Mobil Vacuoline™ 525 circulating oil helps steel mill reduce equipment downtime and enhance productivity*

Rolling mill SKET 150
Steel mill
Ukraine

Situation

A Ukrainian steel mill lubricated the bearings of its finishing blocks with Mobil Vacuoline™ 525 circulating oil before another lubricant supplier recommended transitioning to a competitive ISO VG 100 conventional mineral oil. Almost immediately, the competitive mineral oil demonstrated poor water separation, emulsion formation and a buildup of contaminants, which resulted in persistent bearing failures. After experiencing these failures, the steel mill approached ExxonMobil to determine how to improve lubricant performance and reduce equipment downtime.

Recommendation

ExxonMobil engineers recommended switching back to Mobil Vacuoline 525 circulating oil, which is formulated to provide superior wettability and oil retention for robust wear protection as well as thin film rust and corrosion protection. In addition, the excellent demulsibility performance of the Mobil Vacuoline™ 500 circulating oil series is designed for water and other contaminants to separate readily in the system reservoir.

Result

After transitioning back to Mobil Vacuoline 525 circulating oil, the steel mill experienced immediate improvements in the circulating system’s ability to separate high volumes of water. As a result of this enhanced performance, the company significantly reduced its use of centrifugal separators and reduced bearing failures and replacements, helping increase plant uptime by 48 hours per year. The improved lubrication enabled by Mobil Vacuoline 525 circulating oil reduced the company’s centrifuge operating costs and bearing replacement costs, and increased plant productivity.

*This success story is based on the experience of a single customer. Actual results can vary depending upon the type of equipment used and its maintenance, operating conditions and environment, and any prior lubricant used. ExxonMobil shall include Exxon Mobil Corporation and its affiliates.