Synthetic oil in motors

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laceiba

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Electrician
Greetings, I work at a fish processing plant. I am new to the work and my question centers on motor heat. Most production line motors a 1.5 to 5 hp and some get substantially hotter than others. There are various reasons motors will neat up and those should be obviously addressed. My question is wll changing the motor oil from a paraffin based product to a synthetic assist in lowering motor heat?

Thank you in advance
 
The insulation class and load will determine how hot a motor operates. Motors with a higher insulation class on the windings can operate hotter without winding damage.
Also check the motor amps, are any pulling more than nameplate amps?
Help me out on the motor oil, what type of motor is this?
 
Substantially hotter doesn't mean much, are they within their own temperature ratings? Likewise, a heavily-loaded motor will get hotter than an identical lightly-loaded one.

Adding to what Tom said, check that the motors are clean and any fans are working.

When you check the temperature use a thermometer (the laser ones are cheap these days), you can't go by feel- 160 deg F can give you a 3rd degree burn, but it's only 71 deg C and well within the range for many motors.

I don't think the type of oil makes any difference at all so long as it's suitable for the job, but if you're really curious contact the motor manufacturer.
 
Thank you for you prompt reply Mr. Baker. The exact type of motor oil used I an not exactly sure of. Motors are wash down baldor and lesson with some Japanese brands as well. They are primarily used on conveyors. They are not pulling more than nameplate amps. Most all are run by VSDs and set accordingly. Motor oil specifics I do not have but do know they are parafin based and changed before and after the processing season that may last for 2-4 months, however in some processors much longer. The motor temp info I do not have nor have records been kept. Most of the info I receive are, anecdotally, from line mechanics who are concerned about downtime. I am not on site so I don't have access to the specific motor information that would assist you in forming an answer. When I get back there I will be more attentive to the details.

Unfortunately not much to go on but I appreciate your response. Thanks
 
laceiba said:
Greetings, I work at a fish processing plant. I am new to the work and my question centers on motor heat. Most production line motors a 1.5 to 5 hp and some get substantially hotter than others. There are various reasons motors will neat up and those should be obviously addressed. My question is wll changing the motor oil from a paraffin based product to a synthetic assist in lowering motor heat?

Thank you in advance
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Your talking about the oil in the gearboxes I assume?
 
Typically with motors, the motor is responding to external load - which can cause heat. Bad bearings, misadjusted belts, wrong size motor..,,
Please keep us updated
 
If we're talking about gearboxes/transmissions and not the actual motors, that's a whole 'nother beast.

Kind of gets back to "Is there actually a problem?" Gearboxes can get hot, but IME don't with proper lubrication. Is ambient temperature a factor? Could be that the oils used are too heavy (or light) for the application. Or if these are high reduction ratios with worm gears, maybe an extra-pressure oil is needed. This is the province of lube application engineers and maybe millwrights/mechanics.
 
How common it for motors to use oil as lubrication ?
For many decades I was around motors from fractional to 250HP and, perhaps my memory is continuing to play tricks, but all I recall was grease other than some small fractional motors with sleeve bearings.,
Lots of gear box oil but no "motor" oil.
 
I would think that an oil problem with the gearbox or transmission would be reflected as an overamped motor. You say that all motors operate within their nameplate ratings so I can't see a problem there.

So, barring motors going bad and having to be replaced for no reason, I see no problem with the heat. Check the temperature and track it with a laser thermometer if you are concerned.

-Hal
 
The type of oil will influence heating of mechanical interfaces, such as gearboxes or the bearings in the electric motor.

The heat produced by the bearings is a tiny portion of the heat produced by an electric motor. Using different oil might change the temperature or life of the bearings, but us unlikely to change the temperature of the motor as a whole by any significant amount.

If there are gearboxes involved, then oil can have a large effect. But other than using the proper manufacturer's recommended oil I have no input.

Jon
 
Since this is a food processing application, make sure you use a food-safe, approved by the FDA and the manufacturer lubricant for the gearboxes.


SceneryDriver
 
Thank you all for your valuable input. It has given me much to think about. I depart in a few weeks to Alaska and am slotted to work maintenance in two plants. I have noted all input down, will check with manufacturers and will provide an update on what I have learned. Thank you all again, Tom
 
One thing you definitely do NOT want to do is blindly substitute engine oil. (which is, unfortunately, often called "motor" oil) Oil temperature in an infernal-combustion engines is likely to be 100-120°C. Electric motors, not nearly so hot and the viscosity will be all wrong. Use what the motor manufacturer recommends.
 
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