Experimental Assessment of Behavior of TwinSpin Precision Reducers Under Low Temperatures

The present study investigates the influence of low temperature on starting torque, viscous friction, and power intensity of a precision cycloidal reducer TwinSpin TS 140115EP190583. Two types of plasticity lubricants with differing viscosity were compared in the experiment: Castrol TT1 (low-viscosity, optimized for low-temperature) and Vigo RE0 (higher viscosity, designated for greater loads). The measurements were taken in a climate chamber in the temperature ranging from +24 °C to −20 °C in the mode accounting for no external load. The results have shown that Castrol TT1 maintains its beneficial rheological properties at as low as −20 °C, which is manifested in low starting torque (~0.30 Nm) and low power intensity (~0.33 kW). On the contrary, Vigo RE0 shows a significant increase in friction – at −20 °C, the starting torque is 1.0–1.1 Nm and the power intensity of the operation increases to consume more than 1.5 kW. The study has confirmed that the correct choice of lubricant is the critical factor in reliable starting and efficient operation of reducers in extreme cold.