Slideway oil

We are a premium manufacturer in China, specializing in slide oil production. slide oil, also known as way oil, is a type of hydraulic oil with a tackifier, an additive that makes it adhere to surfaces.Way lube is ideal for vertical surfaces and anywhere machine parts move over the top of each other.

Packages 208L, 200L, 18L

slideway oil: The Key lubricant for Ensuring the High-Precision Operation of Machine Tools

 

In the field of mechanical processing, the precision and stability of machine tools directly affect the quality of products and production efficiency. And slideway oil, as an indispensable lubricant for the slideway system of machine tools, plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of machine tools, reducing wear, and improving machining precision. We offer a variety of specifications and performance slideway oil products, aiming to meet the diverse needs of different machine tools and machining processes.

Product Series and Characteristics

Slideway Oil

  • Witching1 (ISO viscosity grade 32): Specially designed for the lubrication of machine tool slides and ways, it has excellent lubrication performance and anti-wear ability. Its kinematic viscosity at 40°C is 30.8 mm²/S, and at 100°C, it is 5.48 mm²/S. It has a viscosity index of 115, a pour point of -24°C, and a flash point of 220°C. Its unique formula enables it to form a stable oil film on the slideway surface, effectively reducing the friction and wear between the slideway and the slider, preventing the occurrence of crawling phenomenon, and ensuring the smoothness of the machine tool during low-speed operation and high-precision machining. Besides machine tool slideways, it can also be widely used for the lubrication of chains, wire ropes, plain bearings, anti-friction bearings, and lead screws, providing reliable lubrication protection for a variety of equipment.
  • Witching2 (ISO Viscosity Grade 46): On the basis of maintaining good lubrication performance, it has a moderate viscosity and can adapt to a wider range of working conditions. Its kinematic viscosity at 40°C is 46.8 mm²/S, and at 100°C, it is 7.1 mm²/S. It has a viscosity index of 112, a pour point of -21°C, and a flash point of 228°C. It is suitable for a variety of machine tool types, such as ordinary lathes and milling machines. Under general machining precision requirements, it can provide stable lubrication for the slideway system, ensure the normal operation of the machine tool, reduce equipment failures, and extend the service life of the equipment.
  • Witching3 (ISO Viscosity Grade 68): A higher-viscosity slideway oil, suitable for machine tool slideways with higher requirements for load-carrying capacity and lubrication performance. Its kinematic viscosity at 40°C is 68.6 mm²/S, and at 100°C, it is 9.2 mm²/S. It enables it to effectively protect the slideway from wear under heavy-load and high-speed cutting conditions, ensuring the machining precision and stability of the machine tool. Widely used in machining centers, large milling machines, and other high-precision machining equipment, it provides a solid guarantee for the efficient and accurate operation of the machine tool.
  • Witching4 (ISO Viscosity Grade 100): A high-viscosity slideway oil, providing strong lubrication support for the slideways of large and heavy-duty machine tools. Its kinematic viscosity at 40°C is 102.1 mm²/S, and at 100°C, it is 11.9 mm²/S. It has excellent load-carrying capacity and can withstand huge pressure and load. In large gantry milling machines, boring machines, and other equipment, Witching4 can effectively reduce the wear of the slideway, ensuring the precision and reliability of the machine tool during long-term and high-intensity work.
  • Witching5 (ISO Viscosity Grade 150): Specially designed for the slideways of machine tools under extreme heavy-load and special working conditions. Its kinematic viscosity at 40°C is 151.1 mm²/S, and at 100°C, it is 15.5 mm²/S. It performs excellently on large machine tool slideways with high load and low-speed operation. For example, in large forging machine tools and heavy-duty grinding machines, Witching5 can form a thick oil film, prevent the direct contact and wear of the slideway surface, ensure the stable operation of the machine tool under harsh conditions, and extend the maintenance cycle of the equipment.

Slideway Oil Selection Guide

Selection Based on Machine Tool Type

  • Ordinary Lathes and Milling Machines: For ordinary lathes and milling machines, these machine tools usually have relatively small working loads and general machining precision requirements. Witching2 slideway oil (ISO Viscosity Grade 46) is a good choice. Its moderate viscosity can meet the lubrication needs of the machine tool slideway under normal working conditions, provide a stable oil film, reduce the friction and wear between the slideway and the slider, ensure the smooth operation of the machine tool, reduce the equipment failure rate, and improve production efficiency.
  • Machining Centers and High-Precision Grinding Machines: Machining centers and high-precision grinding machines have extremely high requirements for machining precision. The slideway oil needs to have excellent anti-wear performance, low friction coefficient, and good oil film stability. Witching3 slideway oil (ISO Viscosity Grade 68) is more suitable for such machine tools. Its higher viscosity and optimized formula can effectively prevent crawling phenomenon during high-speed cutting and high-precision positioning, ensuring the positioning precision and repeat positioning precision of the machine tool, thereby improving the dimensional precision and surface quality of machined parts.
  • Large and Heavy-Duty Machine Tools (such as Gantry Milling Machines, Boring Machines, Forging Machine Tools, etc.): Large and heavy-duty machine tools bear huge working loads, and the slideways need to withstand high pressure and heavy loads. Witching4 (ISO Viscosity Grade 100) or Witching5 (ISO Viscosity Grade 150) slideway oil should be considered first. Their high viscosity and strong load-carrying capacity can provide reliable lubrication and protection for the slideways, reduce wear, ensure the precision and stability of the machine tool during long-term and high-intensity work, extend the service life of the equipment, and reduce maintenance costs.

Consideration of Slideway Material Factors

  • Cast Iron Slideways: Cast iron is one of the commonly used materials for machine tool slideways, which has good wear resistance and shock absorption. For cast iron slideways, the slideway oil should have good rust prevention performance and compatibility with cast iron. Our Witching series slideway oils are all specially formulated to effectively prevent the rusting of cast iron slideways and form a stable lubricating film on the cast iron surface to reduce wear. Among them, Witching1 and Witching2 slideway oils are suitable for the lubrication of general cast iron slideways, while for high-precision or heavy-load cast iron slideways, Witching3 and above models can provide better protection.
  • Inlaid Steel Slideways: Inlaid steel slideways have high hardness and wear resistance, and the slideway oil needs to have good anti-wear performance and extreme pressure performance. Higher-viscosity grade slideway oils such as Witching3, Witching4, and Witching5 perform well on inlaid steel slideways. They can withstand the huge pressure generated by inlaid steel slideways during high-speed and heavy-load machining, prevent direct metal-to-metal contact, reduce wear, and ensure the precision and service life of the slideways. When selecting slideway oil, the surface treatment methods of inlaid steel slideways, such as quenching and nitriding, also need to be considered to ensure the good combination of the slideway oil and the slideway surface.
  • Rolling Slideways (such as Linear Guideways, Ball Screws, etc.): Rolling slideways have a low friction coefficient and fast movement speed, and have high requirements for the cleanliness and lubrication performance of the slideway oil. The low viscosity and good cleaning performance of Witching1 slideway oil (ISO Viscosity Grade 32) make it very suitable for the lubrication of rolling slideways. It can quickly penetrate into the space between the rolling elements and the slideway, form a uniform oil film, reduce friction and wear, and prevent impurities from entering the slideway system, ensuring the high precision and smooth operation of the rolling slideways. In addition, for high-speed and high-precision rolling slideways, slideway oils with special additives can also be selected to further improve their lubrication performance and anti-wear ability.

Combination with Machining Process Requirements

  • High-Precision Machining Process: During high-precision machining, such as the manufacturing of precision molds and aerospace parts, the machining precision requirements are extremely high. Even the slightest vibration and crawling of the machine tool slideway can lead to machining errors of parts. Therefore, slideway oil with a low friction coefficient, high oil film strength, and good anti-wear performance should be selected, such as Witching3 slideway oil (ISO Viscosity Grade 68). It can effectively reduce the friction between the slideway and the slider, provide a stable oil film, ensure the smoothness of the machine tool during low-speed feeding and high-precision positioning, and thus improve the dimensional precision, shape precision, and surface roughness of machined parts.
  • High-Speed Cutting Process: The high-speed cutting process requires that the machine tool slideway can maintain good lubrication and stability at high speeds. Witching3 or Witching4 slideway oil (ISO Viscosity Grade 68 or 100) is more suitable. They have good shear resistance at high speeds, can maintain stable viscosity, ensure that the oil film does not rupture, effectively reduce the friction and wear of the slideway, and can also help dissipate the heat generated by high-speed cutting, prevent the slideway from deforming due to overheating, and ensure the precision and reliability of the machine tool during high-speed cutting.
  • Heavy-Load Machining Process: For heavy-load machining, such as the processing of large forgings and heavy-duty mechanical parts, the machine tool slideway needs to bear a huge load. The high viscosity and strong load-carrying capacity of Witching4 (ISO Viscosity Grade 100) and Witching5 (ISO Viscosity Grade 150) slideway oils can meet the needs of heavy-load machining. They form a thick oil film on the slideway surface, effectively disperse the pressure, prevent direct metal-to-metal contact, reduce wear and scratches, ensure the stable operation of the machine tool under heavy-load conditions, and extend the service life of the slideway.

Key Points for Slideway Oil Use and Maintenance

Usage Points

  • Storage: Slideway oil should be stored in a dry, cool, and well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and high-temperature environments to prevent the oxidation and deterioration of the oil. The storage container should be well-sealed to prevent the entry of dust, moisture, and impurities. Different brands, models, and batches of slideway oils should be stored separately to avoid confusion. During the storage process, the appearance and performance of the oil should be regularly checked. If the oil changes color, becomes cloudy, or has an abnormal smell, it should be detected and dealt with in a timely manner.
  • Filling: Before filling the slideway oil, it is essential to ensure that the surface of the machine tool slideway and slider is clean, without oil stains, iron filings, and other impurities. Use special filling tools and operate according to the oil level and filling amount specified by the machine tool Manufacturer to avoid overfilling or underfilling. The filling process should be carried out slowly to prevent the generation of bubbles, ensuring that the slideway oil can fully fill the gap between the slideway and the slider and form a good oil film. After filling, the machine tool should be started to make the slideway oil circulate and distribute evenly in the slideway system.

Maintenance Points

  • Regular Inspection of Oil Quality: Slideway oil samples should be regularly taken for testing. The test items include viscosity, acid value, flash point, water content, impurity content, etc. Generally, a test should be carried out every 3 months of operation according to the usage frequency and working environment of the machine tool. If it is found that the oil quality indicators exceed the specified range, such as a viscosity change of more than ±10%, an increase in acid value, or a water content exceeding 0.1%, measures should be taken in a timely manner, such as replacing the slideway oil or performing oil purification treatment.
  • Replacement of Filters: The function of the slideway oil filter is to filter impurities in the oil and keep the oil clean. Generally, the filter should be replaced every 24 months according to the severity of the working environment and the operating time of the equipment. In harsh environments such as dusty, humid, or high-temperature, the replacement cycle of the filter should be appropriately shortened. Regularly check the blockage of the filter. If it is found that the pressure difference of the filter is too large or the filter element changes color or deforms, it should be replaced immediately.
  • Prevention of Contamination: During the use and maintenance of the machine tool, special attention should be paid to preventing the contamination of slideway oil. Keep the working environment clean to avoid the entry of dust, iron filings, and other impurities into the slideway system. Regularly check the seals of the machine tool. If they are damaged or aged, they should be replaced in a timely manner to prevent external contaminants from entering the system. When adding slideway oil or performing equipment maintenance, clean tools and containers should be used to avoid bringing impurities into the system.

Actual Application Case

A large mechanical manufacturing enterprise has multiple machining centers, mainly used for the production of high-precision mechanical parts. Previously, when using the original slideway oil, crawling phenomenon often occurred during high-speed cutting and high-precision machining, resulting in unstable machining precision and a high scrap rate, which seriously affected production efficiency and product quality. After switching to our Witching3 slideway oil, the crawling phenomenon was effectively solved. After a period of use, the wear rate of the machine tool slideway was reduced by 8%, and the equipment maintenance cycle was extended by 30%. This not only improved the product qualification rate and reduced production costs but also greatly enhanced the market competitiveness of the enterprise, bringing significant economic benefits to the enterprise.

 

Our slideway oil products have been widely used and highly recognized in the mechanical processing industry due to their excellent performance, strict quality control, and professional technical support. Whether you are a large mechanical manufacturing enterprise or a small processing workshop, we can provide you with suitable slideway oil solutions to help your machine tools operate efficiently, stably, and precisely.

Product Technical Data

names ISO  Viscosity Grade Kinetic viscosity Viscosity index Pour point Flash poire Application
mm²/S(40 ℃) mm²/S(100 ℃)
Witching1 32 30.8 5.48 115 -24 220 Designed for lubrication of machine tool slides and ways,but can also be used for many other applications such as chains, wire ropes, plain and anti-friction bearings,and tranlating screws.
Witching2 46 46.8 7.1 112 -21 228
Witching3 68 68.6 9.2 110 -18 232
Witching4 100 102.1 11.9 106 -15 246
Witching5 150 151.1 15.5 105 -15 248

 

Packages 208L, 200L, 18L