Mobil SHC™ PM 320 synthetic paper machine oil enables big lube cost savings

Voith paper machine
Paper mill
Virginia, United States

Situation
A Virginia paper mill installed a state-of-the-art Voith paper machine over 18 years ago. Maintenance personnel needed a high-performance circulating oil for the two 6,000-gallon reservoirs of the machine’s dryer lubrication system. As a result, the company approached ExxonMobil to identify a long-lasting lubricant solution capable of helping protect the heavily loaded dryer bearings.

Recommendation
ExxonMobil engineers recommended the paper mill switch to Mobil SHC™ PM 320 synthetic paper machine oil. Formulated with advanced base oil and additive technology, Mobil SHC PM 320 oil is designed to provide superior viscometrics under dryer section temperatures, preventing varnish and deposits that can restrict oil flow and shorten bearing life. In addition, ExxonMobil engineers recommended the company implement routine Mobil Serv^SM Lubricant Analysis to monitor equipment and oil condition.

Result
After transitioning to Mobil SHC PM 320 synthetic paper machine oil, the paper mill was able to triple oil life compared to a conventional mineral oil. This allowed the company to reduce lube system change-outs, cleaning and related plant downtime. The company reports that the long life benefits of Mobil SHC PM 320 oil have generated company-estimated average savings of over US $100,000 per year.