Global water, energy and maintenance solutions provider NCH Europe has launched a new range of gear oils for the food and beverage industry.
The new products, Flush & Clean FG and Top Blend CS FG, are food-grade versions of the company’s recently launched industrial lubricants.
Maintenance and plant engineers can use the products to extend equipment life and reduce downtime in food processing plants.
The two products complement each other as important steps in an effective oil change strategy.
Flush and Clean FG is a gearbox cleaning product that dissolves gear oil deposits, which form during equipment use and increase system operating temperature and rate of wear. It also cleans metal surfaces and can be used to neutralise the acidity of existing oil, which in turn keeps the metal surfaces neutral before the fresh oil is added. This helps prolong the life of the new oil and the metal surfaces.
Once a gearbox is sufficiently cleaned, maintenance engineers can use Top Blend CS FG to keep equipment lubricated effectively.
The product uses calcium-sulphonate technology with adhesive cohesive polymers to allow the product to cling to gear surfaces and provide protection from dry starts and corrosion.
“High-volume production is the backbone of the food and beverage industry, so it is vital that equipment and machinery is operating effectively,” explained Mark Burnett, VP of the Lubricants and Fuel Additives Innovation Platform of NCH Europe. “Lubrication is an essential step in achieving this, but many engineers do not do it effectively. This leads to more frequent oil replacement, resulting in higher expense for businesses, as well as an elevated risk of downtime due to equipment wear. This can be avoided by using a cleaning product.
“Similarly, oil contamination poses a big problem for engineers. Due to the constant process of production, machinery gears generate condensation that leads to gear oils emulsifying and oxidising faster than normal. The unique composition of Top Blend CS repels water and contains oxidation inhibitors that prevent oxygen from reacting with the oil, prolonging oil life.
“Flush and Clean and Top Blend CS have both proven effective in a range of industrial applications to keep equipment running. The new food grade variations are both certified to NSF H1, meaning that food plant engineers can safely use them in processing equipment while ensuring compliance with legal requirements.”
Flush and Clean FG and Top Blend CS FG are both part of NCH Europe’s three step solution to effective gear oil change, along with the NCH oil service program (NOSP). The NOSP analyses oil samples and determines the condition of the oil, allowing plant engineers to identify the best time to change lubricant.
