Products
- Supreme protection for Mobile Earthmoving Fleets
- Pound out resistance & 100% waterproof
Customer Profile
A large global mining company operating an underground gold mine in the North Territory of Australia.
Application
Continual short life of pins & bushes on underground Sandvik® Jumbo’s, Cable Bolters and Production Solos. Typical life span on most were 2-3 weeks.
Due to the high operation demands of the mine, greasing intervals for the more than 40 pins and bushes on each were often missed. The operation of each machine results in high vibration and pounding action within the joint. Each joint is also subjected to high volumes of water. By the time maintenance teams were able to grease each point, it was common to find each joint dry and no grease lubricating the pin and bush. This resulted in high rates of wear and corrosion causing the joints to lose operational tolerance and even sieze.
Solution
The incumbent lubricant supplier provided a premium heavy-duty NLGI 2 grease. However, Lubrication Engineering recommended Almatek® Mine & Quarry LE1233 for this specific application. This product was chosen for its exceptional ability to endure high shock loads, resist pound-out, and its 100% waterproof properties. The grease is formulated with Lubrication Engineers’ proprietary additives, Almasol® and Quinplex®, which are integral to their high-performance lubricants.
Results
A comparative trial was conducted using two machines—one with the existing grease and the other with Almatek® Mine & Quarry LE1233. During the 12-week trial period, operational hours, wear rates, and component failures were meticulously monitored.
The machine utilising the existing grease required the replacement of 16 pins and bushes, while the machine using Almatek® LE1233 needed only 2 replacements. Based on these results and projected savings of over $200,000 annually in parts costs for the fleet, the mine promptly transitioned to Almatek® Mine & Quarry Grease LE1233 for all underground mobile equipment.
Subsequent trials on the surface fleet yielded similar positive outcomes.
Contact Us to discuss how we might be able to help on your project!
Proprietary Additives
The proprietary additives used by Lubrication Engineers are exclusive to their formulations and are only available in LE’s high-performance lubricants. Almatek® Mine & Quarry LE1233 is specifically enhanced with the following additives:
Almasol® is a solid wear-reducing additive that is able to withstand extremely heavy loads, chemical attack and temperatures up to 1,900°F (1,038°C). It is attracted to metal surfaces, forming a microscopic layer but not building on itself or affecting clearances. Almasol® minimises metal-to-metal contact and the resulting friction, heat and wear.
Quinplex® is an impact-resistant additive that contributes to outstanding water resistance, tackiness and enhanced mechanical stability, and helps to form a barrier against corrosion.
Typical DPU Pin & Bush after four weeks of service
where the grease has pushed out allowing water
and contamination to enter causing pre-mature
wear and failure .
