Maintenance teams will sometimes ascend the tower to elevations as high as 400 feet to carefully inspect the equipment. Only then will they know if any additional servicing is needed before refilling components with the new oil.
This is no easy task – and not for the faint of heart given its associated safety risks! That’s why small changes such as switching to an advanced lubricant, can really help to enhance the safety of a wind turbine operation - by reducing the frequency of human-machine interaction (HMI).
With that in mind, here are a few key tips to help optimise your lubrication programme and enhance the safety of your operation.
Use high performance, synthetic lubricants
The success of any wind turbine operation depends on using the right lubricants.
By ensuring your equipment performs better over the long haul, synthetic lubricants can enhance the safety of your operation by extending service intervals, versus conventional gear oils, and reducing HMIs.
As wind turbines are installed in ever-more challenging environments, wind farm operators must optimise every element of their operation to help protect their machinery. The right lubricant, such as Mobil SHC Grease 102 WT, can help extend equipment life, reduce maintenance costs and increase uptime – protecting their business from within.
Proactively monitor the health of your equipment
There is no better way to monitor the health of your equipment than through used oil analysis. Services such as ExxonMobil’s Mobil Serv℠ Lubricant Analysis helps you better understand how your equipment is performing and identify potential pain points.
The programme is a quick and easy to use system that sends maintenance professionals expert oil analysis assessments to identify potential issues, list possible causes and recommend corrective actions. Armed with that information, you can then prevent unplanned downtime.
Take advantage of your lubricant supplier’s expertise
Your supplier’s team of highly trained field engineers can help you identify and execute technical services – such as used oil analysis or gear oil flushing services – and optimise the performance of your equipment. Suppliers can also provide training to help ensure your staff are knowledgeable and informed.
In summary, while optimising your lubrication programme is typically used to drive productivity, it can also meaningfully enhance the safety of your operation. To learn more, get in touch with your ExxonMobil lubricant supplier here, or view the full range of Mobil lubricants for the wind energy industry here.
