Consistent veneer splicing quality depends on two things working together: a properly adjusted splicer, and a maintenance program that keeps every moving part running clean and true. Missed lubrication intervals show up quickly as increased chain wear, feed roll drag, and heater bar misalignment — all of which translate into overlapping joints, mismatches, and burning on the finished veneer.
This guide covers the complete preventive maintenance program for the Mereen-Johnson tapeless veneer splicer, on a standard 40-hour-week schedule. The Lubrication table below covers every greasing and oiling point by interval; the Maintenance table covers the cleaning, inspection, and alignment tasks that complement the lubrication program.
Lubrication
The tapeless veneer splicer has more daily lubrication points than most Mereen-Johnson machines — that reflects the sensitivity of the splicing veneer process to drag, friction, and inconsistent feed behavior. Pay particular attention to these specifications:
- Oil mist lubricator (metal lower chains only): Use Mobil ‘J’ oil. Daily level check.
- Drive chains (metal lower chains only): Use SAE 30 wt. oil. Daily.
- Drive gear box: Use Exxon Spartan EP150. Monthly level check; 6-month oil change.
- Transfer gear case grease: Use Amoco Rykon #2. 6-month replacement.
Use a good-grade bearing grease on all daily and weekly grease points (idle cam bearings, drive cam bearings, feed roll bearings, matching roll bearing, universal joints).
| Based on a 40hr work week | Daily | Weekly | Monthly | 6 Months | |
| Feature | Type of lubrication | ||||
| Check the oil level in the oil mist lubricator. For metal lower chains only. | “Mobil ‘J’ oil” | X | |||
| Oil the pressure chains. | X | ||||
| Oil the drive chains. For metal lower chains only. | SAE 30 wt. oil | X | |||
| Oil the pressure bar drive shaft bushings. | X | ||||
| Grease the idle cam bearings. | Good Grade Bearing Grease | X | |||
| Grease the drive cam bearings. | X | ||||
| Grease the feed roll bearings. | X | ||||
| Grease the matching roll bearing. | X | ||||
| Grease the universal joints. | X | ||||
| Check the oil level in the drive gear box. | Exxon Spartan EP150 | X | |||
| Change the oil in the drive gear box. | X | ||||
| Change the grease in the transfer gear case. | Amoco Rykon #2 | X | |||
Maintenance
The maintenance program on the veneer splicer is split between daily cleaning and inspection (upper heater strip, lower heater bar, overall machine cleanliness) and six-month deeper inspections (alignment, matching roll condition, overall wear). Two points deserve extra attention:
- Daily heater strip inspection is non-negotiable. A nicked, worn, or damaged upper heater strip is one of the most common causes of grooving along the glue line and tear-out in the finished veneer. Catch damage early at the daily inspection and the repair is cheap; miss it and the finished material cost adds up quickly.
- Six-month heater bar alignment check. The lower heater bar alignment slowly drifts over time as feed chains pull on the heater strip. A disciplined 6-month check catches that drift before it starts causing mismatching and overlapping defects.
| Based on a 40hr work week | Daily | 6 Months |
| Clean the entire machine including upper strip and lower heater bar. | X | |
| Check the upper heater strip for wear and damage. Replace or repair as needed. | X | |
| Check the lower heater bar alignment. | X | |
| Inspect the matching roll for wear. Replace or repair as needed. | X | |
| Inspect the machine parts for wear. | X |
Related Troubleshooting and Reference Guides
Lubrication and maintenance work hand-in-hand with operational troubleshooting. For additional support on your tapeless veneer splicer, review these related resources:
Need Service or Replacement Parts?
If your splicer is showing signs of chronic wear, chain drag, or heater strip damage despite following the maintenance schedule above, our factory service team can help. Mereen-Johnson technicians maintain the original manufacturing records and parts inventory for every splicer we’ve built, which means we can source exact-fit heater strips, matching rolls, bearings, and other wear components.
Contact Mereen-Johnson service or call (612) 529-7791 to speak with a factory technician about your tapeless veneer splicer.