What are the effects of high or low oil level on the ZSC (A) 320-21.6-3 medium hard tooth gear reducer

Excessive or insufficient oil level can directly damage the operational stability and service life of ZSC (A) 320-21.6-3 reducer. The core impacts are concentrated in lubrication effect, component wear, energy consumption, and leakage, as follows:
1、 The core impact of low oil level

Lubrication failure exacerbates wear and tear

The gear meshing surface cannot form a complete oil film, resulting in dry or semi dry friction. Hard tooth surfaces are prone to pitting, bonding, and wear, which can lead to tooth surface peeling in severe cases.

The bearing lacks sufficient oil mist lubrication, and the wear of rolling elements and retainers intensifies, leading to rapid temperature rise and possible jamming or erosion.

Abnormal temperature rise, accelerated deterioration of oil products

The heat generated by friction cannot be effectively dissipated through oil, and the temperature of the casing and bearing end can rise to over 90 ℃, far exceeding normal operating conditions (≤ 85 ℃).

High temperature can accelerate the oxidation and cracking of gear oil, causing the oil to turn black and produce a burnt smell. At the same time, the concentration of metal debris increases, further deteriorating the lubrication environment.

Abnormal operating status, causing malfunction

The dry grinding of gears produces obvious metal impact sound and harsh abnormal noise, while the vibration amplitude of the reducer increases, affecting the transmission accuracy of the whole machine.

Long term low oil level operation can shorten the service life of gears and bearings by more than 50%, and in severe cases, it can cause fatal faults such as gear fracture and bearing locking.

2、 The core impact of high oil level

Increased energy consumption and decreased operational efficiency

The gear is immersed too deeply in the oil, causing an increase in oil stirring resistance during rotation, an increase in motor load, high current, and an increase in energy consumption by 10% to 20% compared to the normal oil level.

During the operation of the gearbox, there is a "dull feeling", which reduces the flexibility of no-load operation and lowers the transmission efficiency.

The risk of leakage has increased dramatically, polluting the environment

The high oil level causes the pressure inside the tank to rise, exceeding the exhaust capacity of the ventilator. Oil will leak from the shaft extension end oil seal, the box joint surface, the oil drain plug, and other parts.

Leakage of oil not only causes waste, but also pollutes surrounding equipment and working environment, increasing safety hazards.

Oil emulsification and deterioration lead to decreased lubrication performance

Excessive oil agitation produces a lot of foam, which destroys the stability of oil film. At the same time, the contact area between oil and air increases, which is easy to absorb water and cause emulsification (especially in humid environment).

The heat generated by stirring oil will maintain the oil temperature in the range of 85-90 ℃, accelerate oil aging, deteriorate extreme pressure and anti-wear performance, and indirectly increase the risk of component wear.

3、 Common indirect impact

Whether the oil level is too high or too low, it will cause the lubrication system to fail, indirectly shortening the life of the seals (high temperature, impurities accelerate oil seal aging).

Under abnormal working conditions, the maintenance frequency of the gearbox doubles, and the oil change cycle needs to be shortened by 30% to 50%, which increases operation and maintenance costs and downtime.