Opinions on contact lubrication can vary. Ideas run the gamut from no use of lubrication to the different kinds of lubricants based on conductivity or historical use.

“It seems that there is a belief that contact lubes need to be conductive but that is not true,” said Gene Finner of Dow Corning. “Resistivity is more important. That's where the heat build-up comes from. How the lube is applied and its composition can make a difference in effectiveness too.”

Finner will co-present the session “Effective Contact Lubrication Issues,” with Charles Currin, senior engineering technical support specialist for Progress Energy, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Finepoint Circuit Breaker Test and Maintenance Training Conference.

Currin will share Progress Energy’s experience with contact lubrication. The utility has used Dow Corning products on its line switches.

“There has been some manual examination, and some infrared imaging of switches that seems to show good performance and longer life,” Finner said of the Progress Energy case.

The session will feature a brief discussion of contact lubes and a case study, along with slides showing details of the lubricants in use and thermal images used to look for temperature rise.

“Long-lasting contact lubes can bring better wear and corrosion protection to contact surfaces and allow the need for less frequent maintenance and more reliable operation,” Finner said.

Currin, who has attended 12 of the 15 past Finepoint conferences, said that this conference is a good venue for this topic because other utility companies are facing similar challenges with circuit breaker equipment. Currin claims that through the daily presentations, interaction with peers and group discussions, participants learn that all utilities are going through the same frustrations, regulations, budget restraints, getting more out of assets, and industry changes.

“This saves aggravation, time, and money when you don’t have to re-invent the wheel that someone else has already invented, researched and tested,” Currin said.

Currin works in the Asset Management Department, Component Engineering Unit, serving as the transmission breaker component engineer for the Carolinas and Florida transmission grids for 69 kV and above voltage class equipment. His responsibilities include the development and implementation of maintenance procedures and programs, equipment repair and troubleshooting information, technical guidance and support to field maintenance organizations and other engineering units.

Finner has accumulated more than 13 years of experience in the operation and lubrication of mechanical equipment in his role in Applied Engineering Technical Service for Dow Corning Corp.’s Molykote lubricants. Finner’s job responsibilities include process and product optimization, troubleshooting and lubrication training along with North and South American lubricants product stewardship for Dow Corning.
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