The power to lift plastics efficiency

The plastics industry is a major contributor to the European economy. According to Plastics Europe, some 60,000 companies employ around 1.5 million people, generating a turnover of €320bn. But energy use is high, damaging profitability. And companies are under growing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint.

Fortunately, advances in processing machinery are helping to cut energy usage. But, for optimum impact, operators need to look beyond their hardware.

Lubrication selection

Improper lubrication can damage productivity. In a recent survey, 44% of respondents said that they had suffered equipment failure due to poor lubricant performance, while another 26% reported time-consuming lubricant leaks.¹

To address these issues, we have developed a range of lubricants suitable for plastics processing equipment. These include Mobil DTE 10 Excel™ hydraulic oil, which offers up to 6% energy efficiency compared with a standard mineral alternative.²

Small change, big difference

Lubricants only account for a fraction of the cost of running plastics processing machinery, but investing in high quality fluids can generate valuable return.

Not only can they improve energy efficiency by maintaining the desired viscosity, they can also help protect equipment, reducing maintenance costs, whilst extending oil drain intervals. This cuts waste oil disposal, helping improve a company’s environmental performance.

¹Results are from 95 respondents to an ExxonMobil survey conducted with Plastics News Europe readership in January 2016

²Energy efficiency relates solely to fluid performance when compared with conventional reference oils of the same viscosity grade in hydraulic applications. The technology used is able to achieve up to 6% efficiency compared with the reference when tested in a hydraulic system under controlled conditions. Efficiency improvements vary based on operating conditions and application.