Practicing Oil Analysis (May/June 1999) reported on the experience of a northern Pennsylvania co-generation facility that installed synthetic lubricants throughout the plant at the first oil change. The plant came on line in 1995, with equipment that was initially filled with petroleum oils. Management replaced the petroleum oils with synthetics (the brand was unspecified in the article) and instituted a program of regular oil analysis "to ensure equipment reliability and to reduce lubricant manpower requirements." With conventional lubes, plant equipment required seasonal changes to accommodate summer and winter temperatures.
While the change to synthetic lubricants and oil analysis in lieu of scheduled oil changes was initially met with skepticism, the change was quickly cost justified. "The increased cost of both synthetic lubricants and oil analysis was offset by reduced labor associated with scheduled and seasonal changes and the reduction in inventory to stock warm and cold weather lubricants . . . The plant-wide annual savings totaled $20,668 in avoided lubrication costs alone. Moreover, management's objective to maximized machine availability was accomplished due to the success of the oil analysis program. And, condition-based oil changes and extended intervals align well with [the company's] desire to minimize environmental impact."
Synthetics are gaining wide acceptance in industrial applications. AMSOIL synthetic lubricants offer the twin advantages of top-quality formulation and factory-direct price.
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