Mobilith SHC™ 460 synthetic grease helps steel mill reduce unscheduled downtime*

Pre-furnace steel-conveyor roller bearing
Shanxi Haixin I&S Group Co. Ltd.
Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, China

Situation
Shanxi Haixin I&S Group Co. Ltd’s Xinzha mill operates a pre-furnace steel conveyor that contains many roller bearings. Due to the high operating temperatures in the furnace, the mill’s conventional mineral grease was becoming heavily oxidized and degraded, resulting in premature bearing failure and shortened regreasing intervals. In an effort to improve the mill’s productivity, the company approached ExxonMobil to identify a grease solution capable of improving bearing reliability.

Recommendation
ExxonMobil engineers recommended switching to Mobilith SHC™ 460 synthetic grease. Formulated with a synthetic base fluid and lithium complex thickener, Mobilith SHC 460 is designed to provide excellent protection against wear, rust and corrosion, while preserving operating viscosity at high and low temperatures.

Result
Since transitioning to Mobilith SHC 460 synthetic grease, the company has extended the life of its roller bearings, resulting in a reduction in unscheduled downtime as well as labor and bearing replacement costs. The company reports that Mobilith SHC 460 helped eliminate bearing failure for four years, resulting in company-estimated savings of US $85,000.