Lubrication

[bohica]

I have scoured this forum and have found nothing regarding lubrication of the ball screws. In my ignorance, I installed a one shot lubrication system using grease to both ways and ball screws. When I spoke to Gene of IH, he told me that grease on the ball screws would be a great big no-no, and suggested using 10wt hydraulic fluid.

Has anyone developed a method of lubricating the x, y and z axis ball screws? I am thinking of a oil/air misting system for all three axis, but feel that I should look at existing solutions before I have to reinvent the wheel. I've done enough of that over the years.

Considering that this seems to be an very inventive group, someone may have arrived at an elegant solution for ball screw lubrication.

[Geof]

I have a Haas Toolroom lathe and a Haas Gantry Router. In both cases the ball screw lubrication, and linear ways, is by general purpose grease. I find it difficult to understand how it could be considered a no no. One reason for using grease when the lubrication is intermittent, as in once month for the router, is because it is designed to not drain out of whatever it is lubricating. Oil, proper oil with extreme pressure additives and additives to make it sticky, in other words Way Oil, is suitable if the lubrication is constant.

[bohica]

Gene told me that grease is to "sticky" and would prevent the recirculation of the balls in the ball nut and would lead to excessive wear on the ball screw.

[Cruiser]

The grease will hold chips and grit ! for a long time. I use vactra #2 oil. I did use some molly lube for slicking the slides but went right into oil after that.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by bohica Gene told me that grease is to "sticky" and would prevent the recirculation of the balls in the ball nut and would lead to excessive wear on the ball screw.

Well grease is used extensively for lubricating ball races and doesn't stop the balls circulating. A ball screw/nut is not all that different to a ball race.

My feeling is that the engineers at Haas probably know what they are talking about. Have you looked up recommendations from the ball screw manufacturers?

[bohica]

I just did a google search for "ball nut lubrication". The results seem to show more favor towards oils as opposed to grease. See the following link.

http://www.lsitvc.com/lubrication.htm

Cruiser, you indicated you favored oils. How do you deliver the oil to the ball screws/ball nuts?

[fatboy55]

Hello everyone, I don't have ball screws, just the standard acme but I use moble synth oil 5w30 weight. What do you all think about that for the ways and screws?

Jeff

[bohica]

Jeff, that lube is fine for a manual machine, you don't have the load on the acme screw. With CNC, the ball screws have a heavy load during operation.

[Cruiser]

Bohica, I use the old oil can and give it a squirt whenever i think of it. when running wet the coolant takes care of some of it. more important to the IH mills is the X slide and screw as they are covered by the table and don't get the coolant washdown. grease could have some benifits but since we don't have covers to keep the area clean it is going to be a magnet for everything and cause destruction, as the grease will carry grit and chips into the works ! Biggest benefit of the oil is it will flush off the grits, an oiling system for the X slideway from the underside straight into the slides with some flow channels would shure be nice as I see it.

[wildcat]

Originally Posted by Cruiser grease could have some benifits but since we don't have covers to keep the area clean it is going to be a magnet for everything

Got to agree with that. But, why did all the photos of the CNC conversion on IH have the way covers removed anyway? Sure, the travel is increased 1/2" or so but at the expense of gunk getting onto the ways, ballscrews, and into hard to clean places. I have since reattached mine.

FWIW: I squirt a lot way oil on to the ball screws.... it's a pretty messy operation

(A quart of bad oil is better than a quart of no oil)

[philbur]

As you have installed a one shot system why not just use it with oil instead of grease.

'Phil

Originally Posted by bohica I have scoured this forum and have found nothing regarding lubrication of the ball screws. In my ignorance, I installed a one shot lubrication system using grease to both ways and ball screws. When I spoke to Gene of IH, he told me that grease on the ball screws would be a great big no-no, and suggested using 10wt hydraulic fluid. Has anyone developed a method of lubricating the x, y and z axis ball screws? I am thinking of a oil/air misting system for all three axis, but feel that I should look at existing solutions before I have to reinvent the wheel. I've done enough of that over the years. Considering that this seems to be an very inventive group, someone may have arrived at an elegant solution for ball screw lubrication.

[bohica]

Wildcat, One of the big problems is the type of material you are machining. Aluminum is no problem, the coolant (if the way covers are left off) provides a continous flushing of the ball screws. Now cast iron is a completly different story. This material produces a lot of very fine swarf, which is probably an excellent abrasive and I don't think you want any of this in your ball nut.

I will be machining some stone (jasper, obsidion, petrified wood). This produces a lot of very fine silicon dioxide material and I definetly don't want that in the ball nuts. I left all of the way covers on for this very reason. and will be installing additional way protection as well.

Philbur, The pump (Centro-Matic) and the injectors are designed for grease (they have oil pumps and injectors), but I plan on trying it using oil. Not sure it will work properly. In any case, the Y axis lube method I used will not work with oil so I still have to make some modifications.

I appreciate all of you comments. I think this issue is something IH needs to address on their web site and offer some lube specs and plans.

I am going to tear it down and install a lubrication point in the X and Y axis ballscrew mount fittings. It's a PITA, but I would rather do it now than later wishing I had!