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How upgrading and consolidating transmission oil portfolio saved a Canadian company $140,298
The Challenge
Sureway Construction in Alberta, Canada, uses heavy-duty equipment for construction and earth moving in temperatures ranging from –25 to +40°C.
The company was using separate lubricant products for final drives and transmissions. In the summer, the company mixed the products together so they would provide protection under the higher temperatures and more severe duty cycles. Yet another lubricant was used for some of the heavier equipment in winter.
The company faced the challenges of managing oil changes and mixing the products, which required considerable resources, so approached Shell Lubricants for advice.
The Solution
Shell Lubricants technical experts recommended that Sureway should change to Shell Spirax S6 CXME 10W-40, for use throughout the year. A field-test was conducted to assess the lubricant’s performance for 18 months to confirm that it met Sureway’s needs. The product withstands the wide temperature range and meets the Caterpillar TO-4M specification.
The Results
Switching to Shell Spirax S6 CXME 10W-40 enabled the company to:
- Avoid premature oil changes
- Reduce oil consumption
- Increase productivity through less downtime
- Lower maintenance costs
- Reported annual cost savings amount to USD $140,298
Controlling corrosion
How an engine oil upgrade enabled an Indonesian company to double oil drain intervals, saving $22,915
The Challenge
Indonesian company PT Usaha Era Pratama Nusantara provides logistics services in the Port of Surabaya, Indonesia. The company operates nine reach stackers in dusty, humid conditions with temperatures of about 35°C. The reach stackers are powered by Volvo TWD 1240 and MAN D2824 engines. The company wanted to change to a lubricant with a longer oil-drain interval but one that also met the equipment manufacturers’ specifications, so sought advice from the local Shell Lubricants distributor.
The Solution
The Shell Lubricants distributor recommended that the company should change the engine oil to Shell Rimula R4 X 15W-40, which is designed to deliver acid and corrosion control, protection from engine wear and deposit control. In addition, the company was offered two Shell Lubrication management services; Shell LubeSurvey, in which Shell Lubricants technical experts assess the customer’s site and recommend complete lubrication systems, and Shell LubeCoach training programme to help employees understand the importance of lubrication to successful day-to-day operations.
The Results
- Engine oil-drain intervals doubled, from 250 to 500 hours
- This helped reduce lubricant and filter consumption and maintenance costs
- Reported annual savings total USD $22,915
Increase productivity
How water resistant lubricant reduced downtime saving $3,800,000
The Challenge
Consorcio Camargo Correa, a Brazil-based construction company, was constructing a large dam in Venezuela. Extracting stone from the river to be crushed for cement was resulting in water contamination of the grease, which led to decreased life of their bucket pins and bushes. As the bucket pins and bushes needed replacing every 250 hours, this resulted in increased downtime for its excavators and mounting maintenance costs. A water-resistant lubricant was becoming increasingly critical for reducing the company’s spiralling costs.
The Solution
Shell Lubricants technical experts recommended Shell Gadus S3 V460D 2, a grease with strong water resistance, to suit the project’s working conditions. Shell Gadus S3 V460D 2 is a high-performance, high temperature grease for slow-moving, heavily loaded large bearings subject to shock loads. It is designed to offer lasting protection even in the presence of large amounts of water.
The Results
Switching to Shell Gadus S3 V460D 2 delivered considerable cost savings and significantly improved productivity:
- Reported annual cost savings amounting to USD $3,800,000
- Increased excavator component life from 250 to 350 hours
- Increase productivity through less downtime
- Lower maintenance and labour costs
- Longer component life
Make huge savings
How a construction company extended oil drain intervals and saved $172,000
The Challenge
Construction company Al-Watanyiah United Engineering & Contracting in Oman operates in remote locations in mountainous and desert regions. The company operates excavators, cranes, diggers and dredgers from Volvo, Komatsu, CAT, JCB and XCMG, in dusty environments in temperatures of between 30 and 50°C. The company wanted to enhance the equipment’s productivity by improving the quality of its lubrication. For its new machines, the company also needed to change to an API CI-4 lubricant to meet equipment manufacturers’ guidelines.
The Solution
Shell Lubricants technical experts suggested that the company should switch from a non-Shell engine oil to Shell Rimula R4 X 15W-40. To help identify whether the oil-drain interval could safely be extended, they also offered Shell LubeAdvisor technical support and Shell LubeAnalyst oil and equipment condition monitoring services.
The Results
Changing to Shell Rimula R4 X and taking advantage of the Shell Lubricants services enabled the company to extend the oil drain intervals of its heavy equipment. This helped:
- Increase equipment availability and productivity
- Extend component life
- Reduce maintenance downtime
- Cut lubricant and spare-part consumption
Reported annual savings totalled USD $172,000
Protecting engines
How oil drain intervals extended by up to 180% resulted in savings of $1,247,758
The Challenge
Internationally renowned construction engineering and services company, Dragasur C.A. based in Venezuela, operates a specialist highway construction and maintenance division. The company wanted to reduce the operating costs of its heavy-duty equipment, including trucks and cutter-suction dredgers by improving maintenance practices.
The Solution
Shell Lubricants technical experts recommended an upgrade to Shell Rimula R6 M. This heavy duty diesel engine oil is designed to deliver excellent protection against wear and deposits in a wide variety of modern, high-powered engine types. The Shell Lubricants offer also included the Shell LubeCoach service - staff training focused on upgrading maintenance practices, to help reduce operational costs and increase the profitability of the business.
The Results
Changing to Shell Rimula R6 M and taking advantage of the Shell Lubricants services enabled the company to:
- Report annual savings amounting to USD $1,247,758
- Extend oil drain intervals by 180% from 250 to 700 hours
- Reduce maintenance costs
- Cut lubricant consumption
- Increase equipment availability and reliability
- Improve maintenance practices
Grease consumption
How Shell LubeVideoCheck reduced grease consumption saving Turkish company $50,000
The Challenge
A leading Turkish construction company involved in motorway, bridge, tunnel, airport, subway, railway, power plant and energy work was experiencing significant bucket pin wear in its excavators that required large amounts of grease. The company was applying a lithium based grease to lubricate the excavators’ bucket pins but wear levels were very high, as was grease consumption at 24 tonnes per year. With greasing required up to four times a day, equipment downtime was excessive. High costs and interrupted productivity prompted the company to seek advice.
The Solution
Shell Lubricants technical experts performed an oil analysis using Shell LubeVideoCheck. Based on this, they recommended that the company should change to Shell Gadus S2 V220AD 2 as an effective alternative to the lithium-based grease. Shell Gadus S2 V220AD 2 is a high performance grease designed for shock-loaded heavy-duty bearings working in damp, hostile conditions.
The Results
By changing to Shell Gadus S2 V220AD 2, the company benefited from:
- Significantly decreased grease consumption from 24 to 3 tonnes per year
- Reported annual cost savings amounting to USD $50,000
- Reduced service costs and reduced downtime due to less frequent lubrication
