Efficient Lubrication for Cable Cars

Practical Insights from Real Operations

Lubrication is part of maintenance. Every technician knows that. The real question is: How can lubrication points be serviced more safely, more cleanly, and with less effort?

That was exactly the focus of the webinar "Efficient Lubrication for Cable Cars: Practical Examples and Solutions from the Field."

Download the Webinar Presentation (PDF)

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Joining the discussion were Simon Beetschen, Technical Manager Eastern Region at Bergbahnen Gstaad, Adrian Bernhard, Technical Manager at Davos Klosters Bergbahnen, and Guido Bayard from simatec.

What Practical Experience Shows

In the cable car and mountain railway industry, many lubrication points are difficult to access. In addition, maintenance teams often face significant temperature fluctuations, limited maintenance windows, and strict safety requirements.

This is exactly where automatic lubrication can make a difference.

During the webinar, practical applications were presented for:

Electric motors
Clamping rollers, Guide rollers and carrying rollers
Drive and return sheaves
Rope saddles

The benefit is simple: lubricant is supplied continuously and in controlled amounts. This helps reduce both under-lubrication and over-lubrication. Lubrication points remain cleaner, inspections become easier, and the need for manual intervention is significantly reduced.

Benefits for Daily Operations

Automatic lubrication is particularly valuable when lubrication points require regular servicing but are difficult to access.

In day-to-day operations, this offers several clear advantages:

Less manual lubrication work
Improved workplace safety
Cleaner installations
Better maintenance planning
More efficient use of lubricant
Reliable lubrication of critical lubrication points

In the end, it is not about a product. It is about a solution that works reliably in real operating conditions.

From Practice, for Practice

Guido Bayard brings many years of experience from real-world installations in the cable car and mountain railway industry.

His approach is straightforward:

Assess the application, understand the challenge, and find a solution that works from a technical and practical perspective.

Because every installation is different. Available space, operating temperatures, accessibility, and maintenance procedures all need to be considered when selecting the right solution.

Conclusion: Small Solution, Big Impact

Efficient lubrication is not a minor detail. It is an important part of maintenance.

Supplying lubrication points cleanly, continuously, and in a controlled manner helps save time, reduce maintenance effort, and support operational reliability.

The webinar demonstrated that these solutions are not theoretical concepts. They are already being used in practice—on mountain railways, rope saddles, rollers, electric motors, drive sheaves, and return sheaves.

And that is exactly where they need to perform.