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Special Multipurpose Grease for Food Industries
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Thursday, 16 April, 2015, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Sushanta K Roy
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fiogf49gjkf0d Lubricating Greases are lubricating oils with thickening agent dispersed in it and fortified with additives. Manufacturing plant irrespective of its end product, involves tribological component lubricated with grease and these tribological component are designed for varied working condition. They are subjected to different load, speed, temperature and / or aggressive environment. Such diversity of equipment application condition may often call for several types of grease to be specified to meet such needs. In older days, due to absence of present day advance test protocol, grease manufactures made a sincere attempt to develop greases to address such application challenges with single grease that may cover low to moderately high load, slow speed to moderately high speed and moderate working temperature. As a result the multipurpose grease has since been developed meeting broad operational requirement. Base oil being the major constituent of grease, formulation of multipurpose grease largely involves judicious selection of base oil viscosity. Base oil viscosity supports the load and is increased with increasing load. But with increased speed, load decreases, hence diminishes requirement of base oil viscosity and manufacturer carefully tailored the formulation using base oil viscosity ranging from ISO 68 to ISO 150. Today, multipurpose greases are also formulated with higher viscosity base oil for applications in steel, cement or mining industries where majority equipment are heavily loaded.
Machineries in food processing, beverages & pharmaceutical industries possess lubrication challenges similar to that of non food processing industries. Also, the industry poses a variety of grease lubricated equipment such as pumps, tank drives, conveyors and chain drives etc. The operations are predominantly low to moderately loaded and moderate to high speed application. Besides stringent FDA requirement, food grade multipurpose grease needs to be acceptable for use in food processing equipment so as to avoid likely hazards in incidental contact with food product. Challenges in most grease lubricated component in Food & Pharmaceutical process equipment, except a few extreme applications, can be met with multipurpose food grade grease.
Keeping the objective in mind, Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., a multi-unit, multi-technology conglomerate under Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gases, with its sustained R&D efforts, have come out with indigenous food grade multipurpose grease, Balmerol Grease FML 2 which have received the globally recognized NSF accreditation for H1 category of Lubricants and exceeds customers needs and satisfaction. Essentially, it is designed for use in wider cross-section of grease lubricated component in Food & Pharmaceutical Industry. Balmerol Grease FML 2 has been formulated with most common H1 food grade grease thickeners ie Lithium soap and technical white oil meeting 21 CFR 178.3620. Judicious selection of base oil viscosity was based on understanding of the operating conditions prevailing in operation in food & pharmaceutical industry. Base oil viscosity so selected, covers low to medium load bearing and moderate to high speed applications. Use of synergistic high performance additives fortified with white solid lubricants approved under FDA 21 CFR 178.3570, enhances its load baring capacity and provides additional protection from wear & seizure.
The unique features of Balmerol Grease FML 2 include:
1. Excellent rust & corrosion protection
2. Moderately high load bearing capacity
3. Very good oxidation stability and
4. Very good water resistance and Wear protection
5. Enhanced Life and lubrication interval
Due care was taken while arriving at the formulation so that the consistency and lubrication is maintained at application point in presence of food acids, juices and by products and yet remains pumpable over a wide range of application temperature. A few performance characteristics of Food Grade multipurpose grease, Balmerol Grease FML 2 are listed in TABLE – I below
While lithium thickener provides water & temperature resistance properties, adequate base oil viscosity of ISO VG 100 used in the formulation takes care of light to medium load prevailing in major lubricated component in food, beverage & pharmaceutical industry. Balmerol Grease FML 2 also exhibit outstanding anti-wear and low temperature characteristics which in combination with high water resistance property, proves to be unique multipurpose grease to meet the requirement of grease lubricated component in food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Hence, to improve upon lubrication effectiveness and minimizing cost per use as well as to meet broad lubrication requirement, Balmerol Grease FML 2 is strongly recommended as truly multipurpose grease for Food, Beverages & Pharmaceutical industry.
(The author is with Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., Kolkata:700088 and can be contacted at roy.sk@balmerlawrie.com, +91 98310 38093)
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