Gear oil revolution

Jon Lawson

The inside story on a specialist that has developed a smart calcium-sulphonate gear programme

An innovative gear oil solution that uses calcium-sulphonate technologies has recently been launched. This new three-step gear oil programme works to ensure optimum lubrication and cost-effective maintenance, topped up with a gear oil that uses a calcium-sulphonate base to offer better corrosion protection than typical gear oils.

Machinery breakages are one of the biggest issues affecting the mining engineering sector. This is often due to poor lubrication and an ineffective approach to gear oil maintenance, which reduce both equipment life span and the quality of the oil itself.

A new solution

The new three-step gear oil programme from NCH Europe addresses these issues, simplifying the process to ensure the end user can make the most of its machinery and equipment. The three steps involve using the NCH Oil Service Programme (NOSP), removing deposit build-up and then using an effective oil.

“Surprisingly, only 20% of oil changes happen at the right time,” reveals Mark Burnett, VP of the Lubricants and Fuel Additives Innovation Platform at NCH Europe. “This means the majority of businesses are either risking their machinery by changing oil too late or changing too early and accumulating unnecessary costs.

“Our gear oil programme not only allows engineers to identify the right time to change their oil, but also outlines a way to extend the life of both the machinery and the replacement oil itself. In following the steps, companies can develop an effective and cost-efficient approach to oil.”

NOSP identifies the best time to change oil using precise analysis methods. This prevents machinery breakdowns and downtime, while also helping the end user avoid unnecessary costs caused by changing oil too soon. It also provides accurate reports each time that a change is due.

Cleaning a system before refilling with oil prevents contaminants forming deposits, which can block machines, leading to an increase in energy consumption and temperature. Using NCH Europe’s advanced technology, Flush & Clean, prevents this by dissolving deposits and neutralising acids, while also cleaning metal surfaces to reduce system wear.

“It’s not uncommon for some engineers to cut corners and miss out the cleaning stage,” explains Burnett. “In doing this, contaminants will build up in the system and cause problems for the machine. Without cleaning the system, fresh gear oil becomes contaminated and less effective within hours.”

Choose the most suitable gear oil

The final step in the oil change programme is the use of an effective gear oil. To provide maximum lubrication while also addressing industry issues such as corrosion and dry starts, NCH Europe developed Top Blend CS.

Top Blend CS is able to repel water to drastically slow the rate of corrosion, while the built-in acid neutralisers and oxidative inhibitors prevent the chemical breakdown that leads to oil acidity. This greatly extends the lifespan of gears and seals, saving companies money in the long run.

Top Blend CS also addresses the problems of dry starts and foaming. The calcium-sulphonate make-up resolves these with anti-foam technology and adhesive cohesive polymers; the latter prevents dry starts by allowing oil to cling to gear surfaces during shut down.

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