow the equipment instructions.
- With drip lubrication, a faster chain needs more oil (Tsubaki); do not change the delivery method without setting the dose again.
- Set the quantity and interval. iwis recommends regular relubrication with a suitably adjusted amount rather than long intervals with large quantities.
How do you check the choice on the line?
Run the trial as a controlled change, not as a one-off top-up with a new oil. First check whether the new oil is compatible with the current one. If compatibility is not confirmed, plan chain cleaning according to the plant procedure. iwis does not recommend immersing the whole chain in a cleaning agent, because residues left in the joints obstruct penetration of the fresh lubricant.
- Record the baseline: temperature at a defined point, speed, dose, interval, noise, chain elongation and visible wear marks.
- Change one thing at a time: the new oil with the existing delivery method, or a new method with the same oil, under comparable operating conditions.
- After the defined period, compare the same values and check the effect on the material, including oil dripping onto the fabric. iwis suggests checking the film by opening a connecting link: the pins should show a clear, clean lubricant film. A short absence of dripping does not prove a correct choice.
What should an oil enquiry include?
In an enquiry about chain oils, give the machine model, chain type and dimensions, chain and ambient temperature, speed, load, lubrication method, current product, contamination conditions and whether the oil may contact the material. With these data, the data sheets of specific oils can be compared with the conditions on the line.
If you lack a temperature measured on the chain or the name of the current oil, start with those two: measure the chain temperature in the hot zone during operation and check what the chain is lubricated with now. Without them, even a well-described high-temperature chain oil is only a candidate for a trial.
