Tramp oil - a breeding ground for bacteria

With old machinery it is often difficult to avoid a high consumption of lubricant. Though tramp oil is not exactly unusual in newer machinery either. It is even the case that some newly manufactured machines work with an overpressure so that they continually discharge some lubricating oil.

The tramp oil can create major quality problems in the production process, e.g. messy components, smoke, oil mist, poor cooling, reduced lubricity and increased tool wear. Tramp oil can furthermore be a breeding ground for bacteria and mould, as it contains nutrients. Tramp oil can also lay like a lid on the surface and thus prevent aeration. Anaerobic bacteria can then start growing resulting in a ”Monday morning smell” arising.

To get rid of these problems, it is important to attend to the tramp oil and simultaneously to have effective tramp oil separation.