Superior lubrication formula for ultimate machine performance

July 3, 2021 4:08 pm

As the manufacturing industry prepares to return to business, Rupinder Paintal discusses how choosing the right lubricant can make a big difference in achieving increased productivity and machine efficiency.

What are the latest trends being witnessed in industrial lubricants primarily catering to the Indian manufacturing sector?

The manufacturing sector has suffered enormously due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with vaccinations speeding up, business finally seems to be reviving. In this atmosphere, as manufacturers recover from a year of loss-making, we are witnessing a focussed and continuous effort among them to not just increase productivity and cut costs, but also adopt sustainable processes and technologies for a greener business.

As newer manufacturing technologies gain momentum, the lubricant industry is preparing to meet the increasing need for customised speciality products. Industry leaders like ExxonMobil are powering this transformation by introducing technologically superior world-class lubricants that have been developed through decades of global expertise and promise to deliver significantly improved productivity and cost savings.

As industries prepare to return to business and increase output, what are some specific operational barriers that manufacturers encounter, especially in the usage of lubricants?

For the manufacturing sector, a key operational challenge lies in striking an optimum balance between throughput and maintenance. A direct consequence of this imbalance can lead to breakdown of operations, which can severely derail deadlines and hamper production. Sometimes, manufacturers are tempted to postpone or delay preventive maintenance or replace original components with lower-quality products.

This practice tends to create unsafe conditions; especially in harsh manufacturing environments, where low-quality components, including lubricants, can threaten operations by failing to meet existing conditions. Poor maintenance can also cause health and safety issues, and lead to unplanned or excessive downtime. Manufacturers need to conduct preventive maintenance on recommended schedules to keep operating costs low and throughput high while ensuring workers’ safety.

Today, customers have several options in the market. Nonetheless, lack of awareness leads to incorrect lubricant usage that hampers productivity. How do your products and solutions address this challenge?

Incorrect and over usage of lubricants can severely hamper productivity. For instance, disregarding the manufacturer’s recommendations on equipment or component usage could potentially affect the machine’s warranty or even lead to a breakdown. With lubricant usage linked closely to factors like environmental conditions, speed, load and temperature – adopting correct practices is imperative for manufacturers. For instance, using the appropriate grade and type of lubricant is essential for proper bearing performance.

And, failure to choose the right lubricant can lead to shortened bearing life. We have served the industry for decades, with our proven lubrication solutions and application expertise assisting manufacturers at every stage of the manufacturing process. Mobil™ Lubricants are designed to work together and minimise the impact of cross-contamination. In addition to our high-performance lubricants, we provide a range of technical services to keep the machine running at peak efficiency while also extending machine and oil life, reducing downtime and lowering operating costs.

What are some key products by Mobil Lubricants for the Indian manufacturing sector?

Mobil Lubricants offers a complete range of lubrication solutions for the manufacturing sector. These industrial oils include OEM-approved products with years of proven performance. Our range of lubricants for the manufacturing sector includes:

• Mobil DTE 10 Excel™ Series: High-performance antiwear hydraulic oils specifically designed to meet the needs of modern high-pressure, industrial and mobile equipment hydraulic systems
• Mobilcut™ series: Aqueous metalworking fluids that deliver dependable performance in a wide array of metal removal processes
• Mobil Vactra™ Oil Numbered Series: Premium quality slideway lubricants specifically designed to meet requirements of accuracy, aqueous coolant separability and equipment protection of precision machine tools
• Mobil SHC™ 600: Exceptional performance gear and bearing oils designed to provide outstanding service in equipment protection, oil life and problem-free operations
• Mobil SHC Gear™ Series: Synthetic industrial gear oils designed to provide outstanding protection of gears and bearings
• Mobil SHC Rarus™: Supreme performance lubricants designed for air compressors
• Mobil SHC Polyrex™: Specially designed greases to improve productivity even at high-temperatures
• Mobilith SHC™ Series: Superior performance greases designed for a wide variety of applications
• Mobilgrease XHP™ Series: Lithium complex greases designed for a wide variety of heavy-duty applications and extreme operating conditions
• Mobilgear™ 600 XP: Extra high performance gear oils having outstanding extreme-pressure characteristics and load-carrying properties

Mobil Lubricants is known for its cutting-edge innovations and customisations. Can you share an anecdote of any innovative solution created for an Indian manufacturer? In terms of customisation, let me share an example of an engagement with Modern Mould Limited, a leading organisation in the plastics industry. The injection moulding major changed to a new hydraulic oil in its machine. Thereafter, a heat exchanger malfunction resulted in water entering the oil.

Corresponding to the high production demand, the machine could not be stopped for oil replacement, though running with contaminated oil would damage the pump and machine components. Offering a solution to Modern Mould Limited, our Field Engineering team proposed to opt for online water removal with a low vacuum dehydrator. After completing the water removal procedure, the oil’s suitability for use was tested under the Mobil ServSM Lubricant Analysis program and it was found to be fit for further use.

With Mobil Serv’s predictive maintenance and corrective action, the damage to the machine components was averted, the oil disposal was avoided and productivity was maintained – potentially saving 36 hours, 2,200l oil and 670,800 worth of revenue.

(ExxonMobil Lubricants Private Limited are suppliers and owners of Mobil branded Lubricants in India.)