How to Choose the Best Grease Lubricant for Industrial Applications?

This is a technologically advanced world; newer products and technologies are evolving at much faster rates than we can imagine and lubrication greases are no exception to this rule. In a few decades, a lot of development has occurred in grease lubricant and a huge number of products are available in the market. There has been a continuously rising trend to produce more and more products that satisfy a specific customer need in industries such as steel, cement, automotive, off-highway, chemical, oil & gas, food processing, mining, marine, agricultural etc. 

On the other hand the understanding of end use customers is limited and the decision regarding which type of grease should be used is solely dependent on the supplier, which can be influenced and may be misleading at times. The theme of this article is based on the notion that everyone should have the proper knowledge about lubricating grease and their uses. 

Types of Industrial Lubricants You Can Consider

Industrial lubricants and machine oils have many chemical formulations and multiple uses, but their basic composition involves: 

• Mineral or Conventional Oils – These most often use naphthalene and paraffin oil as bases and are typically of this type.
• Synthetic Oils – Highly effective chemically when compared to conventional oils, and are specially designed for particular equipment.
• Semi-synthetic Oils – These are blends of synthetic and regular machine oils to provide added benefits of both such as enhanced temperature control and enhanced viscosity.

Semi-synthetics contain a blend of conventional and synthetic oil in their base mix, meaning that they are both less pure and less high-performing than fully synthetic equivalents. The formulated synthetic oils are better in terms of life cycle and lubrication – this means that semi-synthetics are a high rank above the conventional oils, but they are not as good as the fully synthetic oils.

Synthetic oils are chemically refined and have purified oil as their base compound. However, when blending a semi-synthetic oil, no law in the industry prescribes the quantity of synthetic base oil that needs to be blended to make the product a semi-synthetic blend. This is because some blends of gasoline can contain different amounts of synthetic oil, which means the different brands give your engine varying levels of protection.

Each industrial oil also contains several other characteristics that assist in easing wear, friction, sludge, and temperature as well as the removal of gunk and other contaminants. These can be part of the detergents, defoaming, and thickeners classification of surfactants.

Although it is beneficial to understand the types of oil and their specifications it is always best to have a talk with your supplier about the specifications of the equipment you intend to buy. Some units in your home might have contraptions that need lubricant every three months or even every month, some contraptions may need lubrication after one to two years.

Advantages of Grease Lubrication

Now, let us examine how the grease system applies to various machine types based on the different lubrication points and industrial sectors:

The installation of this system offers multiple advantages:

• They ensure that the appropriate quantity of lubricant is supplied to the working parts of the machinery at the given time.
• Make certain that the bearings, rotation points, and other parts that are in contact with the machines have adequate lubrication.
• It prolongs the life cycle of these machines and equipment and guarantees that they are properly used to warrant their permanency.
• Reduces the probability of unexpected downtime, costs, and time required to carry out the maintenance.

Choosing an Industrial Lubricant

There are several aspects that one has to consider when choosing the machine oils. These are the technical specifications of different kinds of machines which must be correctly ascertained before a specific lubricant is bought.

These include:

• Machine Compatibility
• Resistance to Friction and Wear
• Chemical Stability During Use
• Durability and Lifespan of Machine Oil
• Kinematic Viscosity Across Temperature Ranges
• Flashpoint and Ignition Temperature
• Evaporation Rate and Oil Degradation

Given the choices available, you would be in a position to marry several when you use an industrial lubricant in your machinery. Lubricants can be classified under general descriptions including industrial grease, paste and wax.

These can be further broken down into their specific uses:

• Anti-friction lubricants – Used in load-bearing parts of various pieces of machinery.
• Vacuum greases/oils - Used in hydraulic and diffusion systems.
• Release agents – To prevent contact between surfaces because they stick together and this may result in friction.
• Compressor oils – To exclude seamless lubrication in areas where temperatures are likely to fluctuate.
• Gear oils – For maintaining gears’ efficiency, speed, and load and reducing the impact of friction & wear on gears.
• Lubricants – To prolong the life of the machines and regulate heat to avoid the machines getting hot.

As much as you may think that mixing oils will work, incompatible oils can cause more harm than good. Switching between oils is not wise since they may contain different chemical compounds that may have significantly different properties.

Dos And Don’ts Before Choosing Grease Lubricant

• The nomenclature should not be misleading to the users while choosing the product. It is always advisable to involve the machine manufacturer and to call them up to their customer care operators whenever you are in doubt as to what to do.
• One should never dismiss the specifics about how a lubricant works and where it might be used.
• Do consider the amount that you spend to operate a piece of equipment or machine and the total expenditure on a specific equipment or machine.
• Consider the labor and ensure that they undergo training to use the machinery appropriately.
• Regard energy usage and consumption as a key point that needs to be monitored. This can be a more or less fair criterion for measuring the productivity of the machines.
• Ensure that you buy lubricants and machinery that are versatile in many conditions concerning the environment. Viscosity and functionality characteristics of oils change with time or when there is a change in weather conditions.

Conclusion

It is vital to know your application needs and then the choice of grease based on series and type will require your rational and prudent decision as there can be more than one product appropriate for your application. When transferring from one type of grease to another, it’s important to check if the existing grease is compatible with the new grease.

You can also work with a reliable industrial lubricant supplier whose oils undergo strenuous quality checks to achieve perfection. These manufacturers guarantee a certain standard so that all your machinery is in the best shape and running at peak efficiency. They formulate and maintain the quality of their usage to give you the best outcomes. 

Author Bio

I have over 25 years of experience in the formulation, manufacturing and market development of grease lubricants and industrial oils. With several awards to my credit, I currently represent several technical societies and committees. I aim to inform my readers about all the specific details about lubricants and their specific uses in the industry.