Klüber Lubrication

Protection for Critical Maritime, Offshore Assets

Whether their job is in the international transport of goods, the extraction of oil or gas, or in the cruise business – ships operating at sea or on inland waterways are exposed to high stresses. Many factors work simultaneously toward the degradation of vessel and systems, factors such as extreme cold or heat, high mechanical loads, corrosion, rising and falling temperatures, micro-movement, and the contact with salty air and sea water, all make maintenance and repair a perpetual task. When a piece of on-board equipment breaks down, there are costly consequences due to non-availability, repair times and high replacement investment, and worse, it can put the crew, the vessel, the cargo or the environment at risk.
Ship owner and operators, working in tandem with vessel designers, builders, major equipment and system outfitters and product and service providers seek to Increase the reliability and extend the service life of components as well as reduce operating and maintenance costs.
In this context, the selection of suitable lubricants plays a vital role since speciality lubricants tailored to the individual friction points can contribute substantially.  In recent years, the call for eco-compatibility has emerged alongside functional lubrication requirements. Far-reaching laws aiming at the protection of the seas and their species are coming into force. The impact of possible oil spills aside, even well-maintained ships tend to leak a certain small quantity of oil into the sea every day, which poses an additional strain on fragile marine eco-systems. New ideas from lubricant development engineers are much in demand in this respect.
Synthetic lubricants have come to offer a genuine alternative to mineral oils. This new generation of speciality lubricants supports operators in extending maintenance intervals and reducing lubricant quantities. For critical applications such as propeller gears, non-toxic, readily biodegradable gear oils are already available. These products can make a sizable contribution to protecting the seas.

Klüber Lubrication’s speciality lubricants for maritime applications at a glance:
•    Readily biodegradable gear oil for thrusters and rudder propellers (Klüberbio EG 2-150)
•    Readily biodegradable stern tube oil (Klüberbio RM 2-150)
•    Speciality lubricants for open gear rims (GRAFLOSCON B-SG 00 Ultra, Klüberfluid C-F Ultra)
•    White adhesive lubricant for winches, cranes and cruise ships (Klüberplex AG 11-462)

New additions to the portfolio:
•    Synthetic and readily biodegradable hydraulic fluids (Klüberbio LR 9-series)
•    Readily biodegradable open-gear lubricant (Klüberbio LG 39-700)
•    Readily biodegradable special grease for rolling bearings (Klüberbio M 72-82)

Klüber Takes Spotlight at SMM
It goes without saying that the world’s suppliers of marine and offshore fuels and lubes are under increasing pressure to provide solutions that are not only more environmentally benign, but at the same time economical and of course efficient in the job that they do, working compatibly with other products and systems changing onboard just as rapidly. Companies such Klüber Lubrication – long-term players with a strong history and equally bright future – have taken to the challenge to ensure that its solutions help clients meet emerging regulations, as well as keep their bottom line sound.
“Powerful, naturally" was Klüber Lubrication’s motto for its SMM stand, with a spotlight on its environmentally sound, efficient speciality lubricants for ships, offshore rigs and other marine applications.
Its new, efficient hydraulic fluids of the Klüberbio LR 9 series bear the European Eco Label for environmentally sound products. With the Klüberbio LR 9 series Klüber Lubrication has developed synthetic, readily biodegradable products.
The new adhesive lubricant Klüberbio LG 39-700 is an open-gear lubricant with a highly viscous base oil made from renewable raw materials. It was especially developed for the lubrication of open gears and pinions driving large anchor winches and the tooth racks of jack-up systems.
The new, readily biodegradable special grease Klüberbio M 72-82 for rolling bearings is highly resistant to water, protects components against corrosion, and due to its good adhesion enables long relubrication intervals.
In addition to the new additions to its family of lubricants, Klüber presented additional speciality lubricants for marine applications at SMM, including the recently launched synthetic gear oil for thrusters and rudder propellers Klüberbio EG 2-150 as well as environmentally sound stern tube oils of the Klüberbio RM 2 series especially designed for the lubrication of bushes and shaft seals of fixed-pitch and controllable-pitch propellers.

Put to the Test
Klüber Lubrication has built up an enviable test bay in the sector. Here the extremely high stresses a lubricant is subjected to in the shipping and offshore industries can be simulated. These include strong variations in temperature, high surface pressure, micro-movement and contact with salty air and sea water. On Klüber Lubrication's test rigs, the components are loaded until failure, causes are examined, and the results used to develop optimised lubricants. Throughout this process, Klüber cooperates with leading OEMs.

New Special Grease
Salt water, crashing waves, the ship's decks permanently drenched – conditions at the high seas can be rough. The bearings of cranes, winches and sheaves, and also ropes and open drives must be relubricated with care on a regular basis to ensure reliable operation. The readily biodegradable special grease Klüberbio M 72-82 was developed by Klüber Lubrication especially for the eco-friendly lubrication of rolling bearings and other components operating under extreme maritime conditions.
"It is inevitable that some of the greases used will drop off and ultimately be washed into the sea", explains Dirk Fabry, Market Manager Maritime and Offshore Industry at Klüber Lubrication. "The use of eco-compatible lubricants can help prevent excessive impact on the environment and marine organisms."
Klüberbio M 72-82 is highly resistant to water, protects components against corrosion, and due to its good adhesion enables long relubrication intervals. The fully synthetic special grease offers good wear protection and can be pumped through lubricating systems over a wide temperature range. The product can also be used in cold climates down to minus 40 degrees Celsius without problems.
The biodegradability of the grease is over 60% percent after 28 days according to OECD 301 F. Klüberbio M 72-82 should be the preferred choice wherever contact with water or soil cannot be excluded. Besides on ships or offshore platforms, Klüberbio M 72-82 may also be used for components in port facilities, hydroelectric power stations or water sports craft.

New Synthetic Hydraulic Fluids
In hydraulic systems leakage is a particularly frequent phenomenon that has not been sufficiently solved to date. The root cause lies with the numerous flexible connections within a hydraulic system that are subject to wear or can be damaged due to external mechanical stress. They are constantly under pressure and hard to seal completely even with the best of maintenance. The specific technical requirements of complex hydraulic systems are such that until recently they could often only be met by fluids based on mineral oils. With the development of the Klüberbio LR 9 series, however, Klüber Lubrication has reportedly created a synthetic, readily biodegradable product offering a performance that is at least equal to that of mineral oil based products.
"The new, highly efficient hydraulic fluids of the Klüberbio LR 9 series bear the European Eco Label issued for particularly eco-friendly products. They contain more than 90% of renewable resources," said Fabry. "They are readily biodegradable and not toxic to marine organisms, which considerably reduces their environmental impact in the event of a leakage."
Due to their very good viscosity-temperature behaviour and low setting point, Klüberbio LR 9 oils help hydraulic systems get easily started even at low temperatures. They can therefore be used even where temperatures fluctuate considerably. As they are resistant to hydrolysis, they enable longer oil change intervals and better reliability of the hydraulic system also in wet environments. The synthetic ester based oils are specially designed for applications in mobile hydraulic systems in the marine and offshore sectors. They are also products of preference for land-based hydraulic applications in ecologically sensitive environments, for example in hydroelectric power plants or waterway locks.


(As published in the November 2012 edition of Maritime Reporter - www.marinelink.com)