Case study 1: A silent performer saves crores for Coal India's contractor.
A neesh Khan & Company (AKC Mining) is a major MDO in Central India operating in Shivpuri and Urdhan mines of Western Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, and is involved in the removal of over burden (OB) and coal from these sites. They have been using conventional lithium-based EP-2 grease for lubricating the bush pins of their heavy earth moving machinery, which includes large excavators made by Volvo, Tata Hitachi and Komatsu. Deterioration of the grease resulted in metal-to-metal contact, causing premature pin failures and necessitating re-greasing every eight hours, leading to loss of precious time and productivity.

The challenge: CIL's contractor AKC reached out to ExxonMobil's Field Engineering Services (FES) experts to understand the cause behind the premature pin failures and resultant loss of productivity. The FES experts carried out an on-site inspection of the bush-pins and sent samples of the grease used to ExxonMobil's Lubricant Technical Support (LTS) laboratory in Canada for analysis. Based on the lab reports, the FES experts recommended the use of Mobilgrease XHP? 322 Mine, an advanced Lithium-Complex soap-based grease with ISO VG 320 base oil and fortified with high quality MoS2 solid additive for adequate lubrication of the bush-pins in the tough operational conditions.

The transformation: Followed by the recommendation of Mobilgrease XHP 322 Mine, the FES experts conducted an on-site inspection of the bush pins and used Mobilgrease XHP 322 Mine. New lab reports from Canada revealed that even after 48 hours of continuous functioning, the used Mobilgrease XHP 322 Mine showed no deterioration in consistency. It exhibited superior protection and the much lower iron-wear offered superior mechanical stability. The re-greasing intervals extended from eight hours to 48 hours - a six-fold increase, and the pins did not produce any noise even after 48 hours of continued usage.

The reduced excavator downtime added an impressive two hours to the daily productivity. The superior protection to the bush-pins has increased safety, lowered the grease consumption and yielded a potential annual saving of US$ 1,141,038 (approx Rs 8 crore).

Case study 2: The mining division of a steel giant gets a cool solution to boost productivity.

The mining division of a major steel manufacturer located in West Bokaro near Jharkhand deploys the ubiquitous Tata Hitachi EX-2500 machines for its excavation operations. The company used a competitive high VI, hydraulic oil of ISO VG 46 for the hydraulic system of the shovel.

The challenge: With the temperature of the hydraulic oils soaring above 90oC in the hot summers of Jharkhand, the mining operations were hampered by lower machine availability and sluggish motion of the boom. The high temperatures in the hydraulic system necessitated compulsory cooling down, which led to downtime and loss of productivity at the mines. Keen to resolve the situation, the company reached out to ExxonMobil's FES team to understand the problem and customise a solution. The FES team assessed the on-site usage conditions and worked with the technical team of the company to study the machine's lubrication requirements and how the shortcomings can be addressed.

The transformation: The ExxonMobil FES carried out a Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) through Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysis and studied the issue of overheating in the hydraulic systems of the shovel. The team recommended a switch from its current lubricant to Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46, which would deliver a superior performance. An outcome of close contacts between Mobil's scientists and application specialists with key original equipment manufacturers, the Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46 provides exceptional performance in tough conditions.

After switching to the Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46, the overheating hours at the West Bokaro mines came down sharply from 71 hours to just 15 hours. Additionally, the specific lube oil consumption was reduced by an impressive 28 per cent by extending the oil drain interval to 5,000 hours, and the cycle time was reduced by 12 per cent, leading to potential annual savings of US$ 1,30,358 (approx Rs 91 lakh) per shovel.