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Industrial gear oils upgrade lubrication

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 27, 2006

Mineral and synthetic industrial gear oils are reformulated to meet the demands of modern machinery.

Shell Lubricants has revitalised its range of mineral and synthetic industrial gear oils to meet the demands of modern machinery.

Shell Omala, Shell Omala HD and Shell Tivela S gear oils have been specially formulated to help prolong gear life and reduce unscheduled downtime, assisting industrial companies in reducing their overall operating costs.

The enhanced range of Shell gear oils has been developed to meet the challenges placed on modern gear systems, which are becoming increasingly sophisticated, smaller and designed to run longer.

In a recent survey of industrial companies conducted by Shell, 50% of respondents said that industrial gearboxes were one of their most critical components, while 30% said that they had experienced a lubricant related gearbox failure within the past 12 months.

Guru Gurumurthy, Global Gear Oil Product Marketing Manager, at Shell Lubricants, explains: "Today's industrial environment is more demanding than ever with trends towards smaller equipment and commercial pressures to raise output".

"This means equipment needs to be able to run at higher operating temperatures, handle increased loads and cope with exposure to water and other contaminants".

"In these tough conditions, operators need a gear oil that is designed to tackle the problems that can affect operational efficiency".

"Shell has invested heavily in lubricants R and D to ensure that we can provide a revitalised range of gear oils to meet these new challenges".

Shell Omala is a mineral-based gear oil suitable for highly loaded gearboxes operating under normal temperatures.

Approved by key OEMs, and with excellent gearbox protection properties, Shell Omala addresses the needs of industrial applications in normal operating environments.

It has been designed to help extend component and oil life and has excellent water separation properties, critical for operations in wet environments such as steel, mining and paper mills.

Shell Omala HD has been reformulated to offer even better performance for increasingly harsh industrial environments.

It is a high performance synthetic oil based on poly-alpha-olefin (PAO) and specially selected additives.

Shell Omala HD has improved thermal and oxidative stability, which minimises sludge formation and increases in viscosity, helping to increase oil life and reduce maintenance costs.

In addition, its excellent anti-wear performance offers longer gearbox life in steel-on-steel applications.

Shell Omala HD has been designed to provide excellent low friction properties, reducing power losses and lowering operating temperatures, which contribute to energy and cost saving benefits compared with gear oils manufactured from mineral base oils.

Shell Tivela S is a high performance synthetic gear fluid based on polyalkelene-glycol (PAG) technology and specially selected additives, designed for use in enclosed, sealed-for-life or worm-helical gear units operating at higher temperatures.

A recent bearing wear test (FAG FE-8 [DIN 51819]) resulted in zero roller wear, demonstrating Shell Tivela S's exceptional levels of protection for gearboxes and bearings.

Gurumurthy comments: "Shell Tivela S helps operators reduce operating costs while maintaining high levels of performance".

"Shell Tivela S has a very low friction co-efficient, which leads to reduced power losses and lower energy consumption when compared with mineral oils, while improving mechanical efficiency and reducing operating temperatures".

"Its excellent thermal and oxidative stability inhibits sludge formation and viscosity variations, helping to extend service life and reduce maintenance requirements".

Used in the field, a Tivela S customer documented lower energy costs after switching to Shell Tivela S.

The Shell industrial gear oil range is available in a wide variety of packaging and viscosities and is supplemented by an extensive choice of support services, including oil equipment and condition monitoring.

As a global leader in finished lubricants, Shell has over 60 years of expertise in the gear oil market.

Ongoing liaison, testing and research in close association with world-leading gear OEMs, and in compliance with all major international quality standards, including DIN, AGMA and US Steel, means that the Shell industrial gear oil range will continue to "keep gears in motion" for many years to come.