Regulation, environmental issues, and operational problems are among the mining industry’s top threats for 2018. Taking use of the most recent advancements in lubricant technology and analysis may help to make the ride more There are multiple high-risk areas for the industry, including the three major categories of social license to operate, organizational, and operational issues. While keeping that in mind, let’s deep dive and learn more on how the mining industry use lubricants. Then you can get a better overall picture about the use of lubricants as well.

What happens in the mining industry?

Before taking a look at the mining industry and how lubricants are being used, you need to see what exactly happens in the mining industry. Mineral extraction takes place 24 hours a day, seven days a week in mining. Bearings, pins, bushes, ropes, and gears in mills, shovels, and trucks, for example, are constantly subjected to friction and wear. It’s critical to choose the correct lubricant.

A poorly chosen lubricant may cause early component failure and, in the worst-case scenario, production stoppages, resulting in excessive maintenance costs and a loss of productivity and turnover.

Applications of lubricants in the mining industry

Now you have a basic understanding of what happens in the mining industry. While keeping that in mind, let’s deep dive and take a look at the applications of lubricants in the mining industry as well.

You can ensure safe mining

Safety first – this is a fundamental mining guideline that Lubrication firmly supports. Corroded wire ropes or a lack of hydraulic oil might result in major mishaps. We can help you choose the proper products for your needs, such as fire-resistant hydraulic oils or corrosion-resistant wire rope lubricants.

It provides sustainable mining opportunities

Our goal is to provide environmentally friendly lubricants that function as well as our traditional special lubrication technology. As a standard, we looked at mining, forestry, agriculture, and ultra-strict maritime restrictions. There are some specific lubricants manufactured to cater to this requirement. You may take a look at them and get hold of what is available.

You can manage industrial regulations

The industry’s environmental impact; rising regulatory constraints such as higher mining royalties and taxes; operational issues such as uncertainty in reserve estimations; ore accessibility; and business disruptions owing to inefficient asset management and control were among these causes.

While external circumstances and global politics affect many of these risks, utilizing optimized lubricant technology and analysis may assist to increase equipment efficiency, decrease energy costs, and minimize environmental impact, downtime, and maintenance.

You can reduce environmental impact

The environment, according to the KPMG research, is one of the most important risk areas for the mining industry. These dangers include mining-related water pollution and the shift to a low-carbon economy.

Choosing lubricants and greases with a long fluid life, for air compressors or the Mobil SHCTM Gear Series for gearing systems, may help a mine create less waste lubricant. This, when combined with stringent processes, may help to limit the danger of contamination during disposal.

Switching to a lubricant that has been specially designed to improve energy efficiency is also a good idea. There are some specific lubricant products, which are intended to improve pump efficiency in hydraulic systems to save energy, while another series of lubricants may cut power consumption by up to 3.6 percent in gearing systems when compared to equivalent viscosity grade oils.

You can increase productivity

Sinopec told us that unplanned equipment downtime may increase a mine’s number of business disruptions and lower output. Lubricant analysis may assist to mitigate this risk by allowing for a proactive, predictive maintenance strategy. Monitoring the status of your oils and greases is a health check for operations, comparable to obtaining a blood sample in a medical exam.

Manual labeling and processing of oil samples has traditionally been a time-consuming operation, but technological advancements have made it easier. For example, the Lubricant Analysis service offers a ‘scan and go’ solution that automates sample recording using a smartphone interface.

You can reduce maintenance expenses of machines used in the mining industry

Equipment that requires less maintenance and has a longer life span may assist to lessen threats to worker safety and productivity.

Boundary lubricants, such as graphite or molybdenum disulfide (moly), may help reduce wear and tear on metal surfaces in heavy-duty mining applications by lowering friction under high loads without interacting with the surface metal. An example of a moly-containing grease for mining activities can help you with understanding the nature of positive impact that it can create on the mining industry.

Shocks and high loads may also cause early failure of gears and axles. Lubricants designed for these demanding circumstances may help keep defects at bay for longer.

You can increase security

According to the KPMG research, the mining industry’s health and safety is a medium risk factor. Many of the hazards involved with mining are caused by human-machine interactions. Employees will spend less time in potentially dangerous conditions if they choose a lubricant that decreases maintenance needs and failures.

By reducing the number of times these maintenance chores must be performed, a lubricant with longer drain and lubrication intervals may also assist to decrease dangers to employees.

You can experience long-term cost benefits

With tax and mining royalty hikes on the horizon, cost reductions offered by employing lubricants with the longest life cycles – which also minimize energy, maintenance, and lost productivity – can make a difference to the industry’s bottom lines.

Final words

Now you have a solid understanding on how the mining industry uses lubricants. As you can see, many different types of lubricants are used in the industry. Hence, it is important for you to understand the specific purpose and then proceed with using the right type of lubricant. It will ensure that you are getting the maximum returns out of what is offered to you.