Uppercarriage Greasing System (RH90-340 Diesel and Electro) / PLC (Elrest) from version 3.
2
The control of the installation depend on the actual position of the control piston in the grease distributor and the pressure at
the pump. Supply of grease is guaranteed due to monitoring at the stick and monitoring the pump pressure. The control
pistons are monitored via a grease distributor at the stick rear wall. It is to be assumed that it has the most unfavourable
position in this system because of the largest distance to the grease pump.
At the beginning of a grease cycle, voltage is applied to the hydraulic valve of the pump by means of the PLC, and the
hydraulic pump starts pumping into line 1 until the proximity switch 1 switches over (light 1 Ini on, light 2 Ini off) and the
pressure at the pump reaches 250 bar. After a 4 sec time of changing over (pump switches off for 4 s) the pump starts
pumping into line 2 until the proximity switch no. 2 switches over (light Ini 2 on, light Ini 1 off) and the pressure reaches
250 bar once again. The hydraulic valve and thus the pump are switched off after that. During a greasing cycle the lights of
the proximity switches have to switch on at least once (first proximity switch no.1!).
Normal greasing time or duration of a greasing cycle:
In the beginning the „greasing time“ depends on the pump adjustments made by Lincoln; the proximity switches switch over
at approx. 40bar (duration approx. 7-10 sec). In order to guarantee supply of all grease distributors the pump pressure is
monitored and has to reach 250 bar until greasing is deviated or switched off. During a switch over of 4 sec. the pump is
switched off.
A complete grease cycle (time for greasing and a pause) is always started after the time set in the PLC has expired. At the
beginning of a greasing period the greasing cycle begins again. Time can be changed by the BCS and should be pre-set to 20
and 30 min, i.e. 1200-1800 sec, the minimum value being 5 min (300 sec), the maximum time 40 min (2400 sec). Settings
are made on the 2nd BCS level of access “PLC options”.
Time is counted only when the machine is in operation, i.e. when boom, stick or bucket are operated (pressure switch „load“
/DSL is enabled). The travel times of the excavator are not counted, there is no greasing during breaks. Thus the supply of
grease is adapted to demand and any unnecessary greasing during production breaks is avoided. Moreover it is guaranteed
that grease breaks are made at regular intervals. The automatic change from summer to winter operation is a further
advantage. Upon higher lubricant viscosity in winter, grease is automatically pumped for a longer time.
Upon any start of the engine, a new cycle is started.
Xs Xs Xs Xs
Grease time Line1 Line2
25s 15s 80s 60s 40s 80s 60s 15s
Operation time
The conditions of greasing in the normal and in the test mode:
As well in the normal mode as in the test mode the following conditions must be given:
• The engine must be in operation.
• The grease drum may not be empty.
• There may not be any fault message.
BCS fault messages and switch-off of the grease pump:
The fault messages are suppressed 8 min after starting the engine (i.e. during the first greasing) in order to prevent possible
faults (e.g. a longer greasing because of cold oil or grease)!
• When pressure exceeding 350bar is built up.
• After 2 min each if one of the two proximity switches does not switch over
• After 4 min each if 250 bar will note be reached in one of the two lines
If any fault is coming up in line A a switch over to line B will be done nevertheless after monitoring time!
BCS fault messages without grease pump being switched off superstructure:
• When a cable of the pressure sensor is broken
• When a cable of the grease level sensor is broken
Cut-off shovel/bucket cylinders:
• After a fault message persisting during 15 min in the superstructure the shovel/bucket cylinders switch off.
If the grease system restarts (either by pushing the reset button for 2 seconds or by starting the engine) the cylinder-
cut-off (and the fault message on the BCS) will remain until a complete grease cycle will be finished without any
failure.
UC Greasing system RH90-340 PLC Elrest from 3.2.doc 1 last update: 22.11.2006
The functions of the reset button:
Press button: Function:
1 sec resets PLC values and deletes fault messages
2 sec + starts one single greasing cycle
(also done upon engine start!)
5 times shortly (within 5 sec) starts the test mode (3 ongoing greasing cycles)
1 sec stops the test mode (ongoing greasing cycle continues)
Test mode 1 cycle:
One separate cycle is started and operated by pressing the re-set button for 2 sec.
Test mode 3 cycles:
The test mode is initiated by pressing five times within 5 sec the re-set button. 3 complete grease cycles are run.
The test mode can be stopped by pressing the re-set button for 1 sec during the test mode. The current cycle, however, is
finished. (The number of the cycles to be run during the test mode is pre-set in the PLC.)
Greasing cycle: Greasing of the superstructure
Grease interval / break interval
t0 t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 t6
Pump status
Pressure at the pump 4s
End of line switch (line A)
End of line switch (line B)
Relief valve
- A new grease cycle starts as soon as pause time (t0) has elapsed.
- Pump is switched on and pumps grease to line A.
- At (t1) the „End of Line“ proximity switches at the stick indicate that the movement of the control piston towards direction
A is finished.
- Now the system is pumping until a pressure of 250 bar is reached.
- The pump is switched off after reaching 250 bar (t2) and the switch valve is operated.
UC Greasing system RH90-340 PLC Elrest from 3.2.doc 2 last update: 22.11.2006
- After a 4s break the pump is re-activated (t3) and pumps grease into line B.
- At (t4) the „End of Line“ proximity switches at the stick indicate that the movement of the control piston towards direction
B is finished.
- Now the system is pumping until a pressure of 250 bar is reached.
- The pump is switched off after reaching 250 bar (t5), the switch valve is operated and 5sec later the relief valve is switched
off.
- When (t6) is reached a new greasing cycle starts.
Pressure build-up for the greasing
Measurements in the system showed that the control pistons of the stick grease distributor reach their final position at a
pressure of approx. 40 bar (at the pump). After ca. 7sec this pressure is attained.
Pressure is continues rising up to 250 bar.
grease pressure
300
grease pressure at the
250
pump [bar]
200
150
100
50
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
follow time [s] Reihe1
The pressure is monitored until 250 bar.
This pressure should be reached inside of about 25 seconds.
Display and settings in the BCS
In the BCS, the sequence of a grease cycle is indicated by means of a red bar in the control field of the greasing system. In
case the pressure switch „charge“ is activated, the bar turns green from the left to the right. When the bar has completely
changed to green time has elapsed and greasing and a grease cycle start anew.
During greasing the background of the pictogram is displayed in yellow. In the BCS, the grease pressure is indicated by
means of an analogue signal.
Time can be changed via the BCS and should be pre-set to 20 to 30 min, i.e. 1200-1800 sec, the minimum value being 5 min
(300 sec), the maximum time 40 min (2400 sec). Settings are made on the BCS level of access.
It must also be set if the machine is equipped with a grease drum and/or a greasing system for the undercarriage.
UC Greasing system RH90-340 PLC Elrest from 3.2.doc 3 last update: 22.11.2006
