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Selecting Lubricants for Pneumatic Cylinders

Service News Thursday, July 19, 2012: Magnalube, Inc.

The pneumatic cylinders that drive industrial machines often have to stroke hundreds of times a day, every day. With such challenging duty-cycles, these air cylinders have lubrication requirements above and beyond what most commodity greases can provide.

These requirements include:

• High pressure tolerance. Internal air pressures in pneumatic cylinders, which routinely reach 250 psi, can cause the lubricant to separate and migrate. High-pressure tolerance helps the grease stay where you put it and prevent any metal-on-metal contact within the cylinder.
• Long-term mechanical stability. Lubricants with high mechanical stability resist changes in viscosity and lubricity over time, which helps air cylinders perform consistently with each and every stroke.
• Corrosion and heat resistance. A key role for lubricants in industrial settings is sealing out moisture and corrosive chemicals. Air cylinder lubricants frequently operate in high-temperature settings as well.
• Excellent dispersion. The tight internal clearances within pneumatic cylinders require lubricants that spread in thin, even layers.

Magnalube-G for air cylinders. Magnalube-G has a number of properties that make it an ideal fit for pneumatic cylinder applications. Its proprietary blend of high quality base oils, ` thickener and fluoropolymer additives resist separation and maintain lubricity even under high pressures. This formulation also has excellent dispersion properties.

Magnalube-G also ranks among the most mechanically stable and long-lasting greases of its class (NLGI 2), thanks partly to its proprietary fluoropolymer additives. These polymers impregnate metallic surfaces to provide a persistent lubricity that will outlast the base oil. Compared to standard white lithium greases, Magnalube-G will requires far fewer applications over the life of a typical air cylinder.

Finally it’s resistant to both corrosion and heat. Fluoropolymers are among the most chemically resistant materials in industry. And Magnalube-G has a 500ºF dropping point, which allows it to beat the heat.

Magnalube-G is used in a wide variety of air cylinder types–including single acting cylinder, double acting cylinder, rotary cylinder, and rodless cylinder. For help with your pneumatics application or a free sample of our pneumatics-friendly lubricant, contact Magnalube technical service.