An air line lubricator’s purpose is to deliver measured amounts of lubricating oil into the compressed air stream that’s flowing from the compressor to the application.
The end application, often an air tool or high speed air cylinder, requires an external source of lubricant to function properly due to the speed of the tool, or the absence of factory supplied internal lubrication.
Inside the air line lubricator drops of oil enter the air stream as it flows through the lubricator. The compressed air stream, at sonic velocity, atomizes the oil, and carrys it downstream from the lubricator to the tool or actuator.
Make sure that the distance from the lubricator to the end application is short (1-2 meters) as possible to ensure that the oil that’s being carried in the air actually reaches the tool.
Also, remember that the air from the lubricator ultimately exhausts to atmosphere through the air valve or the exhaust vent of the tool, and those in the area may actually end up breathing oil impregnated air.
Do yourself and your environment a favor. Make sure you actually need a lubricator before you plumb one into the air supply. Many air-driven applications are now supplied with factory installed “lubrication for life” and don’t need an external oil source at all.
