86 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 
M. KAMBIČ
1
, F. CECCHETTO
2
, P. GRUBELNIK
1
1
Olma d.o.o. (SI), 
2
MotulTech-Baraldi (I)
Nekateri vidiki in izzivi mazanja livarskega bata z oljem
Some Aspects and Challenges of Lubricating the Foundry 
Piston with Oil
Povzetek
Mazanje bata na visokotlačnih livarskih strojih je vedno predstavljalo svojevrsten izziv. 
Za zagotavljanje zadostnega mazanja in doseganje dovolj visokega števila ciklov pred 
zamenjavo livarskega bata in livne komore je treba dodati zadostno količino maziva. Del 
maziva v fazi polnjenja komore odgori, del maziva pa prehaja v talino in jo tako kontaminira 
s produkti zgorevanja. Pri gorenju maziva nastajajo plini in nekateri trdi ostanki zgorevanja, 
kar povečuje plinsko poroznost odlitkov in nekovinske črne vključke.
Del maziva, ki med polnjenjem livne komore s talino zgori, povzroča neželen plamen 
ter emisijo strupenega in rakotvornega dima v okolici livarskega stroja.
Nekatera sintetična olja nudijo bistveno boljše mazanje, zato se potreba po vnosu 
maziva bistveno manjša.
Z boljšimi mazalnimi lastnostmi se poveča število ciklov, ki jih lahko izvedemo z 
enim batom, podaljša se tudi življenjska doba livne komore. Z daljšanjem uporabne dobe 
bata in livne komore ter s skrajšanjem zastojev zaradi zamenjav bata se znižajo stroški 
proizvodnje, hkrati pa se poveča razpoložljivost stroja.
Nekatere vrste sintetičnih maziv so formulirane tako, da pri visokih temperaturah 
razpadejo na nestrupene komponente, ki odparijo brez ostankov. Glavni poudarek prispevka 
bo zato na uporabi sintetičnih olj brez grafita. Z določenimi sintetičnimi olji opazno znižamo 
poroznost odlitkov, odpravimo del vključkov, ki so ostanki zgorevanja maziva in bistveno 
zmanjšamo plamen. Z odpravo dima, ki nastaja pri zgorevanju klasičnih maziv, preprečimo 
emisijo strupenih in rakotvornih plinov ter tako naredimo okolico stroja varnejšo in čistejšo.
Ključne besede: tlačno litje, livarski stroj, mazanje bata, sintetično olje
Summary
Lubricating the piston on high-pressure casting machines has always been a unique 
challenge. A sufficient amount of lubricant has to be added to ensure sufficient lubrication 
and to achieve an acceptably high number of cycles of the foundry piston and shot chamber. 
Part of the lubricant burns out during the filling phase of the sleeve, and part of the lubricant 
passes into the melt and thus contaminates it with the combustion products. When lubricant 
burns, gases and some solid combustion residues occur which increases the gas porosity 
of the castings and non-metallic black inclusions.
The part of the lubricant that burns during the filling of the shot sleeve with the melt 
causes an unwanted flame and the emission of toxic and carcinogenic smoke around a 
casting machine.
Some synthetic oils offer significantly better lubrication, as the amount of oil needed is 
significantly reduced.
With better lubricating properties, the number of cycles that can be performed with one 
piston is increased, and the lifetime of the shot chamber is also extended. By extending 

 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 87
1 Sredstva za mazanje batov
Za mazanje batov obstajajo različna 
sredstva:
1.  Trdna maziva
• Praški
• Peleti oziroma granulati
• Masti
Praški so prah naravnih ali sintetičnih 
voskov z dodanimi aditivi. Njihova barva je od  
bele do črne (vsebnost grafita). V raztaljenem 
stanju imajo visoko viskoznost, kar  
omogoča dobro mazanje bata in livne 
komore. Vedno se uporabljajo za mazanje v  
livno komoro.
Prednosti praškov:
• Zelo dobro mazanje in zaščita bata 
pred obrabo.
• Lahko izboljšajo tečenje taline v kanalih 
in orodju, kar izboljša kakovost ulitkov.
Omejitve praškov so:
• Povzročajo zelo velik plamen 
(nevarnost požara)
• Obilno dimljenje pri uporabi.
• Prah slabo teče, rad se zleplja in maši 
transportne kanale na napravi za 
doziranje.
• Praški povzročajo nečistost ulitkov in 
obloge na orodju.
Peleti ali granulati so enake sestave 
kot praški. Od praškov se razlikujejo samo 
1 Piston lubrication agents
There are different agents to lubricate the 
piston:
1. Solid lubricants 
• Powder
• Pellets or  granules
• Greases
Powders are powdered natural or 
synthetic waxes with added additives. Their 
colour is white to black (graphite content). 
They have a high viscosity in a molten state, 
allowing good lubrication of the piston and 
the shot chamber. They are always used for 
lubrication in the shot chamber.
Benefits of powders:
• Very good lubrication and protection of 
the piston from wear.
• Can improve the melt flow in the 
channels and tools, which improves the 
quality of castings.
The limitations of powders are:
• Cause very high flame (fire hazard)
• Significant smoking when used.
• The powder flowing poorly, often 
bonding and blocking transport 
channels on the dosing device.
• Powders cause impurity to castings 
and linings on the tool.
Pellets or granules are made up of 
the same composition as powders. They 
the lifetime of the piston and shot chamber and shortening the downtime due to piston 
replacements, production costs are also reduced. 
Some types of synthetic lubricants are formulated to decompose at high temperatures 
into non-toxic components that evaporate without residue. The main focus of the article will 
therefore be on the use of synthetic oils without graphite. With certain synthetic oils, we 
noticeably reduce the porosity of the castings, eliminate some of the inclusions as residues 
of lubricant combustion, and significantly reduce the flame. By eliminating the smoke 
generated by the combustion of classical lubricants, we prevent the emission of toxic and 
carcinogenic gases thus making the surroundings of the machine safer and cleaner. 
Key words: high pressure die casting, casting machine, piston lubrication, synthetic oil

88 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 
v fizični obliki. Njihove prednosti in slabosti 
so enake kot pri praških. Razlika (prednost) 
je, da se ne zlepljajo kot praški.
2.  Maziva, ki jih mešamo z vodo
• Emulzije mineralnih in delno sintetičnih 
olj
• Emulzije sintetičnih olj
Emulzije mineralnih ali delno sintetičnih 
olj so mlečne emulzije olj visoke viskoznosti 
z dodanimi aditivi. Podobno je pri emulzijah 
sintetičnih olj, le da so olja popolnoma 
sintetična.
Prednost te skupine so:
• dobre hladilne lastnosti,
• pogosto (ne vedno) združljivost z 
ločilnimi sredstvi,
• pogosto nižja cena kot pri drugih vrstah 
maziv za bate.
Omejitve in pomanjkljivosti te skupine 
pa so:
• sredstva niso primerna za zahtevne 
primere uporabe,
• primerna so samo za manjše premere 
batov, maksimalno do 80 mm, kar pa 
je odvisno tudi od kvalitete maziva in 
količine nanosa,
• treba jih je uporabljati previdno. V 
primeru, da raztaljen aluminij pride 
v stik z vodo, lahko pride do izmeta 
taline v okolico stroja. Zato jih moramo 
nanašati zunaj livne komore. To je tudi 
razlog, da niso širše prisotna na tržišču.
3.  Olja za mazanje batov:
• Olja na mineralni ali delno sintetični 
osnovi
• Olja na rastlinski osnovi
• Sintetična olja
Mineralna in delno sintetična olja imajo 
visoko viskoznost in so značilno rjavkaste 
barve. Dodani so jim aditivi za izboljšanje 
oprijemljivosti, za povišanje indeksa  
viskoznosti in izboljšanje nekaterih drugih 
differ from powders only in physical form. 
Their advantages and disadvantages are 
the same as in powders. The difference 
(advantage) is that they do not bond like 
powders.
2. Lubricants mixed with water
• Emulsions of mineral and partly 
synthetic oils
• Emulsions of synthetic oils
Emulsions of mineral or semi synthetic 
oils are milk emulsions of high viscosity 
oils with added additives. This is similar to 
emulsions of synthetic oils, except that the 
oils are completely synthetic. 
The advantages of this group are:
• Good cooling properties.
• Frequent (not always) compatibility with 
release agents.
• Often lower price than other types of 
piston lubricants. 
However, the limitations and 
disadvantages of this group are:
• Not suitable for demanding applications.
• Only suitable for smaller piston 
diameters up to a maximum of 80 mm, 
depending also on the quality of the 
lubricant and the amount of application.
• Should be used with caution.  When 
molten aluminium comes into contact 
with water, it may eject the melt into the 
surroundings of the machine. Therefore, 
they must be applied outside the shot 
chamber. This is also why they are not 
widely present on the market.
3. Piston lubrication oils:
• Mineral-based or semi-synthetic-based 
oils
• Vegetable-based oil
• Synthetic oils 
Mineral-based or semi-synthetic-
based oils have a high viscosity and are 
characterised by brownish colours. Additives 

 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 89
lastnosti. Na razpolago so v različnih 
viskoznostih od 300 mm
2
/s do 1.000 mm
2
/s 
z namenom zmanjšanja kapljanja in lažjega 
nanosa. V različnih obdobjih leta moramo 
uporabiti različne viskoznosti olja. (višja 
viskoznost poleti, nižja viskoznost pozimi).
Prednosti mineralnih in delno sintetičnih 
olj so:
• Dobro mazanjem in sposobnost zaščite 
bata pred obrabo
• Obilo izkušenj zaradi razširjenosti in 
dolgoletne prisotnosti na tržišču.
• Možnost izboljšanja osnovnih lastnosti 
z dodajanje trdnih maziv, na primer 
grafita.
• Lahko jih uporabimo za mazanje v ali 
zunaj livne komore.
Omejitve in pomanjkljivosti te skupine 
so:
• Nezdružljivost z ločilnimi sredstvi
• Povzročajo velik plamen, še zlasti, če jih 
uporabimo za mazanje v livno komoro.
• Pri zgorevanju nastajajo strupeni in 
kancerogeni plini.
• Manj »čista« kot sredstva, ki jih mešamo 
z vodo in kot sintetična olja, zato je v  
primeru njihove uporabe okolica stroja 
zelo zamaščena.
Rastlinska olja so rumenkasta in se 
uporabljajo aditivirana ali pa brez aditivov. 
Imajo visok indeks viskoznosti in dobre 
mazalne lastnosti. Pri termični razgradnji 
tvorijo značilen vonj po cvrtju in škodljive 
snovi (acrolein), ki so kancerogene.
Sintetična olja so bistre tekočine na 
osnovi sintetičnih tekočin in aditivov, ki 
izboljšajo oprijem, preprečujejo obrabo 
in izboljšujejo druge lastnosti. Imajo višji  
indeks viskoznosti kot mineralna olja, zato 
jih običajno ni treba menjati v različnih  
obdobjih leta.
Njihove prednosti so:
• Zelo dobro mazanje in zaščita bata 
pred obrabo.
have been added to improve adhesion, to 
increase the viscosity index and to improve 
certain other properties. They are available 
in different viscosities from 300 mm
2
/s to 
1,000 mm
2
/s in order to reduce dripping 
and simplify the application. During different 
periods of the year, different viscosity oils 
must be used (higher viscosity in summer, 
lower viscosity in winter).
The advantages of mineral-based and 
semi-synthetic-based oils are:
• Good lubrication and the ability to 
protect the piston from wear.
• Significant experience due to its 
prevalence and longstanding presence 
on the market.
• The possibility of improving the basic 
properties by adding solid lubricants, 
such as graphite. 
• Can be used for lubrication inside or 
outside the shot chamber.
The limitations and disadvantages of 
this group are:
• Incompatibility with release agents.
• Cause a large flame, especially when 
used for lubrication in the shot chamber.
• Toxic and carcinogenic gases are 
generated during combustion.
• Less “pure” than those mixed with water 
and synthetic-based oils, so when 
used, the surroundings of the machine 
are very greasy. 
Vegetable-based oils are yellowish and 
are used with or without additives. They have 
a high viscosity index and good lubricating 
properties. In thermal decomposition, they 
form a characteristic smell of frying and 
harmful substances (acrolein) that are 
carcinogenic.
Synthetic-based oils are clear liquids 
based on synthetic liquids and additives that 
improve traction, prevent wear and improve 
other properties. They have a higher 
viscosity index than mineral-based oils, so 

90 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 
• Izredno visok indeks viskoznosti (slika 
1)
• Nekatere vrste zagotavljajo visoko 
zmogljivost in so primerne za doziranje 
v zelo majhnih količinah.
• Lahko jih dodatno izboljšamo z 
dodatkom posebnih aditivov, ki jih 
običajno ne moremo dodajati v 
mineralna olja.
• Lahko jih uporabimo za mazanje 
zunaj ali v livno komoro (kapljično ali s 
pršenjem).
• Ne povzročajo dima.
• Povzročajo manj poroznosti.
• Ne povzročajo črnih nekovinskih 
vključkov.
• So biološko razgradljiva.
Omejitve sintetičnih olj so:
• Nezdružljivost z ločilnimi sredstvi.
• V primeru mazanja v livno komoro 
povzročajo plamen, ki pa je veliko 
they usually do not need to be changed at 
different times of the year.
Their benefits are:
• Very good lubrication and protection of 
the piston from wear.
• Ultra-high viscosity index (Figure 1).
• Some types provide high performance 
and are suitable for dosing in very small 
amounts.
• Can be further improved by adding 
special additives that usually cannot be 
added to mineral-based oils.
• They can be used for lubrication outside 
or in the shot chamber (drip or spray).
• Do not cause smoke.
• Cause less porosity.
• Do not cause black non-metallic 
inclusions.
• Are biodegradable.
The limitations of synthetic-based oils 
are:
Slika 1.  Vpliv indeksa viskoznosti olja na viskoznost pri visoki temperaturi 
Figure 1.  Effect of the oil viscosity index on the viscosity at high temperature

 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 91
manjši kot pri mineralnih ali delno 
sintetičnih oljih ter trdnih mazivih.
• Nabavna cena na kg/L je višja od drugih 
maziv vendar je strošek uporabe nižji.
Sintetična olja zaradi svojih prednosti v 
zadnjem obdobju pospešeno nadomeščajo 
mineralna olja in trdna maziva.
2 Doziranje olj za mazanje batov
Sredstva za mazanje batov lahko doziramo 
v livno komoro ali na bat zunaj livne komore. 
Zaradi velikega odgora pri mazanju v komoro 
je v tem primeru potrebno dozirati bistveno  
večjo količino maziva (dvakrat do trikrat več) 
kot pri mazanju na bat zunaj komore. Zaradi 
prednosti olj pred trdnimi mazivi (predvsem 
možnost mazanja batov zunaj livne komore) 
se za mazanje batov vedno bolj pogosto 
uporabljajo olja. V nadaljevanju se bomo zato  
osredotočili na doziranje olj.
V uporabi sta dva sistema za doziranje 
olja. Starejši sistem deluje na principu 
nastavitve časa doziranja, novejši pa na 
principu nastavitve volumna olja. Prednost 
naprav, ki delujejo po prvem principu je 
nižja cena, prednost naprav z volumetričnim 
doziranjem pa je natančna količina 
doziranja neodvisno od temperature okolice 
in viskoznosti olja. Zaradi natančnega in 
ponovljivega volumna (pri vsakem udarcu) 
naprave z volumetričnim doziranjem, 
je poraba olja bistveno manjša, kot pri 
doziranju z napravo s časovno nastavitvijo. 
Primer naprave z volumetričnim doziranjem 
je prikazan na sliki 2.
3 Primeri iz prakse
Primer 1: Uporaba na stroju z večjim 
premerom bata (130 mm)
Zamenjava načina mazanja bata: 
granulat → sintetično olje brez grafita
• Incompatibility with release agents.
• They cause a flame in case of 
lubrication in the shot chamber, but 
the flame is much smaller than that of 
mineral-based or semi-synthetic-based 
oils and solid lubricants. 
• The purchase price per kg/l is higher 
than other lubricants but the cost of use 
is lower.
Recently, due to their advantages, 
synthetic-based oils have been rapidly 
replacing mineral-based oils and solid 
lubricants.
2 Dosing of piston lubrication oils
Piston lubrication agents can be dosed in 
the shot chamber or on the piston outside 
the shot chamber. Due to the large burn-out 
in lubricating in the chamber, a significantly 
higher quantity of lubricant (two to three 
times more) must be dosed than when 
lubricated on a piston outside the chamber. 
Due to the advantages of oils compared to 
solid lubricants (especially the possibility 
of lubricating pistons outside the shot 
chamber), the oils are increasingly used 
to lubricate the pistons. Below, we will 
therefore focus on oil dosing.
There are two oil dosing systems in use. 
The older system works on the principle of 
setting the dosing time, and the newer one 
on the principle of adjusting the oil volume. 
The advantage of devices operating based 
on the first principle is lower price, and 
the advantage of devices with volumetric 
dosing is the precise amount of dosing 
independent of ambient temperature and oil 
viscosity. Due to the precise and repeatable 
volume (at every impact) of the device with 
volumetric dosing, the oil consumption is 
significantly lower than when dosed with 
setting the time. An example of a device 
with volumetric dosing is shown in Figure 2.

92 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 
Robni pogoji so navedeni v preglednici 
1, mazanje pa prikazuje slika 3.
Ugotovljene prednosti pri zamenjavi 
granulata s sintetičnim oljem so bile:
• minimalen plamen,
• brez dima,
3 Practical Examples
Case 1: Use on a machine with a larger 
piston diameter (130 mm)
Replacing piston lubrication agent: 
granulate → synthetic oil without graphite.
Slika 2.  Mazalna naprava z volumetričnim doziranjem
Figure 2.  Lubricating device with volumetric dosing
Preglednica 1.  Robni pogoji na stroju Bühler Carat 160
Table 1.  The boundary conditions on Bühler Carat 160 machine
Stroj / Machine: BUHLER Carat 160
Premer bata / Piston diameter: 130 mm
Delovni gib bata /  Piston working stroke: 600 mm
Hitrost bata v 2’ fazi / Piston speed in 2’ phase 3,96 m/s
Temperature bata / Piston temperature 90 °C
Masa taline / Melt weight 8,4 kg
Zlitina / Alloy DIN 223
Dnevno število ciklov / Daily number of cycles 1.100
Predhodno v uporabi / Previously in use
Mazalno sredstvo za bat / Piston lubricant granulat / granulate
Mesto doziranja / Dosing point v livno komoro / in the shot chamber
Poraba granulata / Granulate consumption 4,1 g/udarec / g/stroke
V uporabi zdaj / Now in use BARALDI PISTOCAST 2116
Mesto doziranja / Dosing point v livno komoro / in the shot chamber
poraba sintetičnega olja / Synthetic-based oil consumption 1.2 g/udarec / g/stroke

 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 93
• znižana poroznost odlitka,
• odlitek brez črnih vključkov,
• kakovostnejša površina odlitka,
• znižanje izmeta,
• podaljšana uporabna doba bata (iz 
4.800 na 8.600 udarcev)
• znižanje stroškov proizvodnje (poraba 
bata, zastoj za zamenjavo bata, nižji 
izmet, višja produktivnost)
• izboljšanje kakovosti zraka v proizvodni 
hali (brez dima, brez strupenih plinov)
Neposredni prihranki stroškov maziva 
za mazanja bata pa so bili:
Strošek prej uporabljanega izdelka-
strošek zdaj uporabljanega izdelka na 1000 
kosov
16,40 € – 6,00 € = 10,40 €/1.000 kosov
11,28 €/dan/stroj = 3.720 €/leto/stroj
(upoštevanih 330 delovnih dni).
The boundary conditions are given 
in Table 1 and the lubrication is shown in 
Figure 3.
The advantages identified in replacing 
the granulate with synthetic-based oil: 
• Minimal flame. 
• Smoke free.
• Reduced porosity of casting. 
• Casting without black inclusions. 
• Bigger quality of casting surface.
• Reduction of ejection.
• Extended piston life (from 4,800 to 
8,600 strokes). 
• Decrease in production costs (piston 
ware, piston replacement congestion, 
lower ejection, higher productivity).
• Improving air quality in production hall 
(no smoke, no toxic gases).
The direct cost savings of lubricants for 
piston lubrication were as follows: 
The cost of the previously used product 
- the cost of the product now used per 1,000 
pieces.
Slika 3.  Premer bata 130 mm:  
doziranje v livno komoro
Figure 3. Piston diameter 130 mm:  
dosing in shot chamber

94 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 
Primer 2: Uporaba na stroju z večjim 
premerom bata (105 mm)
Zamenjava mazanja bata: mineralno 
olje → sintetično olje brez grafita
Robni pogoji so navedeni v preglednici 
2, mazanje pa prikazuje slika 4. 
Ugotovljene prednosti pri zamenjavi 
mineralnega olja s sintetičnim oljem so bile:
• manjši plamen,
• brez dima,
• bistveno znižana poroznost odlitka,
• odlitek brez črnih vključkov,
• kakovostnejša površina odlitka,
• podaljšana uporabna doba bata (iz 
10.600 na 14.800 udarcev),
• znižanje izmeta zaradi poroznosti in 
črnih vključkov,
• znižanje stroškov proizvodnje (poraba 
bata, zastoj za zamenjavo bata, nižji 
izmet, višja produktivnost),
• izboljšanje kakovosti zraka v proizvodni 
hali (brez dima, brez strupenih plinov),
• izboljšanje čistosti okolice stroja (brez 
politega olja zaradi tečenja olja z bata),
• ni potrebne menjave viskoznosti olja ali 
€16.40 – €6.00 = €10.40/1,000 pcs
€11.28/day/machine= €3,720/year/machine
(330 working days taken into account)
Case 2: Use on a machine with a larger 
piston diameter (105 mm) 
Replacing piston lubrication: mineral oil  
→ synthetic oil without graphite.
The boundary conditions are given 
in Table 2 and the lubrication is shown in 
Figure 4.
The advantages identified in replacing 
the mineral-based oil with synthetic-based 
oil: 
• Smaller flame. 
• Smoke free.
• Significantly reduced porosity of 
casting. 
• Casting without black inclusions. 
• Bigger quality of casting surface.
• Extended piston life (from 10,600 to 
14,800 strokes). 
• Reduction of ejection due to porosity 
and black inclusions.
Preglednica 2.  Robni pogoji na stroju Bühler Carat 160
Table 2.  The boundary conditions on Bühler Carat 160 machine
Stroj / Machine: BUHLER Carat 160
Premer bata / Piston diameter: 105 mm
Delovni gib bata /  Piston working stroke: 600 mm
Hitrost bata v 2’ fazi / Piston speed in 2’ phase 4,20 m/s
Temperature bata / Piston temperature 100 °C
Masa taline / Melt weight 5,1 kg
Zlitina / Alloy DIN 223
Dnevno število ciklov / Daily number of cycles 1.200
Predhodno v uporabi / Previously in use
Mazalno sredstvo za bat / Piston lubricant Mineralno olje (1.000 cSt)
Mesto doziranja / Dosing point v livno komoro / in the shot chamber
Poraba mineralnega olja / Mineral-based oil consumption 3,0 g/udarec / g/stroke
V uporabi zdaj / Now in use BARALDI PISTOCAST 2116
Mesto doziranja / Dosing point v livno komoro / in the shot chamber
Poraba sintetičnega olja / Synthetic-based oil consumption 1.0 g/udarec / g/stroke

 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 95
količine doziranja v odvisnosti od letnega  
 časa in temperature okolice.
Neposredni prihranki stroškov maziva 
za mazanja bata so bili:
Strošek prej uporabljanega izdelka-
strošek zdaj uporabljanega izdelka na 1000 
kosov:
9,38 € – 5,70  € = 3,68 €/1.000 kosov
11,26 €/dan = 3.715  €/leto/stroj 
(upoštevanih 330 delovnih dni).
Primer 3: Uporaba na stroju z manjšim 
premerom bata (60 mm)
Zamenjava mazanja bata: granulat  → 
sintetično olje brez grafita
Robni pogoji so navedeni v preglednici 
3, mazanje pa prikazuje slika 5. 
Ugotovljene prednosti pri zamenjavi 
granulata s sintetičnim oljem so bile:
• minimalen plamen,
• Decrease in production costs (piston 
ware, piston replacement congestion, 
lower ejection, higher productivity).
• Improving air quality in production hall 
(no smoke, no toxic gases).
• Improving the cleanliness of the 
machine’s surroundings (without oil 
spilled off the piston).
• No need to change the viscosity of the 
oil or the amount of dosing depending on 
the season and ambient temperature.
The direct cost savings of lubricants for 
piston lubrication were as follows:
The cost of the previously used product 
- the cost of the product now used per 1,000 
pieces.
€9.38 – €5.70 = €3.68/1,000 pcs
€11.26/day = €3,720/year/machine 
(330 working days taken into account)
Slika 4.  Premer bata 
105 mm: doziranje 
na bat
Figure 4.  Piston 
diameter 105 mm: 
dosing on piston

96 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 
Case 3: Use on a machine with a smaller 
piston diameter (60 mm)
Replacing piston lubrication: granulate  
→ synthetic oil without graphite.
The boundary conditions are given 
in Table 3 and the lubrication is shown in 
Figure 5.
• brez dima,
• bistveno znižana poroznost odlitka,
• odlitek brez črnih vključkov,
• kakovostnejša površina odlitka
• podaljšana uporabna doba bata (iz 
12.000 na 22.000 udarcev)
Preglednica 3.  Robni pogoji na stroju Colosio
Table 3.  The boundary conditions on Colosio machine
Stroj / Machine COLOSIO
Premer bata / Piston diameter 60 mm
Delovni gib bata / Piston working stroke 280 mm
Hitrost bata v 2’ fazi / Piston speed in 2’ phase 2,92 m/s
Temperature bata / Piston temperature 80 °C
Masa taline / Melt weight 2,1 kg
Zlitina / Alloy DIN 226
Dnevno število ciklov / Daily number of cycles 2.200
Predhodno v uporabi / Previously in use
Mazalno sredstvo za bat / Piston lubricant granulat / granulate
Mesto doziranja / Dosing point v livno komoro / in the shot chamber
Poraba granulata / Granulate consumption 1,6 g/udarec / g/stroke
V uporabi zdaj / Now in use BARALDI PISTOCAST 2116
Mesto doziranja / Dosing point V livno komoro / In the shot chamber
poraba sintetičnega olja / Synthetic-based oil consumption 0.48 g/ udarec / g/stroke
Slika 5.  Premer bata 60 mm: 
doziranje v livno komoro
Figure 5.  Piston diameter 60 
mm: dosing in shot chamber

 Livarski vestnik, letnik 68, št. 2/2021 97
• izboljšanje kakovosti zraka v proizvodni 
hali (brez dima, brez strupenih plinov)
• znižanje izmeta zaradi poroznosti na 
0,01 %
• znižanje stroškov proizvodnje (poraba 
bata, zastoj za zamenjavo bata, nižji 
izmet, višja produktivnost)
Neposredni prihranki stroškov maziva 
za mazanja bata so bili:
Strošek prej uporabljanega izdelka-
strošek zdaj uporabljanega izdelka na 1000 
kosov
6,56 € – 2,88 € = 3,68 €/1.000 kosov
8,10 €/dan = 2.670 €/leto/stroj 
(upoštevanih 330 delovnih dni)
4 Zaključek
Mazanje batov je pomemben vidik pri 
proizvodnji ulitkov, saj vpliva na stroške 
proizvodnje, kakovost ulitkov in okolje.
V prispevku so bila našteta različna 
maziva za mazanje bata in omenjene 
njihove prednosti in slabosti. Zaradi svojih 
prednosti se vse bolj uveljavljajo sintetična 
olja, še zlasti tista, ki ne vsebujejo grafita. 
Zato so v zadnjem delu prispevka navedeni 
trije primeri uporabe sintetičnih olj brez 
grafita in prihranki, vezani na mazivo, ki 
so bili doseženi z zamenjavo granulata ali 
mineralnega olja s sintetičnim oljem brez 
grafita.
Viri / Sources
1 MotulTech Baraldi, Interno gradivo / 
internal material
2 Olma d.o.o., Rezultati testiranj v 
različnih livarnah v Sloveniji in tujini / 
Results of tests in various foundries in 
Slovenia and abroad
The advantages identified in replacing 
the granulate with synthetic-based oil: 
• Minimal flame. 
• Smoke free.
• Significantly reduced porosity of 
casting. 
• Casting without black inclusions. 
• Bigger quality of casting surface.
• Extended piston life (from 12,000 to 
22,000 strokes). 
• Improving air quality in production hall 
(no smoke, no toxic gases).
• Reduction of ejection due to porosity to 
0.01 %.
• Decrease in production costs (piston 
ware, piston replacement congestion, 
lower ejection, higher productivity).
The direct cost savings of lubricants for 
piston lubrication were as follows:
The cost of the previously used product 
- the cost of the product now used per 1,000 
pieces.
€6.56 – €2.88 = €3.68/1,000 pcs
€8.10/day = €2,670/year/machine 
(330 working days taken into account)
4 Conclusion
The lubrication of pistons is an important 
aspect in the production of castings, since it 
affects the cost of production, the quality of 
castings and the environment.
The article listed the various lubricant 
for lubricating the piston as well as their 
advantages and disadvantages. Synthetic-
based oils are increasingly being used due 
to their advantages, especially the oils not 
containing graphite. Therefore, the final part 
of the article lists three examples of how the 
use of graphite-free synthetic-based oils 
and lubricant related savings were achieved 
by replacing granulate or mineral-based oil 
with synthetic-based oil without graphite.