Customer
Who they are:
The company operates an open pit mining in Europe which includes two limestone open mining pits and two closed crushing and screening plants. Its facility can produce up to 12,000 tons of aggregate per day.
Challenge
What they needed:
Due to its location, the mining site is one of the hottest in Europe. The weather and working conditions can cause the temperature of the crusher bearings to reach 65°C during operation. The company used to lubricate the bearings with a competitor brand of lithium grease. However, during regular maintenance, the maintenance team often found darkening on the surface of the bearings which meant they had to be replaced frequently.
PETRONAS Expert Solution
What we did:
PETRONAS measured the bearing temperatures and recommended PETRONAS Grease LiX MEP as a solution to overcome the unavoidable working conditions and lower greasing intervals. Developed for heavy duty applications, this high-performance grease has added molybdenum and functional polymer-based Lithium Complex thickener, giving it excellent high temperature performance. This allowed the company to overcome excessive heat and reduce the frequency of greasing intervals.
“PETRONAS Grease LiX MEP had a positive effect on energy saving, maintenance costs, equipment life and the cost of spare parts.”
Result
The outcome:
The switch to PETRONAS Grease LiX MEP provided the following advantages: (i) bearing temperature decreased by 13°C, thereby increasing bearing life; (ii) extended greasing intervals contributed to a saving of estimated 110 manhours (and associated labour costs) per year and (iii) annual savings of around €15,000 from reduced grease consumption.
