Cradle to grave
Hidden benefits of good lubricants
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is
something that needs consistent
monitoring and is one of the most
important operational responsibilities
of fleet managers. According to
Patrick Bergman, heavy-duty business
development manager for Africa at
Mogul, fleet management is about
controlling the costs that you can manage
and mitigating those that you can’t.
“With maintenance typically
representing around 20% of total cost to run
your fleet (the other 80% being made up
by fuel, drivers’ salaries, insurance, tyres, cost
of finance, and so on), this is an area you
will naturally want to focus on when you’re
looking to reduce TCO,” says Bergman.
Lubricants and coolants only amount
to between 1.5% and 2% of the overall
costs to run a fleet. Whether it is yellow
metal equipment, off-road, or on-highway
tractor-trailer units, this sliver of a
manager’s costing pie chart can be easily
overlooked. “However, the decisions
you make when it comes to purchasing
lubricants could have a direct impact on
up to 90% of your maintenance costs,”
explains Bergman.
The most expensive piece of equipment is
one that is sitting idle, as it is not generating
any revenue even though it is depreciating
in value. Equipment failure and downtime
can derail project timeframes and budgets.
Frequent breakdowns increase maintenance
and associated costs (such as parts and
transport, as well as replacement equipment
and underemployed operators) — especially
if you are operating in remote areas.
The dust and mud encountered in
typical mining envi ronments take their
toll over time, and when on a deadline,
there is pressure to run each unit for
longer between services. This increases
the strain on components that may not be
adequately protected, which brings us back
to lubricants.
There is often a temptation to regard
lubricants as a commoditised item and
to overlook the differences in quality
between the various products on the
market. At entry level, there is arguably
little to choose from in terms of
product specifications between different
brands, but this is certainly not the case
with higher-quality lubricants.
Compromising on lubricant quality
can soon prove to be a false economy.
Lower-quality lubricants are often
exposed as inadequate, especially when
machines are running at high stress
levels in challenging conditions.
“There is a direct correlation
between the cost of lubricants and
overall maintenance costs. In other
words, a modest increase in spend
on lubricants and coolants (due to a
switch to higher-quality products) can
help to reduce that huge maintenance
figure,” says Bergman.