BEL-RAY LUBRICANTS EXTENDED COMPONENT LIFE BY 60% AND SAVED CUSTOMER more than $217,000 IN COMPONENT REBUILDING COSTS
An open cut coal mine located in Australia operates an L-1400 LeTourneau Wheel Loader which has run on Bel-Ray since it was new. The lubricant used on this machine is Molylube SF 100 Open Gear Lubricant Medium, also known as Molylube SD-1 Lubricant.
In 2001, the unit reached 40,000 hours and the mine was faced with the choice to either rebuild or scrap the loader. Other LeTourneau loaders in the region not using Bel-Ray products had reported ball failure starting at 25,000 hours. Although the unit still had the original balls at 40,000 hours, the mine opted to rebuild the loader and in the process realized considerable cost savings.
During the rebuilding process the balls were measured for wear and the results were as follows:
Description
LeTourneau Wear Limits
Unit’s Average Measured Wear
Loader Lift Arms LH/RH
0.048″
0.004″
Hoist Cylinders LH/RH
0.040″
0.013″
Articulation Balls
0.036″
0.008″
Independent examination of the balls indicated that the condition of ball sockets on the loader was excellent given the high number of operating hours. Only very minor wear and surface markings were recorded during the inspection and maximum recorded wear was 0.019”, half the recommended OEM limit.
The Molylube SF 100 Open Gear Lubricant Medium is directly responsible for extending the life of the machine’s components and the replacement cost savings totalled over $217,000. This figure does not include machine downtime costs.
COST SAVINGS BREAKDOWN
Description
Quantity
Unit Cost
Total Cost
Components
Articulation Balls
4
$ 9,503
$ 38,012
Loader Lift Arms
2
$ 21,759
$ 43,518
Hoist Cylinders
2
$ 38,261
$ 76,522
Installation
Articulation Balls
4
$ 6,000
$ 24,000
Loader Lift Arms
2
$ 10,000
$ 20,000
Hoist Cylinders
2
$ 7,500
$ 15,000
Time to install new Balls
3 Days/Ball
Total Cost to replace above
$217,052
By providing additional TLP services, such as regular visual lubrication, application inspections and reports, Bel-Ray is able to provide our customers with a personalized lubrication service that can result in considerable cost savings.
