Speciality lubricants enhance the reliability of winches while at the same time reducing operating costs
April 7th 2008

Whether they tow oil rigs, supply them with goods or provide emergency services: for the operators of AHTS (Anchor Handling Tug Supply) vessels the operational reliability of their winches is of vital importance. These winches must be ready to work anywhere, at any time. In the pursuit of this goal the lubricant used for the winches' open gears plays a major role. If it fails to meet the extraordinary requirements of these applications, the winch gears will suffer premature wear, fretting or corrosion, with the ultimate risk of winch failure. Extremely high repair costs and lost profit are normally the consequence. The speciality supplier Klüber Lubrication offers products that help to avoid such highly unwelcome effects. They are tailored to meet the requirements of the gear materials used and the demanding conditions encountered at sea, thus supporting winch reliability and contributing to operating cost reduction.

Rolls-Royce has been highly satisfied with the use of lubricants made by Klüber for their low-pressure hydraulic motors for deck machinery, and consequently recommends them to their customers: The Klüber product GRAFLOSCON B-SG 00 Ultra is to be used for running in the tooth flanks, while Klüberfluid C-F 3 Ultra is recommended for subsequent operational lubrication.

The adhesive lubricants developed for open gears by Klüber Lubrication meet the demanding requirements of anchor handling winches and have proven successful on such vessels for many years. A further benefit is that the company offers a comprehensive range of priming, running-in, operating and repair lubricants. Klüberfluid, for example, is a series of highly viscous, transparent adhesive lubricants enabling a long component life by protecting tooth flanks reliably against wear and corrosion. The fluids' good adhesion and specific formulation make for long relubrication intervals and hence a tangible reduction of operating costs.

Moreover, disposal of these lubricants after use is unproblematic since they are free of bitumen, heavy metals, solvents or chlorine. Also, the quantity of Klüberfluid required for reliable lubrication is up to 50% lower than with operating lubricants containing graphite. All this results in considerably lower costs for the user, based on the products' high efficiency, eco-friendliness and the lower disposal costs.

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