By Jim Fitch
Machinery Lubrication Magazine
Do you know about silt lock? This common condition causes motion impediment failure in certain machines. While this type of failure usually doesn’t involve wear or permanent internal damage to the machine, it is sudden and abrupt. Silt lock is the result of solid contamination and is amplified by other conditions that must be controlled where possible. It is most often associated with hydraulic systems and produces seizure or jamming of components.
Because of its lack of warning or predictability, silt lock is responsible for some of the most devastating and destructive catastrophes in mechanical machinery. These include mechanical casualties, prolonged production losses and even loss of human life.
Silt lock has been found to be the root cause of countless failures related to aircraft, spacecraft, passenger cars, elevators, turbine generators, tower cranes, etc.