FEATURE
Effects of grease and grime on equipment When small bits of grease and grime are ignored , and left to accumulate , they create conditions for a myriad of challenges that , in most cases , are difficult to address .
These challenges include and may not be isolated to :
• Engine or hydraulic leaks going unnoticed ;
• Contaminants causing workplace safety hazards like fires or injuries to operator ;
• Slowing down machinery , causing abrasion that degrades performance of equipment like pumps as metals gets scored ;
• Reduce the value and life of equipment ;
• Inspection failures and fines , even legal action ;
• High energy consumption . An area which Peter Crossen , VP of the Maintenance and Partsmaster Innovation Platform at NCH Europe , in the journal , Engineer Live , observes : “ Something seemingly insignificant as 0.25mm of dirt on a heating exchange coil can lead to a 40 % increase in electricity usage , which in turn drives up operation costs for businesses .”
Quality of degreasers ( recommended product properties ) That is why the quality of degreasers used is of paramount importance . In general , the following are cited as recommended properties of degreasers for mine operators :
• Ability to remove most stubborn grease and grime and easy to rinse away ;
• Safe to use on all kinds of metals , aluminium and zinc , and all paintwork
• Biodegradable , non-toxic and nonhazardous to humans , animals and aquatic life
• Non-flammable and unable to support combustion
• Storage and handling in ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressures within buildings or roofed outdoor storage .
Options - Solvent or Water-based ? Armed with this information , an informed decision on whether to use solventbased or water-based degreasers has to be made . The assumption is that environmental considerations , a high priority in current conditions , would render water-based degreasers as the obvious choice . However , how environmentally friendly a degreaser is cannot be the only factor that to influence a decision . So , it is best to look at the merits and demerits of both of these two options . Of course , solely on environmental friendliness grounds , solvent degreasers , which use chemical formulations , won ’ t be recommended . Solvent degreasers contain volatile organic compounds which dissolve grease and remove stubborn contaminants from parts and equipment . However , the volatile organic compounds ( VOCs ) they contain are regarded as extremely hazardous .
For instance , if inhaled , the fumes the degreasers produce are harmful . Also , many solvent degreasers are flammable .
From an environmentally friendliness perspective , this leaves water-based degreasers as an alternative . Nonflammable , water-based degreasers use latest surfactant technology to emulsify the greasy soil ; the penetrating agents increase the speed of degreasing . From a safety perspective too , available as concentrates , water-based degreasers are non-flammable and do not produce harmful vapours . This would leave , water-based degreasers as the only option to be used in cleaning equipment .
Nonetheless , an interesting fact emerged - water-based degreasers may not be the suitable for all equipment . They are not recommended for electronic and electrical applications . Instead , it would be advisable to use solvent degreasers . The fast evaporation of solvent degreasers allows electrical equipment to be back up and running sooner . However , as far as regulatory compliance goes , the use of low Volatile Organic Compounds ( VOC ) would get a thumbs up any day .
Decisions , decisions , decisions The decision about a degreaser to invest cannot be made at the whim . Careful thought has to go into it as it is money being spent on a suitable consumable , nothing should be taken for granted . Extensive research should be made when shopping around to select a product carefully . It would be even more convenient to contact a maintenance solutions specialist . An informed decision can result in improved energy efficiency , reliable operation and minimal production cost . They create a safe working environment , reduce maintenance costs and manpower requirement .
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