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. Tribotech 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
