CARE & MAINTENANCE OF PSM RINGS
It is essential that grease should never be applied to Eadie PSM rings as this will clog the surface pores and ruin the function of the ring. We recommend a range of suitable lubricants that is based largely on the viscosity of the lubricant and other physical properties. The list of recommended lubricants can be found later on our ‘PSM Lubrication’ page.
The selection of the correct viscosity is directly related to the severity of the process conditions, e.g. high traveller linear speeds will require a lower viscosity lubricant to provide more lubrication on the ring / traveller bearing surfaces. The quality of the lubricant is of the utmost importance, particularly its ability to provide a high film strength between the ring and traveller.
Even under normal conditions it is likely that some of the smaller surface pores will close over due to the sliding and polishing action of the traveller. In this event it may be necessary after a year or so to change to an oil with a lower viscosity. This will compensate for any pore closure that has taken place during the service life of the ring. An indication that pore closure has taken place will be given by an increase in yarn tension and more rapid traveller wear.
We do not recommend oils that contain a high proportion of emulsifiers or fatty oil (e.g. scourable oils) as they are prone to oxidise. These oxidised products can then cause blockage in the internal pores as well as the surface pores.
It is important to select the correct weight and shape of traveller, particularly where steel travellers are used. We recommend that the Express style of traveller should be used on PSM rings as the bent toes avoid scratching the bottom bearing of a PSM ring. Should travellers heavier than our recommendation be used, then the risk of severe pore closure, surface disintegration and particle fallout is greatly increased.
Where Nylon travellers are used, little ring wear will be noted, but severe pore closure may occur due to fibre or nylon debris being produced as the traveller wears. Some types of chemical yarn dressings can have a similar effect. It is therefore necessary to control and maintain the flow of lubricant to and through the PSM ring to avoid increased or rapid traveller wear, or possible fusing of the nylon due to the high frictional heat generated.
Care should be taken when fitting or removing travellers to ensure that there is no scratching of the bearing surfaces. We recommend for long ring life that it is essential to clean and wipe the PSM rings regularly with an oily felt pad. This cleaning should be carried out at least once per week. The most advantageous time for this cleaning would be after doffing when the rings are warm. When this cleaning operation is undertaken, we would recommend that the ring holder or railplates should also be cleaned to remove any dust or yarn fibre debris.
Care must be taken with the PSM WR or WG type rings, or similar wick fed rings, to ensure that the rings do not turn in the ring holders or railplates, as this can cause the wicks to be severed. In the event of this happening, the wick can be replaced using the wicking procedure that is shown later.
