58 Industrial Plants Find Keys to Cost Savings with Synthetic Lubricants
 

No matter what industry you're in, your plant very likely can save money and reduce equipment failure rates by switching from mineral-base oils to synthetic lubricants. Need some convincing? The field reports here, broken down by industry and equipment, tell a most persuasive tale:

FIFTY-EIGHT (58) Industrial Plants SAVED
an Average of $35,552 a Year in Maintenance...

• without moving a machine or unscrewing a single bolt
• without making any changes in process flow, or
• without any forced reduction in budgets.

The key to these savings was
switching from mineral-base oils to
Synthetic Lubricants.

Lubrication engineers at Mobil Oil surveyed synthetic industrial lubricant users and found that 58 of them who switched in the past six years realized an aggregate savings of $2,062,000 the first year, for an average of $35,552 per user. The applications are mainly in paper, metalworking, electrical power generation, mining and chemical plants. The survey did not include any vehicles such as trucks, construction and offroad equipment and forklift trucks.

The principal benefits of switching to synthetics determined by the survey are:

1. Labor and material savings -- Due to better lubrication and longer intervals between re-greasing or draining lubricants. Mineral oil lubricants contain thousands of different compounds; some tend to volatilize or oxidize at high temperatures, forming sludge that leaves deposits and acid that corrodes metal surfaces. Other undesirable constituents are waxes that gel at low temperatures. No refining or treatment can remove all of these problem-causers. In contrast, synthetic lubricants are composed of only one or two chemical base stocks, formulated without these undesirable compounds. Properly selected additives further enhance their performance. According to Gordon Milligan, Staff Engineer at Mobil, the naturally high viscosity index (VI) of Mobil synthetic lubes provides better lubrication protection at higher temperatures. Their natural oxidation resistance, along with superior detergent/dispersant characteristics, provide maximum protection against deposit formation, even with extended drain intervals or severe service. And, coupled with the fact that these synthetics generally run cooler (especially in gear drives), they oxidize at a much slower rate than conventional mineral oils.
    
2. Reduction in power requirements -- Since synthetic lubricants have lower internal friction -- or increased lubricity -- compared with conventional lubricants, less motive power is needed. This especially is important in gear drives
    
3. Reduced failure rate -- The synthetics superior lubricating ability, their cooler operating temperatures, and resistance to higher temperatures lead to less wear and significantly fewer failures of bearings and gears in hot, tough applications.
    
4. Elimination of cold weather starting problems -- Drives, bearings or other components exposed to cold temperatures often will suffer severe wear during startup due to lack of lubricant flow. In many cases conventional lubricants solidify, resulting in starting failures or motor burnouts.
   
    

For more information on how synthetic lubricants can help your plant
save money and reduce downtime, contact your Superior Petroleum
Account Manager.