ASTON, Pa. — April 2011 — For automatic cleaning and lubrication of the drive shaft, Uhing traverse
winding drives are now available with a combination shaft scraper/grease fitting option. The
inexpensive ($150-300) addition removes excessive grease, dust and dirt from the shaft while the
drive is running and simultaneously assures adequate shaft lubrication. As debris accumulates at
either end of the shaft it can be wiped away with a cloth. In most applications the shaft scrapers
may be used without the grease fittings to clean the shaft while the drive runs. The grease fitting
combination is recommended, however, in heavy usage spooling set-ups and also when shaft RPMs
exceed rated speeds (1000 RPM for Model RG drives; 1500 RPMs for Model RS drives).
The shaft scraper is an O-ring made of specially formulated rubber which is mounted in a
Delrin® brand plastic fitting. One shaft scraper is attached to each of the end bushings on the
traverse. When equipped with the grease fitting, the plastic fitting is made larger to accommodate
the addition of a felt wiper ring which wicks oil out of the grease and applies a thin oil film to
the shaft as the traverse runs. Most standard grease gun nozzles fit the Uhing grease fittings.
Note that special, molybdenum disulfide-free grease must be used. If attached in the field, users
must also note that the addition of the shaft scraper with or without the grease fitting will
slightly reduce the traverse distance (for most applications this is less than 1 inch).
Posted on April 26, 2011
Source: Amacoil Inc.
