Synthetic solutions to increasing energy prices
January 1st 2006

Businesses and households in the UK continue to be hit by increasing energy prices.

In the home, the simple step of changing to energy-saving light bulbs can make a noticeable difference; the simple option open to industry, says Fuchs Lubricants UK, is to switch to energy-saving lubricants.

All process industries that convert raw materials into useable goods require a huge amount of electricity to power machinery and equipment. For any machinery to move, energy has to be provided to overcome friction. Minimising the amount of energy lost to friction can increase a company's profitability by reducing the amount of power consumed.

Lubricants are designed to reduce friction, but the company says that synthetic oils such as those based on Polyalphaolefin, Polyalkylene glycol and Esters, perform this task better than conventional lubricants.

Fuchs believes that industry has yet to wake up to the full energy saving benefits of enhanced lubricant technology. This may be because synthetic lubricants are deemed expensive compared to traditional mineral oils.

Lubricant costs, in comparison to energy costs, are minimal, and the advantages of using synthetic oils are said to far outweigh the initial high cost of investing in them. Even a small percentage reduction in energy consumption, says Fuchs, can translate into large returns and can typically pay for a plant's lubricant expense within a few months.

Fuchs Lubricants (UK) has published a guide called Energy Saving Lubricants for Process Industries. This will be available free from the company at Maintec 2006, Stand B15

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