Grand Prix racing meets industrial engineering
Did you know that one of the Mobil branded industrial greases used by many industrial organisations throughout the world to improve the productivity of their operations is the very same used in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Grand Prix racing cars? The high performance synthetic grease Mobilith SHC™ 220, part of the Mobilith SHC™ Series of supreme performance synthetic greases, is used to protect both the wheel bearings of McLaren's Grand Prix cars and a wide range of equipment operating in the pulp and paper industry.
The toughest operating grounds
Both the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1™ team and pulp and paper mill operators need their equipment and machinery to perform reliably in highly challenging operating conditions. For example, when McLaren drivers approach a turn and apply the brakes, the grease in their car's wheel bearings is under an incredible 15,000 times more pressure than in the vehicle's tyres. Mobilith SHC 220 grease protects the bearings from these demanding pressures, and also from extreme heat. Temperatures generated by the adjacent brake rotors can spike to more than 850ºC, which is high enough to glow bright red. But a protective layer of less than one micron thick is all that's needed for Mobilith SHC 220 to keep components cool and reduce friction and wear. The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1™ team has relied on the technology of Mobil wheel-bearing greases for more than 300 Grand Prix races, winning one in four races it has ever entered. Despite the extreme challenges of competing on the grid, the team has not experienced a single wheel-bearing failure in more than 19 years of racing and partnering with ExxonMobil.
This same track-proven technology is used to safeguard machinery, applications and vehicles used in some of the world's most demanding industrial environments, including pulp and paper plants. With the equipment used in pulp and paper plants often operating at speeds of over 2,000 m/min and in steam temperatures that exceed 200°C, it is continually placed under extreme pressure to perform. The Mobilith SHC series is a range of multi-purpose, extreme pressure greases recommended for heavy-duty industrial applications such as pulp and paper plants. They have a synthetic base fluid and offer outstanding high and low temperature performance, retaining excellent grease performance in some of the harshest operating environments. Their excellent thermal stability and oxidation resistance delivers extended service life with longer intervals between re-lubrication and improved bearing life, while the enhanced protection and reduced wear offered by the Mobilith SHC series can reduce costs associated with additional downtime and maintenance.
German Paper Company Trims €100,000 off its Maintenance Costs with Mobilith SHC™ 100 Grease
The Mobilith SHC Series offers a number of performance advantages to pulp and paper operators, when compared to conventional mineral greases. For example, a German Paper Mill recently reduced its maintenance costs by up to €100,000 as a result of switching to Mobilith SHC™ 100. The company had previously used a grease compliant with DIN KP2N-20 to lubricate its electric motors but was experiencing oil ingress into the winding space due to excessive oil deposits. The result was a cost of €250,000 in damaged bearings as well as the associated downtime. Following an audit by the company's engineers and ExxonMobil technical experts, Mobilith SHC 100 was recommended to help address the issue. Since the company switched to Mobilith SHC 100, bearing damage has been eliminated with the issue of oil ingress into the winding space being eliminated. As a result, due to less maintenance and replacement bearing costs, the company is now saving approximately €100,000 per annum. Mobilith SHC 100 is an anti-wear and extreme pressure grease primarily used in high speed applications such as electric motors, where reduced friction, low wear and long service life are required. These greases have a synthetic base fluid and offer outstanding high and low temperature performance, retaining excellent grease performance in some of the harshest operating environments. Its operating temperature range is -40º C[i] to 150º C.*
Other industrial lubricants which help to optimise the performance of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes™ Grand Prix racing cars
In addition to Mobilith SHC 220 grease, ExxonMobil provides a range of industrial lubricants both inside and outside of the cars to help give the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team a competitive edge.
These include:
· Mobilith SHC™ 1500 Grease - used in plain and rolling element bearings, the grease provides excellent protection when operating at extremely slow speeds, under heavy loads and high temperatures. In the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 car Mobilith SHC 1500 is applied to the tripod joints on the driveshafts which deliver an incredible 750 horsepower to the rear wheels.
· Mobil SHC™ 500 Series Oil - The sophisticated hydraulic system of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Grand Prix car uses Mobil SHC™ 500 Series oil, which offers excellent low and high temperature performance making it an excellent choice for equipment that is subjected to a wide range of start-up and operating temperatures.
Delivering optimum performance in severe conditions
ExxonMobil's drive to innovate through involvement in Grand Prix racing - both in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1™ cars and at the McLaren Technology Centre - allows the company to develop products that perform in some of the severest operating conditions such as pulp and paper plants. Combined with ExxonMobil's engineering expertise, this delivers not only quicker lap times and improved reliability, but enhanced top of the range products that offer significant benefits to the industrial sectors throughout the world. In the competitive pulp and paper marketplace it is essential that paper machines run with minimal downtime and maximum productivity. The use of an advance grease such as Mobilith SHC series, designed for continued performance in extreme environments, can play a crucial role in ensuring the success and profitability of a pulp and paper operation.
