Energy – Savings Due To Improved Lubrication
In 2011 on a routine visit to an industrial customer we were informed that the cost of maintenance of electrical motors was exceptionally high. Lubri-Con offered to investigate this issue for the customer. We began by collecting data: number of bearing failures/temperatures/lubricant in use/ lubrication methods/quantities and frequencies etc
Industry : Steel Manufacturing
Application : Combustion fan plumber block bearings
Previous situation : Manual lubrication of the bearings twice a week
- High bearing temperature (75-80 °C)
- Use of an NLGI #3 grease which produced high viscous drag
- Irregular lifetime of the bearings
- Irregular hand lubrication leading to high temperature within the bearings and high energy consumption cost
Solution: Electrical energy represents a cost to the company – this energy should be available to do work. However due to the quality of the grease used – a fair amount of energy was being lost as heat energy – as seen by the high temperature on the bearings. This was due to several lubrication management issues. Our proposal included a detailed explanation of our findings and the following:
- Introduction of a high performance grease with friction modifiers and a synthetic base oil.
- Conducted a workshop to train technicians on proper greasing methods/calibration of grease guns/greasing quantities calculation/re-greasing frequencies.
Results :
- Temperature drop of 20°C
- Power consumption reduced by 15 Amps
- Vibration level reduced
- Maintenance costs reduced
- Increase in equipment run time
| Situation BeforeAmperages = 309Bearing operational temperature =75- 85° C | Situation AfterAmperages = 294Bearing operational temperature =55° C |
| ELECTRICAL POWER SAVINGS (Electrical Eng. Calculation)A x Phase xV3 x Power Factor x Efficiency/1000kW = hourly consumption in kW15A x 415V x 1.732 x 0.85(PF) x 0.85(E) /1000kW = 7.79 kW7.79kW x 24hours x $0.03 (tariff) = $5.60 USD/day (savings in electricity bills)$5.60 x 365 days = $2,047.21 USD per motor savings in electricity (More than 50 motors in client’s shop)Total Savings = (2,047.21 x 50 x 6.45 TT) = $660,225.22 savings annually in Rod Mill alone | |
Benefits
- Cooler operation or lower operating temperatures (less heat from friction)
- Longer equipment and mechanical components life (due to lower friction and wear)
- Increased oil life (lower wear metals and reduced oil oxidation)
- Lower maintenance cost (fewer oil changes and disposal costs)
- Energy Savings (less energy lost to friction) approximately $660,225.22 annually
