Did You Know? Issue 04 Grease can Aid Optimum Performance on your Equipment?

DANGERS OF MIXING GREASE

Proper maintenance is one way of prolonging the life of a machinery. When done right, your equipment will have better uptime and turn a profit of more than what was invested.

For machines with a lot of moving parts, lubrication is a top maintenance priority. Machine parts have the tendency to rub against each other, making it susceptible to wear and tear. This causes it to slow down or heat up, reducing productivity and even an inoperable equipment. Friction can be easily countered with a lubricant.

While picking out grease for your machine should be a straightforward affair, there are underlying risks to it you should be aware of. One often overlooked is grease intermixing.

Intermixing typically occurs when switching lubricants. When grease on a machine dries out, the logic that follows is that there is none remaining. A technician will now feed the machine a new highly-recommended lubricant, thinking it would improve equipment performance. Residual grease will then mix with the new. This is where things can go haywire.

Greases should never be mixed for reasons that they are made with different, sometimes clashing components and are to perform to certain specifications. Generally, two different greases are incompatible.[1] As a reaction when combined with another, the base oil can separate from the grease and ooze out of the machine or the grease can harden, which can result to potential motor failure.[2][3] Any of these happening to your equipment can spell trouble for your business.

In the case that an upgrade is necessary even when a substantial amount of grease is still present in the machine or bearing, use what’s left of the product then flush out residue when ready for a grease changeover. You can also consult your supplier for a compatible product, and if possible, ask for a test run. Doing so will save you the worries that come with intermixing.[4]

On top of grease incompatibility awareness, it is imperative to have a reliable supplier that will guarantee you of quality lubricant solutions to keep your engines and equipment running in optimal performance.

NCH LUBRICANTS ARE KEY TO EQUIPMENT OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

Since 1919, our products and services have become of paramount importance to keeping our clients’ investments secure and in excellent condition. We take pride in our expansive portfolio of solutions that help businesses serve beyond their purpose from day one.

It is our mission to assist you in the biggest of jobs down to the smallest. And to protect your equipment from corrosion and friction-caused damage, we have a variety of industrial-strength greases, gear oils, hydraulic oils, engine oils, specialty lubricants, wire and cable lubricants, fuel additives, water based parts cleaning solutions, and more.

NCH Lubricants are guaranteed to boost your equipment performance. To know more, visit: https://www.nchasia.com/en-sg/products/lubricants

Prevent catastrophic failure and maintain reliable operations for your industrial equipment and facilities with NCH.

[1]. Mobil Industrial. (2009) Grease Compatibilty – To Be or Not To Be! Retrieved Aug. 19, 2019 https://www.mobilindustrial.com/ind/english/files/tt-grease-compatibility.pdf

[2]. Bell Performance (April 2, 2018) Grease Compatibility: Something to Pay Attention to. Retrieved Aug. 19, 2019 https://www.bellperformance.com/bell-performs-blog/grease-compatibility-something-to-pay-attention-to

[3]. Nash by Gardner Denver (2019) Never Mix Greases. Retrieved Aug. 19, 2019 https://www.gardnerdenver.com/en-us/nash/parts-and-service/maintenance-tips/never-mix-greases

[4]. American Machinist (June 20, 2011) Understanding and Addressing the Incompatibility of Greases. Retrieved Aug. 19, 2019 https://www.americanmachinist.com/shop-operations/understanding-and-addressing-incompatibility-greases

Whats in this issue?

Grease Compatibility Awareness can Extend your Machine’s Lifespan

September 2019

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