Spider Bushing

Lubricant
for
Gyratory Crushers

 
What is a Gyratory
Crusher?

Where are they used?

What is a Spider
Bushing?
Gibraltar Mine – Primary Crushing
1.- Primary Crusher made by NORDBERG 60x89, was
converted to our Crusher Spider Bushing Lube in 2009. It was
using an ESSO Multi Purpose Grease. Since 2009 the
Crusher has exceeded 65,000 hours using our lubricant
and only two sets of bushings changed. Typical Spider
bushing life would be 12,000 – 16,000 hours with typical
conventional Multi Purpose Grease.

2.- Primary Crusher model and Brand Tenova TAKRAF

54X74. It was commissioned with our Petron Spider
Bushing lube and has continued to use our lubricant to
this day. It ran on original bushing for 40,000 hours
before change out.
 Spider Bushing
Lubricant Level

A common maintenance mistake

is the failure to maintain proper
spider bushing lubricant level.
The crusher main shaft has both
rotary and gyratory motion at
slow speed and exerts fairly
high pressures on both bearing
surfaces, the main shaft sleeve,
and the spider bushing.
A lubrication pool is used to lubricate these
surfaces. The lubricant is retained in the
bearing cavity by a spider bushing seal
arrangement. It is important to understand
that all spider bushing seals will leak a bit.
Since ferrous metals are used in both the main shaft
sleeve and the spider bushing, the lubricant should
contain an “extreme-pressure” additive. Proper spider
bushing lubricant level is maintained at approximately
1.4 inches above the spider bushing flange. A low
lubricant level will lead to rapid spider bushing wear,
main shaft sleeve wear, and, eventually, an eccentric
bushing failure.
The spider bushing lubricant level should be
checked every day on a new crusher to determine
the normal leakage trend. After a leakage trend
has been established, check the lubricant level
periodically to assure that the proper level is
being maintained.
The spider assembly of the gyratory crusher will be
removed periodically, primarily for normal
maintenance services such as mantle and/or concave
replacement. It is always a good idea to match mark the
spider and top shell flanges prior to disassembly; this
assures proper orientation during the reassembly
process.
When the spider assembly is reinstalled, it is very
important that it is done correctly. All contacting
surfaces must be clean and free of burrs,
corrosion, or fretting; the contacting surfaces
facing down, including the tapers, should be
coated with light oil. It is important to note that
you MUST NOT use a moly-based grease or anti-
seize compound on these exterior surfaces, as this
type of lubricant could result in movement
between the surfaces (spinning) during operation
and premature wear.
Make certain that the contacting surfaces facing up
remain dry; this prevents rock dust from sticking to this
surface during the assembly process, which might
prevent proper contact between the flanges. Orient the
spider so that the spider arms line up correctly, as they
must split the incoming feed. If the crusher is fitted with
a “straight fit” spider bushing, the spider is reinstalled
onto the top shell with the spider bushing already
installed in the spider. If the crusher is newer, or has been
updated, and is fitted with a “tapered fit” spider bushing,
the spider bushing should be installed AFTER the spider
has been mounted onto the top shell. You should use the
fasteners to pull the sections together evenly so that a
0.004-inch feeler gauge cannot be inserted between the
flanges at any point around the circumference.