MINING IN FOCUS
during equipment downtime. Optimising lubrication can
have a signifi cant impact on component life, maintenance
costs, and unplanned downtime, which can contribute to
cost savings far higher than the price of the lubricant itself.
Through research conducted by Shell, the impact
of lubrication truly is underrated, with only 60%
of companies believing they can reduce costs
by less than 5% through lubricant selection and
management, while a mere 1 in 4 think savings
could exceed 10%.
Lubricant product selection or management
can impact many elements of a company’s
maintenance budget. Seizing the cost-saving
opportunity depends on addressing two equally
important elements. Firstly, by selecting the right
lubricant or grease, and secondly, by ensuring
eff ective lubrication management, including the
correct storage and handling, the right place, the right
time, the right amount, the right monitoring, and the
right people.
“Grease application in
the mining sector can be a
specialist technical area, where
selecting the right grease for the
right application can be critical to
avoid costly equipment failures
and unplanned downtime.
Each piece of mining equipment, for example, made by
diff erent original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) has its
specifi c lubrication requirements. OEMs defi ne the minimum
requirements for lubricants or greases, but not all products
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African Mining November 2019
www. africanmining.co.za