Cleaning Open Gearing (while operating)

Alan, there was a product from Castrol Industrial/Optimol called Detergen System Cleaner, that you could mix 5 % in the lubricant and it dissolves all dirt, deposits, and varnish. I don't know if they still sell it. If the system is in oil or grease bath you can add this cleaner and then change the oil after a day or so. If the gears have spraying system, you can blend the cleaner in the grease, but you should at the same time use a more fluid product and at a higher rate to flush out the grease.

Ricardo,
There is another product called Exxon System Cleaner that is similar to the product you described.
However neither of those products can be used on an open gear once through lubrication system. Specifically what I am looking for is alternate products for cleaning OPEN gears while they are operating. Once they are "cleaned" then you shut down the equipment do the final cleaning, normally with hi temp/hi pressure water and a neutraliser and the gears are then clean enough to perform NDE inspections etc.
The issue in this process is to totally remove the heavy (hi vis) lubrication from the gearing, while preserving some easily removable lubricant from the gearing surface, the final cleaning. These remaining lubricants by their nature have low surface adhesion and can and should reduce the ability of the thicker lubricant to develop a good surface film until this product is removed. Of course you want this to be done in a controlled process so the gearing can be both protected and cleaned. But you want this to be done as quickly as can be achieved,usually a couple of hours. Instead of spending several days to manually clean a gear that is say 34" face width X 22.5 feet in diameter.

I hope this clears up what I'm looking for.

regards......

For that kind of products you might want to ask to Fuchs Lubritech, the owners of the Ceplattyn open gear compound.

I am sure of the fact CINA(Castrol Industrial North America) sells Optimol Detergent Cleaner for only encloised gearings and you need to fill and run with the gear oils in system- i.e. 5% by volume, But its not used for open gearings.
They have a product known as Molub alloy 8031 series and its also a open gear lubricant and can be used directly on the present lube and it will clean up the system by 500 hrs of working and you dont need to stop the system and run on full load only.
Since I worked with these products for 7 yrs I know them closely to some extent.
I dont know wheather Fuchs have any thing for cleaning, unless their NEW PRODUCT WITH 10,000 CST has the same propertes.
Also you can try using Kluber FLUID CF3 ULTRA and try cleaning the gears,while running on full load.
Hope this help.

Alan,
Maybe ChevronTexaco PREMIUM DEGREASER will convenient to you?
“Premium Degreaser is a mixture of carefully selected petroleum distillates, insoluble in water, for the removal of tar, asphalt, dried up grease, anti-corrosion coatings or other mineral contaminations. The degreased surface will be completely dry and ready for further manipulations”.
Thanks.

Alan
Did you try to talk to CINA as they say they have some thing like Molub Alloy oPEN Gear Cleaning compound. Or you may try Klueber USA
May be you will get a solution.
regards
Arupanjan

Alan,

I know this is a late response, but I have tried to find a product similar to what you have mentioned for implementation in our equipment. I am going to test a cleaner from DuBois Lubricants (DiverseyLever) in some of the closed systems we have in a paper mill environment. The product is called Step-One. The literature sounds appealing. With 90% of fluid in a system, you would add 5%-10% of the product for 1-2 days depending on the system temperatures you are attempting to clean. It is not recommended for operating conditions that exceed 300 F.
If you would like more information on this product let me know.


Jim