FUCHS Lubricants – keeps the Victorian Earth Resources industry moving

No two lubricants are the same. Whilst they serve a similar purpose, there is a myriad of different lubricant applications across the civil and construction industries, and it is important to have a sound understanding of what lubricant best suits each application. This article will review grease and the critical role it plays in the wide range of machinery that keeps the Victorian Earth Resources industry moving.

Grease vs. Oil
Whilst grease and oil are both lubricants there is a key difference, grease is thicker than oil. The thickness of the grease is achieved by introducing a thickener, and other additives depending on the intended application and the conditions in which it will be used.
Ideal for civil and construction equipment that bear heavy loads at low speeds, grease is expertly engineered to remain in place. In addition to it providing a vital barrier between metal components, grease also acts as an effective seal against contaminates such as dirt and debris, reduces leaks, protects against shock loads and reduces machine noise and vibrations.
Grease’s ability to withstand high temperatures and pressure, as well as ensure lubrication for extended periods of time, in some instances, even the full lifecycle of the equipment is critical. Therefore, a high-performance grease is instrumental in allowing for extended service intervals and reduced downtime, even in extreme conditions.

Grease 101
It is easy to get caught up in the technicality of lubricants, their base oils, additives, viscosities, and ratings, but for most of us, all you need to know are the basics – and FUCHS Lubricants is here to help:
Thicker greases: Thicker greases are designed for machinery that
operates at higher temperatures and higher loads at lower speeds.
Thinner greases: Thinner greases are designed for machinery that
operates at lower temperatures and lower loads at higher speeds.

Grease Tackiness: Tackiness improves a grease’s ability to stay in place and not run away, however it is important to strike the right balance between tackiness and pumpability. If a grease is too tacky it will not pump in grease guns or central lubrication systems, however if not tacky enough, the grease will not stay put in pins and bushes, particularly as the equipment ages and wear starts to create larger tolerances (increases the gap
between the pin and bush).

Grease Colour: Taking notice of the grease colour is important as it helps to identify when the new grease has replaced the old grease and is also the simplest way to identify which grease to use.

Grease in the Civil & Construction Industries
Grease is part of the lifeblood that pumps through the veins of the Victorian Earth Resources Industry. Whether it be an excavator, a vibrating screen or a stacker conveyor, all machinery, great and small cannot not function without quality greases to lubricate their bearings, gear boxes and open gears.

FUCHS’ ongoing partnership with BARRO GROUP is a perfect example of this lifeblood. A key player in the Victorian Earth Resources Industry, BARRO GROUP is made up of over 10 local sites producing a wide range of aggregates, crushed rock, coarse and fine sands and gravels. The state-of-the-art equipment used onsite to make this all possible, is protected by
FUCHS Lubricants.

To ensure that each site has an uninterrupted supply of premium FUCHS greases, multiple grease hoppers are located across each BARRO GROUP quarry that are maintained and refilled by FUCHS. This setup avoids the need to have new 180KG drums delivered to each site when top-ups are required, reducing waste, preventing unnecessary downtime and improving the carbon footprint of these sites.

Locally made for local industry
Many of the homes, schools, workplaces, hospitals, and roads across Victoria have been built from raw materials that have been extracted, processed, and distributed from local quarries.
In recent times, this local supply has been more important than ever, ensuring that the Victorian Earth Resources industry can continue to produce the materials that provide the building blocks of our state, other states across the country and even abroad.

Given that machinery downtime for this industry is often caused by bearing damage due to insufficient lubrication, an ongoing supply of high-performance greases is critical. This is where FUCHS Lubricants comes in.

FUCHS Lubricants have been moving the worlds of Australian customers for over 100 years. As the only major lubricants company to still manufacture lubricants, grease, coolants, and additives in Australia, 95% of all FUCHS products are manufactured locally in two state-of-the art production plants in Sunshine, Victoria and Beresfield, NSW. “FUCHS’ range of premium greases have consistently ensured that key customers across the CMPA, including the Barro Group, JAYDO and Tutt Bryant, to name a few, have had access to premium greases that protects their fleets of equipment, improving productivity and reducing downtime” confirms Regional Product and Application Manager – Grease (Australasia, India & Southeast Asia) Peter Faulkner.

“Given global supply chain uncertainty, our local world-class grease laboratory has stepped up to the plate, developing locally produced next generation greases, to meet the needs of the Australasian Civil and Construction industries.”

FUCHS Greases
FUCHS is moving the world of its CMPA customers through a wide range of greases in their RENOLIT portfolio that are perfectly suited to the needs to the Victorian Earth Resources Industry. This range includes, but is not limited to, the locally developed and manufactured RENOLIT GT PLEX 2 & RENOLIT DTG BLUE:

RENOLIT GT-PLEX 2 is a multi-purpose grease for wheel bearings and industries such as civil, construction, earthmoving and mining. Orange in colour for easy identification, RENOLIT GT-PLEX 2 is manufactured locally in FUCHS’ world class grease plant.
Designed specifically to resist squeeze-out whilst preventing wear and corrosion, RENOLIT GT-PLEX 2 provides an excellent seal against contamination ingress such as dust, dirt and water whilst prolonging the equipment lifespans.

RENOLIT DTG BLUE is a Drill Thread Grease (DTG) which has been specially formulated and manufactured locally to protect threaded connections from wear, seizing and galling. Blue in colour, RENOLIT DTG BLUE utilises a market-leading thickener system which assists with the prevention of wear and enhances the releases properties and provides excellent water resistance.

The future for grease
FUCHS is always looking to the future and finding new ways to support their customers across the CMPA and the wider Victorian Earth Resources Industry. Continuing to review their portfolio in-line with changing market needs, ever increasing raw material costs and equipment demands, FUCHS aims to ensure their customers always have access to the premium lubricants they need to maintain and protect their equipment.
To view the FUCHS Lubricants range, visit fuchs.com.au.

If you have any questions, you can contact Louis Vardakis on
louis.vardakis@fuchs.com or at 0418 352 953.

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