      |
|
Copyright © 2000 FleetWatch magazine and FleetWatch On-Line. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission from the publishers. Views published are not necessarily those of the publishers. |
|
||||||||
| Past Issues |
September
2000
|
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
When it comes to maintenance, grease evokes the lowest form of comment. The term 'grease monkey' is usually expressed in a degrading tone. Then there is the famous maintenance 'philosophy' of Transnet: 'If it stands, paint it. If it moves grease it!' Both approaches discount the vitally important role lubrication plays in a transport fleet. Technical correspondent for FleetWatch, Dave Scott, urges operators not to let grease, with it's partner oil, be treated as a low ranking issue driven by lowest price. Despite the disparaging references to 'grease monkeys' and such like, grease is the oldest 'lube' in history. Prehistoric people used mud and reeds to lubricate sledges for dragging game, or timbers and rocks for construction. The first recorded application being the saponification of olive oil with lime by the Egyptians in 1400 BC - saponify meaning turning fat or oil into soap by reaction with an alkali. The word 'grease' comes down to us from the Latin adjective 'crassus', or fat, and animal fat was used in Roman wagons and chariots. Not much changed in the development of grease until 1850. Sodium greases were first patented in 1872 closely followed by calcium and aluminium greases in 1882. Mineral oils thickened with lime (calcium hydroxide) were the first mass-produced greases and marketed in sizable volume. The next major development, lithium grease, took place 60 years after in response to the needs of the infant atomic programme. Lithium greases displayed a number of properties that overcame the technical weakness of the greases available in the early 1940's. The first aluminium complex, barium complex, and lithium complex greases were patented in 1952. Today grease is an extremely complex product designed for specific tasks where incompatible greases can have exactly the opposite desired effect when mixed with each other.
Grease is not just grease Because there are no enforceable standards, this is yet another market where entry is easy. By the time excessive wear or component failure is discovered, the suppliers of uncertified grease lubrication products have departed. They have the cash and you have the experience. Excessive application of grease not only pollutes the environment; it also increases the hazard of slipping on the road. The key is to buy the right product for the job and see to a correct application through clean nipples with trained technicians. While SABS may be a toothless enforcer, at least they have finally managed to consolidate six specifications into one new specification for grease - SABS 1851. The new specification falls under one heading of 'Lubricating Grease' and lists performance requirements for four classes of application:
SABS 1851 is good news for tender authorities faced with the danger of judging grease on price regardless of performance. It gets back to the theme of the August 1996 article in FleetWatch - 'Measure the cost of lubrication, not the price of oil'. The SABS specification must urgently be passed onto tender authorities and company buyers so that this can be written into tender specifications. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM's) should assist in the task of disseminating this information, as use of quality greases and lubricants is part of protecting warranties, extending service life and protecting the interests of OEM's.
What is grease? It all starts with a definition. Listening to grease experts discuss what grease is - and does - it seems as if a definition of grease is the Holy Grail for lubrication engineers. The German DIN standard - which is what our SABS is to industry - says that: "Lubricating greases are consistent lubricants, made of mineral oil and/ or synthetic oil, and a thickener" - plus additives to provide certain characteristics and enhance performance. A more active definition, presented in a paper at the July 2000 SA Institute of Tribology meeting by Don Howard of Bel-Ray Company Inc. of the USA, takes us to what grease is and what it does: "Grease is a sponge that simply holds the oil and additives together which, on contact with moving parts, bleeds from the grease providing lubrication." As many as 20 raw materials could be used in producing a high quality grease. Raw materials making up a lubricating grease fall into three broad categories :
The base oil, additives and thickener jointly give grease the following properties:
I hear the modern truck manufacturers saying: "OK, but what's the relevance of all this? The new trucks are designed with as few points as possible requiring grease and sealed-for-life bearings". The issue at hand for South Africa, however, is that the average age of the truck population on the road from 3,5 ton GVM upwards is now 13 years. A small portion of the population is made up of new trucks - 90% of our trucks and trailers will need grease. And, of course, the majority of trailers are probably much older.
Environmental nightmare Unfortunately, grease is like flypaper, attracting debris and dust. There are too many careless degreasing operations in private workshops that allow greasy effluent, from cleaning fifth wheels and chassis for example, to be washed down a storm-water drain. Corporate vision and mission statements always present some form of explanation to environmentalists about 'caring for our environment'. Why then is there an absence of policy clearly stating that only biodegradable compounds will be used for de-greasing? The use of solvents instead of biodegradable compounds only serves to heighten the effect of pollution when degreasing. Aromatic solvents are petroleum based and while aromatic fractions are good at dissolving oils, they are considered carcinogenic and dangerous to skin contact. Aromatic solvents are also most deleterious to the environment. The question therefore needs to be asked: Do the people charged with wash-bay duty and degreasing wear protective clothing? Are technicians who come into contact with grease and solvents trained to use barrier creams, or given the opportunity to use skin barrier protection? Then there is the question of a sludge trap - not a hole in the ground or vent into a storm-water drain. The price of maintenance is not just the cost of parts, consumables and labour - it also costs to take real care of our environment.
Tips to improve Do not let grease, with it's partner oil, be treated as a low ranking issue driven by the lowest price. Here are some tips to jack up this part of your operation :
Lubricants represent a small percentage of the total cost of ownership of a truck. Do not focus on the price of grease and oil. Rather remember the potential costs relating to poor lubrication. References & Acknowledgements:
|
|||||||||
Grease
: More to It than Brylcream 
