4/5/2017 HowLubricantsCanDriveSavingsandProductivity

HowLubricantsCanDriveSavingsand
Productivity
Chemours
Tags:syntheticlubricants

Machinefailuresoccurforavarietyofreasons.Each
ofthesefailurescreatesarippleeffectofcostsand
productivityloss.Someoftheseissuescanbe
mitigatedbychoosingahighperformancelubricant
onethatcanwithstandtimeandharshenvironments.
Whilehighperformancelubricantsaremore
expensiveinitially,theaddedexpenditureis
recoveredthroughreducedbreakdowns,downtime
andmaintenancecosts,whichresultinlongterm
overallsavings.

FindCompatibilityand
ProductivitywithHigh
performingPFPEs
Highperformanceperflouropolyether(PFPE)
lubricantsareinert,waterandoilrepellant,solvent
resistant,nonflammable,nontoxic,andcompatible
withmostcommonelastomers,plasticsandmetals.
Thisuniquechemistryenablesthemtopotentially
outlastandoutperformconventionalhydrocarbon.
PFPElubricantsalsocanperformunderextreme
temperatures,extremepressureandexposureto
harshchemicals.

ReduceRelubricationIntervals
It'scommonpracticetousehydrocarbonorsiliconebasedlubricantstorelubecomponentsona
daily,weeklyormonthlybasis.WithPFPEs,thatneedisgreatlyreduced,freeingpersonnelforother
tasksandminimizingdowntimecausedbytheneedtoreplacewornoutcomponents.Followingarea
fewexamplesofPFPEsdrivingperformance,valueandreducingdowntime:

GenerateSavings
Onecopperrodmanufacturerbelievedlubricatingitsrollerbearings,whichwereoperatingat
temperaturesofmorethan200degreesC(400degreesF),everyfourhourswithasynthetic
hydrocarbongreasewasthelongestlastingsolutionavailable.However,byswitchingtoaPFPE
lubricant,theyloweredrelubricationtoamonthlyintervalandcutannualbearingfailuresbynearly
98percent,reducingreplacementsfrom186bearingseachyeartofour.ByswitchingtoPFPEs,this
manufacturerreducedmaintenancecosts,partscostsandproductiondowntime.Acostanalysis
showedatotalannualsavingsof$66,920.

ExtendServiceLife
AU.S.textilemanufacturerutilizesahotfluedryingovenaspartofitsprocess.Inthedryingoven,
wetfabricpassesalongmanybearingrollsinsidealargemetallicbox,movingthroughnineheated
zoneswithtemperaturesreaching218degreesC(425degreesF).Thecompanywasreplacingat
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4/5/2017 HowLubricantsCanDriveSavingsandProductivity

leastsixbearingspermonthduetoprematurebearingfailures.Frequentdowntimewasadversely
affectingproductivity.Worse,fabricqualitywascompromised.Themanufacturerneededalubricant
thatwouldretainitsintegrityathightemperaturesinhighhumidityenvironments.Afterusinga
hightemperaturePFPEgrease,themanufacturerexperiencedasignificantextensionofbearing
servicelife,minimizingcostlydowntime.

LimitHazards
Apolyethylenemanufacturerwasstrugglingwithmaintenancecostsandfrequentshutdownsofits
highcapacity,sealedcentrifugebecauseofhazardousmaterialexposure.Specifically,amineraloil
lithiumthickenedgreaseusedinthecentrifugebearingsleakedandledtoprematurebearing
failures.Theleakinghazardoussolventcreatedanadditionalexposurethreattoworkers.Thenew
lubricantneededtobenonreactiveandinsolubletohexane,provideenoughadhesiontoavoid
leaks,andremainfluidenoughtodelivertherequiredlubrication.Themanufacturerturnedto
PFPEs.Sincedoingso,unplannedshutdownsandrelubricationhavebothbeenreducedwith
relubricationdowntotwiceayear.Thesedramaticresultsdecreasedmaintenancecostsand
increasedworkersafety.

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