Like looking for the Philosopher’s Stone in the Middle Ages or the Fountain of Youth in the 1600s, owners and operators of large machinery are always looking for better hydraulic efficiency for their hydraulic pumps and motors. Besides the obvious need to protect the moving parts in their machines via strong hydraulic fluids, there’s also the increased operational efficiencies to consider as well as the fewer repairs that come along with a maximized hydraulic fluids system. And of course there are many theories about the best way to go about getting this ultimate hydraulic efficiency.

A recent article on Machinery Lubrication.com explains that the real way to solve the hydraulic efficiency equation is by balancing the viscosity and the temperature of the hydraulic system for best results. As the article reports:

“Hydraulic efficiency in terms of hydraulic fluid depends on a few factors, all of which relate to the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid. Low viscosity, either from poor fluid selection or high temperatures, results in a loss of volumetric efficiency, overheating and wear. High viscosity, either from poor fluid selection or low temperatures, results in poor mechanical efficiency, difficulty starting up and wear.

Hydraulic pump and motor manufacturers have often based hydraulic fluid recommendations on viscosity requirements at startup, optimum running states and extreme running states. With this being the case, temperature control and/or controlling the fluid viscosity fluctuations will be critical in managing the two main drivers of hydraulic pumping efficiency.”

Since many machines utilizing hydraulic fluid systems tend to be stationary machines in controlled environments, controlling the temperature of the external environment is the easy part of the equation, and most hydraulic fluid manufacturers even provide information regarding the optimum temperature at which their fluids will operate at peak levels.

Selecting the hydraulic fluids themselves can prove a tougher problem – every manufacturer will claim that their product is the best, but we all know that isn’t the case. Some machinery manufacturers will recommend a certain brand of hydraulic fluid for their devices – this can be due to cross-promotions between the fluid and machinery manufacturers or some other partnership deal, or because the machine producer truly knows that there’s a great brand of fluid in the marketplace that works best for their machinery. If your machinery equipment manufacturer has a recommendation, we suggest you go with it.

Otherwise, as the article notes, a multigrade hydraulic fluid may be the best option since it can cover many scenarios. As the article explains, “When a hydraulic system is required to perform at temperature extremes, it is almost certain that a multigrade hydraulic fluid will be necessary to provide the highest efficiency.”

Learn about industrial oils and other products at Stevenson Oil.

It’s always a satisfying experience to know that you have an expert on a subject who can provide you with answers to questions or scenarios you’d otherwise have no idea how to solve. This is why we as a society cherish our car mechanics, physicians, home handymen and even our physical trainers – they’ve got the expertise in areas that often touch our lives but for which we just don’t have the time or experience to derive solutions for ourselves.

Ben Briseño is no different. He’s the product line manager at Clarion Lubricants and as such, has vast knowledge and understanding in the very important area of food-based lubricants. Working with foods poses very special problems that can make or break a food industry business or restaurant, so his expertise is highly coveted and is available in his Got Questions? column on FoodEngineering.com.

Ben’s writing style is matter-of-fact but also very specific, as this answer to a question regarding the differences between conventional food-grade lubricants and synthetic food-grade lubes clearly shows. As Ben explains it, “Synthetic food grade lubricants such as Polyalphaolefin (PAO) or Polyalkylene Glycol (PAG) types offer enhanced properties in areas such as high temperature stability, low temperature fluidity, energy savings, and longer oil life. They are preferred where operating conditions surpass the capabilities of conventional food grade lubricants. In food processing, synthetics are often used in low and high temperature applications, air compressors, refrigeration compressors, and gear drives. Synthetic’s lower traction coefficient will yield energy savings in gear drives and compressors compared to conventional food grade lubricants.”

Some of the subjects he covers in his recent column include:

• Advantages and disadvantages to food-grade versus nonfood-grade greases
• Storage considerations for food-grade greases
• Antimicrobial agents used in lubricants
• How to minimize gear box failures on conveyor belt lines
• The best Clarion lubricants for various food industry procedures and operations

In today’s world of social media and 24-hour news cycles and Internet journalism, it’s exciting to be able to turn to experts whom you can really trust in their field.

Learn about food grade lubricants from Stevenson Oil.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma-based food manufacturing company known as Bama Foods has undergone a bit of a radical transformation when it comes to their uses of lubrication in their food business. Bama Foods, which manufactures pies, biscuits and dough products for direct sales to consumers, as well as ingredients for other products, has three operations in Bama Foods Ltd., Bama Frozen Dough, and Bama Pie. Like most industries – even edible, food-based ones – Bama relies on lubrication for many of its operations. Their use of a total productive maintenance (TPM) initiative as spearheaded by predictive maintenance technician (PMT) Randell Powers has helped the company make several smart changes and improvements that has contributed to improved productivity, machine reliability, and quality – the very goals Bama had when they launched the TPM to begin with.

As the article on Machinery Lubrication.com explains on the total productive maintenance initiative undertaken by Bama Foods, “Select operators are part of the TPM program, which includes training on lubrication and inspection methods for their respective production centers. Roughly 100 employees are involved in TPM activities, which greatly expand the opportunities to inspect the assets during daily activities.

Randell Powers was hired as a predictive maintenance technician (PMT) approximately three years ago. A major initiative occurred at Bama Foods following the company’s visit to the Lubrication Excellence 2003 conference class on oil room design and improvement. With the support of a local oil supplier, Bama PMTs began to evaluate lubricants for the sake of product consolidation and more thorough compliance to USF/USDA-designated food-grade use requirements at the site.”

The results were powerful and inspiring for the company. Changes and updates included:

• Reducing Bama’s Lubrication Inventory. The company went from using 15 different lubricants to using only 9 – both oil and grease. Settling on just 3 greases of the 9 types left after the initiative helped workers to simplify grease transaction processes, reduce contamination of the greases, and improve the quality of their relubrication processes. Dedicated grease guns were assigned to each of the types of grease, with information on the output per gun stroke noted. All lubricants were tagged with a plant-designated color, shape and number system in order to set them apart and avoid confusion.
• Remodeling the Lube Room. Not stopping there, a new lube room was created that could handle the volume of storage needed for the various grease guns, greases and oils that Bama uses. Mr. Powers and an assistant began to upgrade handling methods – smartly replacing flexible galvanized funnels, open cans, and the old standard coffee can-type containers with closed-top Oil Safe containers made specifically for petroleum products. The Bama team also utilized filters for drum vents, upgraded existing grease guns, disposed of grease lubricants that did were not one of the nine types selected, and started to label all grease guns by product type to avoid confusion and cross-contamination.

As the article on Bama concludes, “The results that Bama Foods achieved are a product of a good strategic plan, clearly defined objectives, management support and persistence on behalf of the technicians and technical specialists that serve as the change agents. The results are tangible and sustainable if the strategies are integrated into the mainstream fabric of mechanic and operator behavior.”

Good work, Bama Foods!

Learn more about Food Grade Lubricants at Stevenson Oil, which also has lubrication equipment, including Alemite grease guns.