The steel industry forms the critical backbone of every modern industrial economy. As the world’s second largest steel producer, India is expected to further augment domestic production in the coming days – especially as it races to fulfil its goals of aatmanirbharta. Simultaneously, as Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) reports, the demand for steel is expected to increase by 17% in FY22, primarily due to expansion in the construction sector. To ensure continuous productivity and profitability, steel businesses are today keen to improve machine performance and reduce downtime.

India’s steel industry is known for its rich legacy and historic presence. Mobil™ Lubricants, as the global leader in formulating the most advanced lubrication solutions, has been partnering closely with leading steel businesses in the country to address their local concerns with proven global solutions. Mobil’s association with Tata Steel is an instance of this industrial collaboration.

Challenge at Tata Steel

Tata Steel is an Indian multinational steel-making company based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, with its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra. A subsidiary of the Tata Group, the company is a recognised name across Indian homes. This particular steel mill at Tata was producing TMT (Thermo Mechanically Treated) bars from 14 rolling stands, which were being lubricated with a market-general grease. These rolling stands had to be washed at regular intervals with heavy water spray to help it cool down. In the process, the grease was not staying in the bearing as it was continuously being washed to the application floor. This was leading to severe loss of productivity as Tata Steel experienced 17 bearing failures in a year. Each bearing failure was causing about 4-6 hours of delay and each hour of delay was leading to the loss of approximately 55 tons of production. To address the challenge and overcome it with reliable solutions, Tata Steel approached the Field Engineering Services (FES) team at Mobil Lubricants for further assistance. 

Solutions by Mobil

Mobil’s FES team visited the site and conducted thorough investigations to understand the equipment and root cause of performance failure. Thereafter, the FES team recommended a switch to Mobilgrease XHP™ 461, an extended service lithium complex grease intended for a wide variety of heavy-duty applications and operating conditions. Accepting the recommendation and aiming to improve its profitability, Tata Steel began lubricating its application with Mobilgrease XHP 461. Soon, the mill was able to reduce grease consumption by 38 per cent and bearing failure by 70 per cent with simultaneous increase in productivity. Tata Steel also achieved the benefits of reduced bearing failure, reduced grease consumption, excellent grease pumpability through centralized lubrication system, and enhanced safety and environment-friendly operations. 

Innovation at Mobil

As an industry pioneer, Mobil has been innovating to develop the most suitable formulations at its research centres across the globe. The Mobilgrease XHP 461 is a part of the Mobilgrease XHP™ 460 Series that has been designed to outperform conventional products by applying high performance proprietary lithium complex manufacturing technology. These greases have been formulated to provide excellent high temperature performance with superior adhesion, structural stability, and resistance to water contamination. Further, they also come with a high level of chemical stability and offer excellent protection against rust and corrosion.

The Mobilgrease XHP 460 Series greases are used in a wide range of equipment including industrial, automotive, construction and marine applications. The blue colour of Mobilgrease XHP 461 enables easy verification of application. With its high ISO VG 460 base oil viscosity, these greases are recommended for high load applications at slow-to-moderate speeds, including most bearing applications in the paper, construction, and mining industries, as well as off-highway vehicles.

Mobil’s association with Tata Steel has helped it earn rich customer goodwill with solutions that deliver long-term results. Industry associations have further enabled Mobil to exceed customer expectations and continue its commitment to innovation and excellence in lubrication formulation and servicing.