Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2017)

About the Author

Ben Bryant joined Klüber Lubrication in 2011 as the Marine Market Manager.

He is a graduate of the Massachusetts

Maritime Academy and holds a 1,600 ton Masters License with experience on oil tankers, offshore supply vessels,

INSIGHTS: DECK MACHINERY and tug and barge units. In 2009 he 5 Stress Areas earned a Masters of Marine Policy from the University of Rhode Island and he holds a Masters in Business Adminis-

Spotting Deck-Equipment Stresses Where tration from Boston College.

New Lubricants Bring Relief

Image: Klüber Lubrication

When you face various deck-equip- loads on gears and bearings that are 2. Moving parts in gear boxes used 4. Chain drives are frequently used ment challenges, making the right lu- rotating faster. Advanced, high-perfor- in deck pumps, winches, and cranes are on vessels in rail systems and winch bricant selection can help lower labor mance grease formulations are designed at the heart of any deck operation. The systems. Here the goal is to deliver the costs, extend the life of the equipment, to handle today’s more demanding con- type and quality of the gear oil used to lubricant to the pin and bushing of the improve safety and more. ditions. lubricate the moving parts will determine chain link while also preventing the lu-

The key is to identify deck-equipment how long between gear box overhauls, bricant from washing away during rain stresses, then apply the optimum lubri- b. Obsolete formulations can’t how often the oil must be replaced, and and heavy sea events. A highly viscous cant solution. A trained lubricant special- match the advantages of new lubricants. even how much energy is needed to op- chain oil diluted with an evaporating sol- ist has the knowledge to relieve prob- For example: erate the machinery. Consider these fac- vent may prove to be your best lubricant lems and signi? cantly lower your total tors: system.

operating costs. o Commonly used thick asphal-

That’s because selecting a specialty tic grease will slide off the vertical face a. When gears are improperly lubri- 5. Systems exposed to harsh chemi- lubricant that can maximize the perfor- of the slewing gear on deck cranes. Al- cated, damage can occur in the form of cals – such as LNG or re? ned petroleum mance of a given deck application brings ternatives can provide a thin layer, which abrasion or wear, pitting caused by heat products – may require lubricants cre- many bene? ts, including: minimizing stays in place, improving longevity and and welding together of the two surfaces, ated from PFPE base oils and thickeners. wear and damage to moving parts, im- safety on deck. or micro pitting caused by metal fatigue. These products have very high resistance proving corrosion protection, reducing The proper gear-oil additives combined to thermal breakdown and are inert when consumption of the lubricant, extending c. Improper selection of lubricants with synthetic oils can reduce wear and exposed to harsh environments. Switch- operating temperatures, increasing en- can occur in an automatic lubrication damage caused by metal-to-metal con- ing to a PFPE-type lubricant can increase ergy ef? ciency, and reducing lubricant system. Consider these factors: tact under repeated and extreme pres- the time between overhauls from months disposal costs. o Softer grease with the cor- sure. to years. The savings in labor and mate-

Here are ? ve stress areas worth consid- rect additives often performs better than rial can be substantial. ering. older thicker types. Depending on the b. Matching the correct viscosity to situation, the lubricant must either sepa- the manufacturer’s speci? cation is, of When assessing the requirements for 1. Equipment exposed to the ele- rate contact points with a ? lm or deliver course, a good place to start. But know- a lubricant, a lubricant engineer will in- ments on the deck of a vessel – such as additives that maintain anti-friction ben- ing how well the lubricant maintains its vestigate the speed, temperature, size, anchor winches, slewing gears on cranes, e? ts even when squeezed out at the point viscosity over repeated use is also im- pressure, and environmental conditions and level winders – may look good when of contact. portant. of the mechanical element in use. Based covered with a thick, consistent layer of o Temperature changes can af- on this analysis, a lubricant can be se- grease. But appearances can be deceiv- fect grease performance; grease that c. Different types of additives and lected to help achieve speci? c organiza- ing. In fact, several problems may be is good for the tropics may not ? ow base oils can be matched to the type of tional goals, including: improving safety, lurking below the surface of commonly through the auto-lube system in northern gear set to minimize damage from roll- reducing labor, extending overhauls to used greases, namely: climates. ing or sliding friction. match shipyard periods, maximizing up- time, and, of course, minimizing costs. a. Premature wear can occur if the d. Eco-friendly characteristics are 3. Hydraulic systems are another area The belief that all lubricants are the same grease is not up to the design loads and required when lubricants eventually to look for improvements based on the does not apply when you are focused on speed of the equipment. wash out to sea. This necessitates formu- type of lubricant chosen. Selecting a relieving stress and maximizing the per- o Today’s deck equipment is lations that are as good in performance hydraulic oil that has good resistance to formance of your equipment.

being pushed much harder over a wider in deck equipment as they are for the en- oxidation and hydrolysis will lengthen range of operations, resulting in higher vironment. the time between oil changes. 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • NOVEMBER 2017

MR #11 (18-25).indd 20 MR #11 (18-25).indd 20 11/5/2017 1:04:54 PM11/5/2017 1:04:54 PM