What happens when you don’t grease your mast bearings?

What happens when you don't grease your mast bearings?

Working in the port equipment industry we come across many (human) failures. In this edition we will show you something that is often overlooked or forgotten by customers. Follow me to this Kalmar heavy duty forklift which mast had a problem caused by inattention.

Masts, whether that be from heavy duty forklifts or empty container handlers, and its condition are a vital part of the aforementioned trucks. And if you look at the components it is actually not that complicated:

Example of a three stage mast

However even in this above picture the bearings are not shown! Even though these parts are very important to a mast! The function of the rollers/bearings are to:

Guide the mast sections: the rollers ensure that the inner mast moves straight up and down inside the outer mast.
Absorb forces: when lifting a load, high forward, backward and sideways forces are applied to the mast. The mast rollers absorb these forces and distribute them across the mast channels.
Reduce friction: without mast rollers, the steel mast profiles would slide directly against each other. The rollers allow smooth movement and reduce wear.
Limit excessive play: good mast rollers prevent the mast from rattling, moving sideways too much, or running out of alignment.
Ensure safe and stable lifting: worn mast rollers can cause the mast to move unevenly, run heavily, shake, or make the load unstable.

When not greased properly this is what you get: a bearing that gets stuck and eventually will destroy the mast roller shaft. The effect is that the mast will not slide properly anymore.And to make the repair is quite costly, not just for the bearings but also because you:

A.Will have to dismantle the mast (below is the inner section of a mast)