Care And Maintenance Of Elastomer Components - Siemens SIWAREX WL230 Operating Instructions Manual

Service and maintenance

6.2 Care and maintenance of elastomer components

6.2 Care and maintenance of elastomer components
General information
The physical properties of most rubber products change under poor storage conditions or
with improper treatment. The following examples of changes, however, can make them
unusable:
● Excessive hardening
● Softening
● Permanent deformation
● Peeling, cracking and/or other surface damage
Such changes may be caused by external influences, for example:
● Environmental factors (ozone, heat, light, humidity)
● Solvents
● Storage under stress
Properly stored and treated rubber products will remain unchanged in their properties for a
period of several years.
Service life and inspection
The service life of elastomer components depends on the design and the stress it
experiences. Rubber is subject to a natural aging process. If it is stressed within a permitted
range, you can expect a service life of more than 6 years.
The rubber-metal parts are maintenance-free during their operational use. The spherical
surface of the pendulum bolt may need to be regreased.
Components should be visually inspected 6 months after installation and once a year
thereafter.
The bonding between rubber and metal can be inspected by checking the mechanical bond
manually. The rubber can be pressed with a blunt "metal probe" (curved radius). If there are
partial edge separations in the bonding zone between elastomer and metal, or surface
cracks in the individual layers of elastomer, you must check these spots regularly.
Replacement
Replacement must be performed in the following cases:
● When several substantial cracks have formed in each square centimeter of the rubber
surface due to weathering.
● When the item has swollen greatly due to improper oil wetting.
● When there is a loss of rubber-metal bonding.
● When there is mechanical damage that can lead to further damage to the product due to
the notch sensitivity of the rubber.
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Operating Instructions, 03/2013, A5E31529044A-01
SB-S SA