Case study: Gadus and LubeExpert

Case Study: Extending equipment life and reducing costs with Shell Gadus and Shell LubeExpert

Discover how a combination of high-quality lubricants and expert services can help miners enhance their open gear operations.

Enhancing mining operations through effective maintenance

Challenge

MBCC鈥檚 open gear mining equipment was not adequately protected, risking unplanned downtime and early replacement.

Solution

Following a thorough audit, the Shell LubeExpert team recommended a change in grease and a redesign of the lubrication dispensing system.

Result

The effective use of Shell Gadus provides greater protection in all conditions,
extending equipment life and reducing operational costs.

How ineffective lubrication can put operations at risk

Struggling to protect their critical open gear mining equipment in Saudi Arabia, MBCC worked with Shell to carry out an audit of its existing lubrication practices. The audit by LubeExpert highlighted a range of issues with the open gear grease in use on the ball mill pinion gear, as well as with its application.

The previous grease product was not able to deliver adequate protection during the hottest and coldest periods of the year 鈥� a crucial feature needed by the mine to keep its open gear equipment running smoothly. In addition, the spray bar was poorly designed and placed. It delivered almost 60% of the grease to the unloaded side of the pinion gear, leading to 25% higher consumption than needed.

Combined with a lack of monitoring and lubricant support services from the supplier, these issues meant that the pinion was not expected to meet the OEM industry standard life for equipment of its type.

By switching to Shell Gadus and working closely with the Shell LubeExpert team, MBCC made estimated savings of almost $1.8 million

Delivering expert recommendations to drive positive change

Delivering the audit of MBCC鈥檚 pinion gear as part of the Shell LubeExpert service, the Shell technical team made recommendations designed to enhance open gear protection and extend the equipment鈥檚 life. This included:

Trialling Shell Gadus S4 OG Clear Oil 2000 as a higher-viscosity grease that offers better protection and pumpability in all weather conditions.
Switching from the current grease to Shell Gadus S3 Repair as a preparatory step ahead of the trial.

Shell鈥檚 expert team also:

Redesigned the spray bar and moved it to a location where it could more effectively dispense lubrication.
Installed larger 400kg grease pots to increase the uptime on the lubrication system between refills.
Made recommendations for the next planned shutdown of the open gear equipment.

Extending equipment life and reducing the cost of downtime

The trial of Shell Gadus S4 OG Clear Oil 2000 was successful, with the Shell technical team monitoring its performance over a two-month period. As well as providing a stronger film and better protection in warmer weather (upwards of 100掳C), the grease now delivers better protection in colder weather (below 10掳C) due to its superior pumpability.

The redesign and relocation of the spray bar has eliminated the excess consumption of grease and improved its ability to protect the equipment. All of this has contributed to extending the lifetime of the pinion, reduced the labour costs associated with maintenance and prevented lost productivity from unplanned downtime.