The toughest solutions for the world’s most extreme processes

Citation

(2015), "The toughest solutions for the world’s most extreme processes", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 62 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM.12862caa.011.html

The toughest solutions for the world’s most extreme processes

Article Type: Industrial news From: Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Volume 62, Issue 3

Steel mill profitability is adversely impacted in scenarios resulting in rising production costs and inefficiencies leading to productivity losses. In the cold rolling and galvanize process, enhanced equipment protection that prolongs asset life and prevents unnecessary breakdowns is essential for reducing interruptions in production. If a mill experiences corrosion on the bearings, the operation runs the risk of capital and production loss.

QUAKERTEK™ CS 4602-EP, a calcium sulfonate grease, provides the competitive advantage to keep operations running with:

• Water washout resistance: This grease will stay in place and lubricate the bearing even when fully submerged in water.

• Excellent corrosion protection: Prevents bearing corrosion by supporting increased bearing life and reducing the amount of bearing replacements.

• Excellent shear stability: Has an excellent ability to maintain its consistency and not soften during mechanical working.

In the galvanize and cold mill lines at one major North American steel producer, corrosion was shortening the life of the bearings, causing them to be replaced up to nine times a year, at a cost of more than $6,000 per bearing for a total of cost of over $55,000. The steel producer, contacted Quaker Chemical for a solution to their corrosion problems that could extend the life of the bearing and result in a cost savings.

Quaker introduced QUAKERTEK™ CS 4602-EP into the steel producer’s galvanize and cold mill operations. Since the introduction, the lifetime of the bearings has been increased and the amount of bearing replacements has been reduced from 9 to 2, resulting in a cost savings of more than $43,000 per year. To ensure the best grease for their operations was being used, the steel producer tested a competitive grease in the galvanize and cold mill operations, but were not able to achieve equivalent results so they returned back to the QUAKERTEK™ calcium sulfonate grease.

The steel industry has become increasingly performance oriented, and one of the ways producers remain competitive is based on their ability to extend equipment life. In this instance, by working with the customer, Quaker was able to introduce a product to customer’s operation that enhanced the performance of the mill bearings and reduced the chance of interruptions in production, states Mark Goedtel Quaker Chemical Grease Product Manager, North America.

As industries are becoming increasingly performance oriented and low-cost conscious, it is likely that in the future, the industrial and commercial manufacturing industries will remain competitive based on the ability to extend equipment life on a cost of unit output as opposed to cost per volume.

More information is available from: http://www.quakerchem.com