Anderol lubricant aims to aid energy efficiency

The Anderol 6000 food grade lubricant Series provides food processors with high-performance PAO-based products that the company claims ensures brand quality through enhanced equipment performance.

"The Anderol 6000 series provides food processors with market-tailored lubricants geared towards driving HAACP and WHO food safety initiatives, reducing power consumption and maximizing investment in processing equipment,"​ said Garrett Grega, Anderol global marketing manager.

There is now enormous pressure on manufacturers to achieve grater energy efficiency through cutting down on both emissions and waste. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is just one of the policies being introduced across Europe to tackle emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and combat the serious threat of climate change.

The scheme comes into force on 1 January 2005. The environmental regulator has cautioned food and drink manufacturers that if they fail to comply with essential environmental legislation they risk hefty fines.

Anderol therefore believes that its new range of lubricants can help manufacturers achieve energy savings. The company claims that in trials, the 6000 food grade lubricant series helped a major water bottling facility to reduce power consumption by 13 per cent.

The lubricant range has been engineered with fully optimised PAO-based synthetic hydrocarbons and ash-free additives to increase drain intervals and extend the life of critical gear and bearing components.

Other benefits include increased oxidative stability, minimal gumming and discoloration in extreme conditions, optimised rust inhibition and excellent anti-wear properties.

In addition, the 6000 Series has been designed to meet the food safety standards for H-1 "incidental contact" and FDA CFR 178.3570. These lubricants also meet the requirements for NSF, AQIS, Halal and Kosher certifications and can be used for an array of rotating equipment applications.

The Anderol 6000 Series consists of seven different viscosity grades ranging from ISO VG 68 to ISO VG 680, offering food processors a myriad of products for worm, helical, herringbone, bevel and enclosed gears as well as bearings in food, bottling, and can-closing machinery.

The versatility of these products lends itself to consolidation of lubricant purchasing and drastically reduces the chance of improper lubricant utilisation.

Good plant maintenance is vital to efficient processing. Significant cost savings can be made through regular servicing and the use of modern analytical techniques - while a break down in machinery can lead to impressive losses.

Mechanical wear in food and beverage factories due to surface degradation including mechanical wear and fatigue is common, and a high percentage of this is due to lubricant degradation. Given the wet nature of much of the manufacturing process - the constant need for wash downs and the dramatic temperature variations from freezers to ovens - the food industry needs topay particular attention to the lubricants it uses.

As a result, food manufacturers are often prepared to invest in the latest technology to ensure that nothing goes wrong during the processing phase. The pay off for food manufacturers is that customers, including major supermarkets, are increasingly willing to pay a premium for food that can be guaranteed safe and can be delivered efficiently and reliably.

Within the food processing industry, there is also concern that many manufacturers remain unaware of the significance of forthcoming legislation. A recent survey of attitudes to the upcoming EU Emissions Trading Scheme suggests that many companies are not sufficiently prepared. Even though no firm thinks that the EU ETS will be scrapped, only 51 per cent think that they will be ready on time.

The report, from LogicaCMG, illustrates that although many manufacturers are aware of the legislation, action has been slower than words. For although the EU ETS is a board level issue at 66 per cent of companies questioned, only 36 per cent have so far set a budget to move to full compliance.