The additive Quinplex also helps form a barrier against rust and corrosion. The three greases, LE4023, LE4024 & LE4025, are therefore being marketed as offering plant managers longer lubricant life, longer equipment life, less downtime in plants and increased load carrying capabilities.
The food industry consistently provides some of the harshest environmental conditions for machinery. The effective lubrication of expensive and varied machinery is a constant problem for food processing plants that often run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Greases must be able to resist moisture, high & low temperatures, shock loading, high speeds as well as attack by acids, alkalines and cleaners. But most of all they must often be H1 or H2 approved by the NSF and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In Europe, there is the Commission Directive 90/128/EEC, which relates to materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. LE says that its range of Quinplex greases meets all necessary regulatory requirements.
In addition they provide extreme pressure performance; an important requirement in food plant machinery. Quinplex's extra resistance to water washout is also significant as it eliminates corrosion related failures of the bearings; often the most common cause of machinery failure.
The increased adhesiveness results in much less grease being used as it will stay where it is put, reducing the amount that needs to be added. The company claims that some food plants are now using only a quarter of the amount of grease that was used before Quinplex.
Maple Leaf Pork in Canada for example says that its plant is now using less than half the amount of grease since they switched to LE. The factory is also saving a substantial amount in labour costs due to less greasing requirements.
And at Lion Breweries, New Zealand, LE4024 Quinplex was used in their Steinecke malt mills and was found to provide better resistance to water wash out. Again, less grease was used and the firm claims there was a significant improvement in vibration analysis.
"Quinplex has been consistently proven to provide quite outstanding lubrication for food processing machinery," said Jeff Turner, Lubrication Engineers vice president.
"Our H1 greases' performance has enabled companies to increase their profitability by extending equipment & lubricant life and ensuring that there is less of the expensive plant downtimes occurring due to important bearings failing."
Lubrication Engineers manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of heavy-duty lubricants formulated from select paraffinic base stocks. These lubricants are manufactured under an ISO9001 certified quality system and are available worldwide.