When industrial operations evaluate lubricant costs, the focus often falls on the price per drum, cartridge or container. Yet this purchase price represents only a fraction of what lubrication ultimately costs a business. The far bigger financial impact lies in how well a lubricant protects equipment, how long it lasts in service and the role it plays in
Mining is one of the harshest operating environments for any piece of machinery. Dust, shock loading, moisture and extreme mechanical demands place equipment in mining operations under near-constant stress. However, when machinery fails, lubrication is often one of the last things that is looked at, even though it is often at the root of the problem. Llewellyn Owen, New Business Development Manager (Coastal) at
At an industrial plant, lubrication is not always top of mind – until something breaks. Unfortunately, by then the damage is done. Sam Kekana, Technical Sales Representative at Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa, has spent years working with plant maintenance teams across a range of industries, and he has seen where lubrication goes wrong and what it costs companies when
Lubrication management has grown more sophisticated in recent years, with plants having access to better products, smarter monitoring tools and more advanced storage and dispensing systems. Yet equipment failure rates linked to lubrication problems remain stubbornly high. According to Colin Ford, Managing Director of Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa, the reason for this is that technology can only
Rotary kilns and dryers operate under extreme heat and heavy continuous loads, often with persistent vibration. Inside the kilns, the interface between the kiln tyre and the shell is one of the most critical lubrication points on the machine – a key piece of machinery in cement production, lime calcining, mineral processing and chemical manufacturing. This means that finding the
Industrial maintenance teams know that proper lubrication is critical to equipment performance. What many don’t realise is that the battle for equipment longevity and efficiency is often lost before the lubricant ever touches the machine. Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa has identified that 90% of lubrication contamination happens during storage and dispensing
As part of its extensive work to help develop benchmarking standards for wire rope lubrication in South Africa, lubrication specialists Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa has found the Viper wire rope lubricator to be a key element for effective lubrication application and rope maintenance. Designed and manufactured in Australia over 15 years ago, the Viper was initially
Both crop and livestock farmers employ a wide range of vehicles on their farms. From the faithful, hard-working farm bakkie to more specialised equipment for harvesting, livestock maintenance and even minor earthworks, keeping these machines running well is a key imperative – and often a significant headache – for farmers. Trevor
This year, lubrication specialists Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa formalised its Xtend team – a group of lubrication technicians who are highly skilled in assessing, applying and monitoring lubrication systems for wire ropes. Some of the most common applications for these types of ropes are found at mines and ports, which
Benchmarking standards for wire rope lubrication can have a significant effect on the performance, longevity and environmental impact of wire ropes. Lubrication Engineers (LE) South Africa has been working with clients across the country to test and monitor the performance of its Wirelife® Almasol® Coating Greases on ropes. The company
When ash-producing fuels burn, combustion by-products accumulate on boiler heating surfaces – including tube banks, walls, screens, superheaters, reheaters and economisers. This buildup creates an insulating barrier that forces boilers to work harder, consuming more fuel and generating higher emissions to achieve the same output. Clean heating surfaces help boilers
Conveyor belts, industrial machinery, automation systems and various types of lifting equipment use worm gears for speed reduction and when space is very limited. However, these specialist gears need the right lubrication to ensure they can function effectively and to extend their life span. Worm gears are specifically designed to
