Mobil Centaur XHP™ 461 bearing grease has helped California steel manufacturer increase bearing life*

Rolled stand

Steel mill

California, United States

Situation

A leading producer of long steels was experiencing excessive failures of its roll stand bearings, with 60 failures occurring in one year alone. When the roll stand bearings failed in production, the roll mill was shut down for eight hours to allow for repairs. With the company’s production value estimated at US $4,000 per hour, each bearing failure was costing the company a production loss of US $32,000. In an effort to eliminate bearing failures and reduce maintenance costs, the company approached ExxonMobil engineers for an alternative lubricant solution.

Recommendation

After conducting a thorough investigation of the equipment and operating environment, ExxonMobil engineers recommended conducting a feed rate study and field trial of Mobil Centaur XHP™ 461 bearing grease in the roll stand bearings. Formulated with advanced calcium sulfonate thickener technology, Mobil Centaur XHP 461 grease is specifically designed to excel in the water-saturated applications found in steel mill environments, providing outstanding wear protection and resistance to corrosion.

Result

Following an analysis of the field trial, the company reported that Mobil Centaur XHP 461 bearing grease has helped reduce grease consumption by 60 percent and decrease the amount of grease collected in the flumes, weirs and cooling water systems. These results, combined with the improved water-handling capabilities and enhanced equipment protection provided by Mobil Centaur XHP 461 grease, have allowed the company to improve production reliability, reduce bearing failures and employee-equipment interaction. This increase in bearing life and streamlining of maintenance costs has delivered an estimated annual savings of US $116,368.

*This Proof of Performance is based on the experience of a single customer. Actual results can vary depending upon the type of equipment used and its maintenance, operating conditions and environment, and any prior lubricant used.