Latest News

Overcoming the “slip-stick phenomenon”

May 20, 2022

Since 1915, the Will-Burt Company has been providing innovative mechanical solutions to companies and militaries on a global scale. Will-Burt’s largest division designs and manufactures a complete line of standard and custom built telescopic masts. Their pneumatic telescopic masts and tower systems provide intelligent solutions to everything from lighting, to broadcast communications, to surveillance systems and much more.

Prior to using Magnalube-G, Will-Burt was facing an issue with their aluminum, pneumatic masts. According to one of their assembly supervisors, after a short period of time the masts would go up and down in a jerky motion. Rex Mast, an engineer at Will-Burt Company elaborated, “it is known as the ‘slip-stick phenomenon’, in which air pressure builds up while the tubes are stuck; once enough pressure exists, it causes the tube to jump.” The problem was not caused by the masts themselves, but rather the choice of lubricant being used. The seals were not properly lubricated, causing the tubes to stick to one another, which led to the irregular motion of the masts.

After conducting an extensive research on the different types of lubricants available, and determining which lubricant would be compatible with their material, it came down to which lubricant had the best results. “Magnalube outlasted all the other lubricants that we tried,” confirmed Rex Mast. As evidence of that statement, Will-Burt Company has been using Magnalube-G in their pneumatic masts for over 5 years now without a single breakdown.

Did you know?

Magnalube is great for Marine Applications

Questions?

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page

Did you know?

Magnalube makes a great mechanical grease

Latest News

Selecting Lubricants for Pneumatic Cylinders

The pneumatic and cylinders that drive industrial machines often have to stroke hundreds of times a day, every day. With such challenging...

Locks with Longevity

Typically, bank vault combination locks break as a result of daily use. These locks are precision mechanisms that should receive yearly...