Dry Lubrication for the Food Processing Industry
Use Dicronite® to minimize equipment jams, increase production rates, and improve efficiency of food packaging equipment.
When to use Dicronite®
Engineers use Dicronite® when:
Precision tolerances or sealing must be maintained
High or low temperatures limit the use of other lubricants
Optimal performance is needed
Power output of an assembly is being robbed by friction losses
Friction is creating too much resistance in the motion of an assembly
Sliding wear is limiting component lifetime
There is galling and seizing of threaded components
Where to use Dicronite®
Common food processing components that use Dicronite® include but are not limited to:
Actuators
Bearings
Bushings
Discs
Electrical Connectors
Fasteners
Gears
Pins
Plates
Rods
Shafts
Threads
Valves
Washers
Why use
Dicronite®
Benefits of using Dicronite® dry lubrication include:
Increased efficiency of food packaging equipment to minimize equipment jams and increase production rates
biocompatibility. View ISO-10333
Seaming and forming equipment to minimize wear and increase preventative maintenance intervals
Extend component lifetime and decrease the need for maintenance
Increase mechanical efficiency for more power output
0.5 micron thickness won’t interfere with tolerances
Lubricant in extreme temperatures (-188° C to +538° C)
Dicronite® is compatible with greases and oils
Dicronite® dry lubrication’s biocompatibility per ISO-10993, FDA repeat use, and USDA incidental contact approvals have lead to its use in the food processing industry. Due to its high-temperature stability (+538°C), Dicronite® dry lubrication is commonly used in oven and baking related applications.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Wear is a system effect, so it can be difficult to estimate the lifetime in each application. Dicronite should be used for applications where sliding wear is present, but not abrasive wear – this is too aggressive for the soft, lubricious Dicronite coating. In applications where an extensive wear life is required, it is common for Dicronite to be applied on top of a hard, wear resistant coating.
We recommend testing to ensure Dicronite is sufficient for your application and are always happy to coat a small order of parts to support your testing!
Dicronite can be applied to all metals, most plastics, and some ceramics. In addition, Dicronite can be applied on top of many other coatings or platings such as Nickel, Zinc, Chrome, Anodize, DLC, and more.
Dicronite provides only minor corrosion prevention. It is not recommended to use Dicronite to prevent corrosion. However, many customers use Dicronite on top of coatings or platings that do prevent corrosion for combined corrosion resistance and friction reduction.
We recommend cleaning coated surfaces with isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits, but other solvent or solutions may also be used. Avoid using cleaners that are very acidic or basic.
If wiping coated surfaces, use a soft cloth. Note that when wiping a coated surface, you may find a residue coming from the part – this is normal. It is not necessary to wipe the coated surface until no residue is wiped from the surface. The coating naturally “smudges” or “smears” as part of its ability to lubricate.
Coated parts should be handled to prevent physical damage to coated surfaces such as scratching, scraping, or abrasion. In addition, parts should be stored in a manner that prevents corrosion of the underlying substrate. If the part begins corroding underneath the Dicronite coating this can diminish the performance of the coating.
Yes. Our standard process works the same for parts being re-coated.
