MINING IN FOCUS
The three primary lubricant applications in the mining industry involve components such as engines, drivelines, and open gears.
that meet these standards deliver the same level
of performance.
Choosing the correct lubricant or grease often depends on
a combination of the equipment’s design characteristics,
operational parameters and environment. Factors
like temperature, humidity and location (altitude or
underground) all pose diff erent challenges for lubrication.
There are numerous misconceptions about the true eff ects
of lubricants. Globally, 47% of mining companies believe
that a higher quality lubricant or grease will not help to
reduce maintenance costs. The three primary lubricant
applications in the mining industry involve components
such as engines, drivelines, and open gears; and in all
cases, selecting the right lubricant is a critical fi rst step in
improving productivity as well as realising signifi cant
TCO savings.
Engines
Eff ective engine lubrication is critical to protect high-cost
equipment, and minimise downtime due to frequent
oil changes, maintenance or even component failures.
Important factors to consider are viscosity control in
extreme conditions, soot build-up, corrosion protection, and
long oil life.
quality of the oil. Equipment often operates for long periods
of time at high load, which can put further stress on both
the component and the oil designed to protect it.
Open gears
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. This is particularly
true for open gear applications, which are exposed to the
elements in extreme conditions, and where contamination
poses a signifi cant challenge. These parts are subjected
to an array of hazards, including extreme temperatures,
extreme conditions, extreme pressure and shock,
misapplication, and misalignment, where misalignment
causes the contact ratio to drop below 85%, the load and
stress on the gearing will increase. This overloads the gears
and the lubricant fi lm and can result in sub-surface cracks
and pitting, which signifi cantly reduces component life and
may result in gear failure.
Drivelines With machinery exposed to the elements and working all-
year round in these harsh conditions, they are particularly
susceptible to contamination which could see vital
machinery grind to a halt. It is worth investing in the
resources as well as selecting the correct lubricant as the
performance benefi ts in terms of protection far outweigh
the investment.
Driveline technology is critical to mining operations; and
component life, equipment downtime and oil drain intervals
– and therefore TCO – can be signifi cantly impacted by the Anton Niemann is the general manager at Shell Downstream
South Africa Lubricants.
www. africanmining.co.za
African Mining Publication
African Mining
African Mining November 2019
47