Ben Bryant News

Maintaining mission-critical winches, windlasses and cranes: the four must-have lubrication steps that all operators need to keep gears going. In the marine industry, winches, windlasses and cranes are the work horses of deck and harbor operations. They can be used to set anchors, position floating drill rigs, raise and lower sensitive scientific equipment, tow a ship, load/unload heavy cargo or even land fish. They are as vital to the mission of a vessel or a port as the main engine is to a ship.

When you face various deck equipment challenges, making the right lubricant selection can help lower labor costs, extend the life of the equipment, improve safety and more. The key is to identify deck equipment stresses, then apply the optimum lubricant solution. A trained lubricant specialist has the knowledge to relieve problems and significantly lower your total operating costs. That’s because selecting a specialty lubricant that can maximize the performance of a given deck application brings many benefits…

How does a tugboat operator with over 26 vessels used in docking, escort, ocean towing and articulated barge service get control of maintenance issues? In this case, by switching to Klüberplex BEM 41-132 grease to lower operating temperatures between 2 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit (3.6 and 18 Celsius), which significantly extends grease and bearing life. The tugboat business’ success depends on the reliability of their assets and the ability to provide superior customer service.

Anchor winches, cranes, level winders and other equipment exposed to the elements on the deck of a vessel ay look good with a thick, consistent layer of grease, but appearances can be deceiving. In fact, several problems may be lurking below the surface of commonly used greases. 1. Premature wear can occur if the grease is not up to the design loads and speed of the equipment. Today’s deck equipment is being pushed much harder over a wider range of operations, resulting in higher loads on gears and bearings that are rotating faster.

Klüber Lubrication is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty lubricants, offering high-end tribological solutions to virtually all industries and markets worldwide. Most products are developed and made to specific customer requirements. During its more than 80 years of existence, Klüber Lubrication has provided high-quality lubricants, thorough consultation and extensive services, which has earned it an excellent reputation in the market. The company holds all common industrial certifications and operates a test bay hardly rivaled in the lubricants industry.

Specialty lubricants are used in a variety of applications, but what factors should you consider? Depending on the situation, specialty lubricants can complement an existing program, in order to obtain maximum efficiencies. Often, shipboard use of lubricants is influenced by two general objectives – rationalization of the lubricant inventory and cost management. Vessels have limited storage space and complex logistics supply systems. This creates a strong incentive to source lubricants that can be applied to several applications.

Kluber Lubrication is a leading manufacturer of specialty lubricants, offering high-end tribological solutions to all industries worldwide. Most products are developed and made to customer requirements. During its more than 80 years of existence, Kluber Lubrication has provided high-quality lubricants, thorough consultation and extensive services. The company holds all common industrial certifications. Kluber Lubrication, set up in 1929, is today part of Freudenberg Chemical Specialities KG.

Klϋber Lubrication, a worldwide manufacturer of specialty lubricants, has introduced Klüberbio AG 39-602, an environmentally acceptable adhesive lubricant for open gears and steel cables. Based on ester oil and selected additives, the grease complies with the requirements for environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) as defined in Appendix A of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP). Klüberbio AG 39-602 contains greater than 60 percent of renewable raw materials, resulting in reduced environmental impact in the event of discharge into water.

Klϋber Lubrication, a worldwide manufacturer of specialty lubricants, announces that its Klüberbio EG 2 gear oil for thrusters and Klüberbio RM 2 stern tube oil now carry the European Ecolabel, signifying compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP). The EU Ecolabel is a label of environmental excellence that is awarded to products and services meeting high environmental standards throughout their life-cycle: from raw material extraction, to production, distribution and disposal. Klüber’s gear oils for thruster and CPP propulsion units and its stern tube oils are approved for use by leading thruster and seal system OEMs and now have independent assurance, from the EU Ecolabel Program, that the products achieve the U.S.

The proposed 2013 Vessel General Permit prompts vessel managers to review the portfolio of lubricants used on their vessels. One of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) changes in the proposed 2013 Vessel General Permit for commercial vessels over 79’ is a requirement to use environmentally acceptable lubricants in certain applications. Given this proposed change, it is a good time for vessel managers to review the portfolio of lubricants used on their vessels to look for gaps in the operational performance of the lubricants…