A pneumatic lubricator injects an
aerosolized
Aerosolization is the process or act of converting some physical substance into the form of particles small and light enough to be carried on the air i.e. into an aerosol. Aerosolization refers to a process of intentionally oxidatively converting a ...
stream of oil into an air line to provide
lubrication to the internal working parts of
pneumatic tools, and to other devices such as
actuating cylinders,
valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fitting ...
s, and
motors
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power g ...
.
Compressed air enters the inlet port and passes over a needle valve orifice attached to a pick-up tube. This tube - often equipped with a sintered bronze filter - is submerged into a reservoir bowl filled with light machine oil. Oil is pulled up by the venturi effect, and emitted as an aerosol at the outlet port. The needle valve is typically situated within a clear polycarbonate or nylon housing to aid in oil flow rate adjustment.
Some compressor oils and external chemicals can cause polycarbonate and/or nylon sight glass to be degraded and create a safety hazard
A lubricator should always be the last element in an FRL (Filter-Regulator-Lubricator) unit. If an FRL is connected "backwards" with incoming air connected to the lubricator, oil-laden air interferes with pressure regulator operation, oil is separated from the air stream and drained by the filter, and very little or none is delivered to connected equipment.
External links
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pneumatic Lubricator
Pneumatic tools