What is an essential aspect of keeping surfaces apart in lubrication?

Maintaining clearance is essential in lubrication because it ensures that there is a sufficient gap between moving parts to allow lubricant flow, which is crucial for reducing friction and wear. This clearance is necessary for effective lubrication as it facilitates the formation of a protective film of lubricant between surfaces, thereby preventing direct contact. If surfaces are too close without proper clearance, the lubricant may not be able to adequately separate the surfaces, leading to increased wear and potential failure of components due to excessive friction and heat.

Clearance also plays a vital role in accommodating thermal expansion, alignment variations, and vibration, which are common in operating machinery. By allowing for these variations, maintaining proper clearance helps to ensure that machinery operates smoothly and reliably over time. Utilizing the correct clearance specifications is thus a critical aspect of effective lubrication management in reliability engineering.