# Forging & Metal Forming Lubrication

> Automatic lubrication for forging presses in India: 12V and 24V DC grease pumps and progressive distributors feeding slide ways and gibs.

Source: https://herglube.in/applications/forging-metal-forming-lubrication/  
Herg Lubrication India: centralised lubrication systems for industrial and automotive machinery, supplied across India.  
Enquiries: https://herglube.in/contact/

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A forging press strikes every few seconds, and its slide ways and gibs take the full reversal of that load on every stroke. We supply the automatic lubrication systems that keep those ways fed while the press runs: grease pumps that run off the machine's own 12 V or 24 V supply, progressive distributors that feed every point in a fixed sequence, factory-fit to press builders in India and as retrofit kits for forge shops.

![A glowing hot steel billet leaving a reheat furnace onto a roller conveyor in a rolling mill](https://herglube.in/images/application-forging-metal-forming.webp)

*The lubrication points*

## What a press lubrication system feeds

The slide ways, the crank drive and the ejector: the points that move under load on every stroke. The gear case and any hydraulic circuit are separate oil charges and are not fed from this system.

*Diagram: A straight-side forging press: a crown at the top carrying the eccentric shaft, two frame uprights, a ram sliding on gib ways between them, and a bed at the bottom carrying the die and an ejector rod. Three numbered points mark where lubrication is applied: the gib way, the eccentric shaft bearing, and the ejector mechanism.*

*One pump on the frame, one progressive distributor, and a line to every way. The gear case and any hydraulic circuit are separate charges.*

*Point 1*

### Slide & gib ways

The ways that guide the ram square through the frame as it strikes. They take the full reversal of the striking load on every cycle, which is the condition a grease film wears out of fastest and a hand greasing round is worst placed to keep up with.

*Point 2*

### Connecting rod & eccentric shaft bearing

The bearing that carries the crank drive turning the ram's stroke into force. It runs continuously while the press is in cycle, and it is the one bearing on the machine that cannot be reached for a manual top-up without a guard off.

*Point 3*

### Ejector & knockout mechanism

The rod and linkage that push the finished forging clear of the die after the stroke. Lighter duty than the ram ways, but a dry ejector sticks, and a stuck ejector on a press running several strokes a minute stops the line, not just the one station.

*Not this system*

### Gear case & hydraulics

The flywheel gear case and, on a hydraulic press, the ram cylinder circuit are each their own oil charge on a drain and refill interval. Neither is fed from the automatic greasing system, and neither should be.

*The architecture*

## Why progressive distribution suits a press

A press puts a small number of points under a very large shock load, on a machine where a missed point does not fail quietly: it fails as a scrapped die or a seized way, discovered mid-stroke. A [progressive distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/sd2-type-progressive-grease-distributor/) suits that failure mode because each piston has to complete its stroke before the next one moves, so a blocked line stalls the whole block rather than starving one way for a shift, and a block fitted with an indicator pin can be checked by eye at a service to confirm it is still cycling. The SD2 assembles from three to ten blocks and covers 1 to 20 points per combined distributor, which comfortably covers a press's way, crank and ejector points from a single unit. See [how the three architectures meter a dose](https://herglube.in/how-it-works/#metering) and [choosing the right distributor](https://herglube.in/distributor-selection/).

Grease only, and the same pairing as a [construction plant system](https://herglube.in/applications/construction-machinery-lubrication/): a [ZJ high pressure pump](https://herglube.in/shop/zj-type-high-pressure-grease-pump/) feeding an SD2 block. The rating question is the same one, too. The ZJ pump is rated to 30 MPa but the SD2 distributor to 25 MPa, so the circuit is built to the distributor's figure, not the pump's headline one. Where the shock loading is lighter, the [ZD medium pressure pump](https://herglube.in/shop/zd-type-medium-pressure-grease-pump/), rated to 18 MPa and named in its own specification for forging machine tools, covers the job at less cost.

**Forging and metal forming lubrication points and matching Herg components**

| Point | Lubricant | Metering | Herg components |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Slide & gib ways | Grease | Progressive, per-cycle dose | [ZJ high pressure pump](https://herglube.in/shop/zj-type-high-pressure-grease-pump/) + [SD2 distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/sd2-type-progressive-grease-distributor/) |
| Connecting rod & eccentric bearing | Grease | Progressive, continuous point | [ZJ high pressure pump](https://herglube.in/shop/zj-type-high-pressure-grease-pump/) + [SD2 distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/sd2-type-progressive-grease-distributor/) |
| Ejector & knockout mechanism | Grease | Progressive, per-cycle dose | [ZD medium pressure pump](https://herglube.in/shop/zd-type-medium-pressure-grease-pump/) + [SD2 distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/sd2-type-progressive-grease-distributor/) |
| Smaller press, hand-pumped | Grease | Progressive, one outlet | [NKGH manual grease pump](https://herglube.in/shop/nkgh-manual-grease-pump/), 10 MPa |
| Line branching | N/A | N/A | [TH joint fitting](https://herglube.in/shop/th-type-joint-fitting/), 2 to 10 outlets |
| Monitoring | N/A | N/A | [Pressure switch](https://herglube.in/shop/pressure-switches/), [gauge](https://herglube.in/shop/pressure-guage/), [filter](https://herglube.in/shop/filiter/), [level indicator](https://herglube.in/shop/oil-level-indicator/) |

*Built for the shop floor*

## Running on the machine, close to the heat

The [ZJ high pressure pump](https://herglube.in/shop/zj-type-high-pressure-grease-pump/) runs electrically at DC 12 V or 24 V off the host equipment's supply, rated at 30 MPa through one or two outlets, each with its own piston mechanism, delivering 2 to 3 mL/min on a single mechanism and 4 to 6 mL/min on a double. The housing is IP55 and a paddle vents air out of the grease as the pump works, which matters where the reservoir is topped up on a shop floor rather than in a clean room. Where 18 MPa is enough, the [ZD pump](https://herglube.in/shop/zd-type-medium-pressure-grease-pump/) is rated IP65, a step up in protection worth having next to a press throwing scale and coolant.

A press bay runs hot, and the limit worth checking here is the top of the range rather than the bottom. Both the ZJ pump and the SD2 distributor are specified to +80 °C ambient, which is the figure to hold a press's mounting position under, not just its shop-floor average: a pump bracketed close to a hot die or a reheat furnace can see a higher local temperature than the general floor reading suggests. Grease grade matters as much as the hardware rating here; see [choosing the right lubricant](https://herglube.in/lubricant-selection/) for a shop running hot.

Because a press cycles fast enough that a stalled block can go unnoticed for several strokes, monitoring is part of the specification rather than an extra. The ZJ can report a [pressure signal](https://herglube.in/shop/pressure-switches/) through a pressure switch fitted to the system and a level signal through a level switch, so a blockage or an empty reservoir raises a signal at the press control rather than being found at the next service. Every product comes with an [installation and operating manual](https://herglube.in/downloads/).

*Who we supply*

## Factory-fit for press builders, retrofit for forge shops

*Press & machine tool builders*

### OEM production supply

We supply lubrication systems against OEM production schedules, engineered to the press's point count and stroke rate, with consistent specification and batch documentation for every unit. If you build forging presses, punching or stamping lines, start with the [pump range](https://herglube.in/product/lubrication-pumps/) and the [distributor range](https://herglube.in/product/distributors/) and we will match them to the machine.

[Discuss an OEM programme →](https://herglube.in/contact/)

*Forge shops & owners*

### Retrofit & replacement

A press on a manual grease gun round can be retrofitted without altering the frame: a pump bracketed to the crown or column, a progressive distributor sized to the existing points, and pipe run out to each way. We also supply drop-in replacement pumps and distributors, with [fault finding guidance](https://herglube.in/troubleshooting/) online for a system already in service.

[Ask about a retrofit →](https://herglube.in/contact/)

*Common questions*

## Forging & metal forming lubrication, answered

### Which points does a press lubrication system feed?

The points that move under load: the slide and gib ways, the connecting rod and eccentric shaft bearing, and the ejector or knockout mechanism. The flywheel gear case and, on a hydraulic press, the ram cylinder circuit are separate oil charges and are not fed from it.

### Why progressive rather than another distributor?

Because it fails visibly. Each piston must complete its stroke before the next moves, so a blocked line stops the whole block instead of starving one way quietly, and a block with an indicator pin can be checked by eye. On a press where a missed point can mean a scrapped die, that property matters more than the extra outlets a different architecture would give.

### Does the pump run off the press's own supply?

Yes. The ZJ pump is electrically operated at DC 12 V or 24 V and connects to the host equipment's power supply. No mains supply or inverter is needed at the press.

### What pressure does the system run at?

The ZJ pump is rated at 30 MPa and the SD2 distributor at 25 MPa, so the circuit is built to the distributor's figure. Where 18 MPa is enough, the ZD medium pressure pump covers the same job at less cost.

### Can the system take the heat of a forging line?

The ZJ pump and the SD2 distributor are both specified to +80 °C ambient. Mount them away from direct radiant heat off a hot die or a reheat furnace, since a bracket close to either can run warmer than the shop floor average suggests, and choose grease grade for the actual mounting position rather than the general shop temperature.

### How many points can one distributor feed?

An SD2 assembly of three to ten blocks covers 1 to 20 points per combined distributor, which covers a press's way, crank and ejector points from a single unit on most machines.

### Will a blocked line be noticed?

That is what the monitoring is for. A pressure switch fitted to the system gives a pressure signal and a level switch gives a reservoir signal, both of which the ZJ can report, so a blockage or a dry reservoir raises a signal rather than waiting for the next service.

### Can it be retrofitted to a press already in service?

Yes. The existing grease points are replaced with pipe connections fed from the distributor, so the frame itself is not modified. Point count, pipe routing and working pressure decide the pump and the number of distributor blocks. [Send us an enquiry](https://herglube.in/contact/) with the machine and its points.

## Running a press on a grease gun round?

Tell us the machine, the points you want fed and the supply voltage, and we will come back with the pump, distributor and pipe package that fits, for one retrofit or a production line.

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Send an enquiry](https://herglube.in/contact/)