Exposure to regular bearing and part cleaners can cause uneasiness in the short term and adversely affect health in the long run.
Bearing cleaning and re-greasing is a part of the regular ‘Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul’ activity in all industries. Typically, the dismounted bearings contain used grease debris, scales, and other foreign residues which need to be cleaned thoroughly for inspection prior to lubricating with fresh grease and re-use. Improper cleaning can impact performance and diminish bearing life. Based on the type of bearing, manufacturers have provided clear instructions on the process of dismounting and cleaning for small to large bearings.
Machine and Manual Cleaning
While bearing manufacturers recommend an oil bath or rinse tank, It is common practice for maintenance teams in industries to set up component cleaning machines that use water-based cleaners. This set-up is commonly observed in industries such as Railways where the quantum of bearings to be cleaned is huge and regular. Bearings cleaned through such parts washers with water-based emulsions are dried out thoroughly with hot air or through vacuum dry outs. BECHEM’s range of water-based cleaners (Beruclean 3843, Beruclean 113 EMF, and Beruclean 111 EHF) for high-pressure cleaning systems have provided excellent cleaning results in such setups.
The alternate arrangement observed in heavy industries such as steel and metal processing that operate with large, heavy-duty bearings is to soak the used bearings in rinse tanks or by manually spraying and rinsing them with the cleaning agent. Subsequently, the operator brushes off the residues from the bearing. Traditionally light oil, kerosene, or degreaser based on Isopropyl alcohol are recommended as the cleaning agent. However, the industry practice has been to provide commonly available diesel, mineral turpentine oil (MTO), and kerosene as the cleaning agent to its Maintenance team.
Are cleaning agents safe?
While the cleaning effect with diesel is good, the low flash point and continuous exposure of the personnel to the nauseating odor of diesel renders the working environment vulnerable. Apart from the known symptoms such as irritation to skin and eyes, continuous exposure to diesel without safety gear can affect the central nervous system, immune and hormonal systems in adults.
Continuous exposure to kerosene is known to cause irritation to the eyes and skin in humans. Studies have shown that chronic exposure to kerosene can result in drowsiness, irritability, restlessness, and even convulsions. The Flashpoint of kerosene varies between 23°C to 61°C.
Owing to their low flash points and associated safety concerns, authorities in many countries prohibit and dissuade industries from using diesel and kerosene as a cleaning.
Even more dangerous is the use of MTO as a cleaning agent, the health hazards and environmental impact associated with this traditional cleaning agent have been well established. Fortunately, with increased awareness, the use of MTO has waned within the industry. Disposal of used cleaning agents is also a factor that is controlled by Authorities and expensive to manage.
This content was originally published on the Bechem India website.