He pointed out that the workboat industry has, especially over the last few years, steadily broadened its remit, resulting in new tasks and new types of equipment. More, the deck gear is being pushed that much harder: forcing up efficiency subjects it to a wider range of loads with gears and bearings rotating that much faster.
At the same time new developments mean the familiar, tried and tested products may no longer be the most appropriate, and some even present choices that may seem counterintuitive.
“For example the slewing gear of deck cranes have a vertical face. People normally choose a thick asphaltic grease, but this has the tendency just to slide off,” he explained. Klüber Lubrication on the other hand has worked on an alternative; this provides a thin layer that despite appearances, stays in place. “It adds to longevity, and importantly it improves the safety on deck – a really big factor.”
Another new area of development has centred on the automatic lubrication system for jack-up wind installation vessels: “We found that a softer grease gave better performance than before and customers are coming back to us saying that after a year, they are getting less wear.”
But it’s not easy to get the right formulation. “There are a number of criteria” he explained. It’s not just a matter of withstanding harsh environments, loaded with salt – although that’s no small part of it.
“You have to ask, is it needed for rolling or sliding friction?” Both actions require different characteristics he explained: “They either work to separate the contact points with a film or to deliver additives that, even if the product is squeezed out at the point of contact, will still deliver anti-friction benefits.” Of course some base oils and additives perform better in one area than another he said, and added “there’s always a balance and one element can actually work against another.”
On top of all this there’s the temperature: “A grease that’s good for the tropics isn’t the same as one that you can use in the North Sea, and in colder conditions it still has to flow through the autolube system.”
Last but not least, there’s the question of eco-friendly ingredients as it’s implicit in all of this that it will, eventually wash off. He added: “In fact it’s not that challenging to make an environmentally acceptable lube, but it is much harder to make that one that performs.”
By Stevie Knight
