A system for distributing high viscosity grease to at least one plug valve includes a replaceable cartridge with a body having a chamber and a piston disposed within the chamber. The piston defines a first space within the chamber for receiving solid grease and a second opposing space within the chamber for receiving fluid for driving the piston to compress the solid grease received within the first space. A manifold detachably couples to the replaceable cartridge and has a manifold chamber for receiving grease flowing under compression from an outlet of the cartridge and a plurality of valves in fluid communication with the manifold chamber for selectively distributing grease to corresponding grease ports of the at least one plug valve.

A device for supplying lubricant to a lubrication point in a machine, a tunnel boring machine, for example, includes a lubrication pump unit and a control unit. The lubrication pump unit is configured to supply a quantity of the lubricant to the lubrication point, and the control unit is configured to regulate the quantity of lubricant based on a sensor measurement signal. The sensor measurement signal may be based on a temperature measured in a region of the lubrication point, a pressure measured in a region of the lubrication point, a measured viscosity of the lubricant, a measured dielectricity of the lubricant, a measured water content of the lubricant, a vibration intensity measured at a part of the machine, or a measured rotational speed of a part of the machine.

A cutter for a boring head having a shaft is mountable at a saddle. A roller body is rotatably mounted about the shaft via bearings housed at a cavity located radially between the shaft and the roller body. A lubrication fluid is configured to flow internally within the shaft via a first and second passageway. An elongate overflow chamber is provided in fluid communication with the passageways to receive thermally expanded lubrication fluid from the cavity.

A device for supplying lubricant to a lubrication point in a machine, a tunnel boring machine, for example, includes a lubrication pump unit and a control unit. The lubrication pump unit is configured to supply a quantity of the lubricant to the lubrication point, and the control unit is configured to regulate the quantity of lubricant based on a sensor measurement signal. The sensor measurement signal may be based on a temperature measured in a region of the lubrication point, a pressure measured in a region of the lubrication point, a measured viscosity of the lubricant, a measured dielectricity of the lubricant, a measured water content of the lubricant, a vibration intensity measured at a part of the machine, or a measured rotational speed of a part of the machine.

A cutter for a boring head having a shaft is mountable at a saddle. A roller body is rotatably mounted about the shaft via bearings housed at a cavity located radially between the shaft and the roller body. A lubrication fluid is configured to flow internally within the shaft via a first and second passageway. An elongate overflow chamber is provided in fluid communication with the passageways to receive thermally expanded lubrication fluid from the cavity.