lubrication equipment

Heavy machinery can require several types of Lubrication Equipment, depending on the number of lubrication points, the lubricant being applied and the working environment. Common options include:

• Manual, battery-powered and air-operated grease guns
• High-pressure grease pumps
• Drum and keg pump systems
• Oil guns and suction guns
• Oil dispensers and transfer pumps
• Metered control guns
• Hose reels and delivery hoses
• Grease nipples, couplers and adaptors
• Single-point automatic lubricators
• Centralised automatic lubrication systems
• Oil drainers and waste oil handling equipment

Manual grease guns may be sufficient for machinery with a small number of accessible lubrication points. Larger equipment, plant fleets, and machinery with difficult-to-reach components may benefit from powered grease guns or an automatic system.

The best grease gun for automotive use depends on how frequently you’re going to use it, the number of lubrication points, and whether compressed air or battery power is available.

Strong options within the Lubricants SW range include:

• Professional Side Lever Grease Gun: A practical option for routine workshop use. It accepts 400g cartridges or 500g bulk fill and includes a short-stroke delivery system, metered output and four-jaw hydraulic connector.
• Wanner One-Hand Grease Gun: A compact 120g grease gun with a swivelling rigid tube and pressure capability of up to 400 bar. It is useful where access is restricted or one-handed operation is helpful.
• MATO One-Hand Air-Operated Grease Gun: Suitable for busy workshops with a compressed-air supply. It accepts 400g cartridges or bulk fill, handles grease up to NLGI 2 and has a maximum working pressure of 480 bar.
• Alemite 20 Volt Li-Ion Battery Grease Gun: A battery-powered option for frequent servicing, fleet maintenance and jobs where portability is important.

For occasional maintenance, a reliable side-lever or pistol-grip grease gun will often be sufficient. Garages carrying out repeated lubrication work may benefit from an air-operated or battery-powered model.

Start by considering how frequently the grease gun will be used and how much grease must be delivered.

A manual side-lever grease gun is generally suitable for routine maintenance and offers good pressure and control. A pistol-grip or one-handed model may be easier to use in confined areas.

Battery-powered grease guns can reduce effort when servicing multiple vehicles or machines, while air-operated models are suited to high-volume workshop use where a compressed-air supply is available.

You should also check:

• Whether the gun accepts cartridges, bulk grease or both
• The cartridge capacity
• Maximum operating pressure
• Compatibility with the grease grade
• The connector and thread size
• Whether a rigid tube or flexible hose is needed
• Accessibility of the lubrication points
• Whether measured lubricant delivery is required

The grease gun must also be suitable for the grease being used. Separate guns should ideally be allocated to different lubricant types to reduce the risk of accidental mixing or contamination.

Always follow the instructions supplied with the particular grease gun. For a typical cartridge-loaded model, the general process is:

1. Pull back and secure the plunger rod.
2. Unscrew the grease gun barrel from the head.
3. Remove the empty cartridge.
4. Insert the new cartridge in the correct direction.
5. Remove its seal or end cap as instructed.
6. Reattach the barrel without fully tightening it.
7. Release the plunger rod.
8. Use the air-release valve or slightly loosen the head to remove trapped air.
9. Tighten the gun and pump the handle until grease flows consistently.
10. Clean the coupler and grease nipple before connecting them.
11. Attach the coupler squarely to the grease nipple and apply only the specified quantity.

Different equipment is available for moving clean oil into machinery and removing used oil safely. Common options include:

• Oil cans and precision oilers
• Hand-operated oil dispensers
• Pneumatic oil dispensers
• Drum-mounted oil pumps
• Electric transfer pumps
• Metered dispensing guns
• Hose reels
• Funnels and fluid measures
• Suction guns
• Waste oil drainers
• Drain pans and spill trays
• Safety cans and labelled dispensing containers

For occasional topping-up, an oil can or portable hand-operated dispenser may be sufficient. Workshops handling larger volumes may require air-operated pumps, mobile dispensers, metered guns and fixed hose reels. Suitable draining and containment equipment should also be available to collect used oil and control spills.

Lubricants SW supplies equipment for filling and topping up machinery, transferring fluids, and removing and storing waste oil. We also provide complete garage lubrication equipment and installations.