Gearing up to boost efficiency

Advanced gear lubrication can play its part in reducing energy consumption in gear drives, as Andrea Jacobsen, industrial marketing, Europe, Africa & Middle East, ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialities explains

IIn gear driven operations such as metals or paper mills, processing industries and manufacturing plants, industrial gears are fundamental to the operational productivity. Even a failure of one gearbox can cause an entire production line to grind to a halt, which can be expensive in terms of loss of production as well as associated labour costs and replacement parts to get the operation back on-line.

Lubricants are the lifeblood of a gearbox, helping to reduce friction and provide longlasting protection for the rotating, sliding and moving components. As a result of the high costs of gear-related downtime, an increasing number of operators are opting for high quality synthetic gear oils.

Industry collaboration Over the years, Equipment Builders (EB) have focused on developing new, more compact and efficient gearboxes capable of delivering even higher load capacities. Such improvements put additional stress on lubricants in terms of higher operating temperatures, faster speeds and heavier loads. These effects are compounded by the EB's drive to reduce total life cycle costs for their products, which includes reducing oil volume while extending oil drain intervals. To ensure lubricants meet the latest requirements, lubricant suppliers such as ExxonMobil work closely with key EBs to ensure that products are ideally formulated to meet the rapidly evolving gear designs and operation requirements. An example of this approach is the recently launched Mobil SHC Gear series of high-performance fully synthetic gear oils.

Mobil SHC Gear oils have been designed in close cooperation with leading EBs to ensure they operate effectively in the latest gearboxes. Based on extensive research and testing, they demonstrate excellent wear protection for gears and bearings, enhanced resistance to micropitting fatigue, improved seal compatibility, excellent oxidation stability and outstanding viscosity behaviour in extreme temperature conditions, all of which ensure the latest industrial gears maximise their full performance potential. As a result,Mobil SHC Gear lubricants can help to improve operators' bottom line and provide companies with a greater competitive edge.

Mineral versus synthetic Higher operating temperatures, faster or even slower speeds and heavier loads are just some of the challenges facing industrial gears today. Synthetic lubricants can perform well in these conditions.

Mobil SHC Gear's high viscosity index and low traction coefficient combine to provide a significant reduction in energy consumption in many gear drives. In statistically validated laboratory tests and field trials,Mobil SHC Gear oils exhibited energy efficiency of up to 3.6% versus conventional oils, delivering considerable cost saving benefits to organisations.* These benefits combine to offer operators longer equipment life, extended oil drain, high-temperature capability and ultimately the opportunity for maximised productivity.

Maintenance To help maximise gearbox productivity and reduce costs, operators should incorporate an oil and equipment condition monitoring programme alongside the use of high quality gear lubricants.As part of routine maintenance, the 'health' of the lubricant and the equipment itself should be regularly checked.

The oil analysis should include a measurement of chemical condition, fluid viscosity, water content, particle count and dissolved metals to determine how well the system is operating. Examining changes in the oil analysis data over time, also known as 'trending', is necessary to assess the condition of the lubricant. By trending oil analysis data, it is possible to address undesirable conditions before they become problems.

For equipment maintenance professionals who want an effective oil analysis programme, ExxonMobil offers an online Signum oil analysis system, which gives engineers immediate access to and direct control of their lubricant sampling programme.

Beyond oil analysis, visual system inspections should be conducted regularly to check the condition of the gear box.

Inspection data can be used to establish the optimum time to perform maintenance on critical components such as gear teeth.

Comprehensive leak detection should also be performed, especially if excessive oil usage is noted during a routine inspection.

* Energy efficiency relates solely to the fluid performance when compared with conventional reference oils of the same viscosity grade in gear applications. The technology used allows up to 3.6% efficiency compared with the reference when tested in a worm gearbox under controlled conditions. Efficiency improvements will vary based on operating conditions and application.