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Case Study - MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus Grease

MOLYKOTE® Case Study - BR-2 Grease

Vibration is a common challenge for lubricants or greases, but grease migration is never a desired outcome of standard operation. This case study details how MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Grease limited grease migration for a concrete company.

MOLYKOTE® Lubricant Case Study: BR-2 Plus Grease


MOLYKOTE® Performance Lubricants are specially formulated to solve a wide range of specific lubrication problems. This case study details why MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus Multi-Purpose High Performance Grease has what it takes to provide a longer lasting protection and increase full bearing life in difficult, high vibration environments.
 

This case study’s main goal was to investigate and solve a significant grease migration problem faced by Strescon Industries, a concrete product manufacturer in Odenton, Maryland. The company makes a precast hollow-core concrete roofing/flooring plank system with the trade name Flexicore™. The system is used in the construction of hotels, motels, schools, prisons and other commercial construction applications. The planks are manufactured by pouring concrete into forms 54 feet long, 2 feet wide and 8 inches thick at the base. Every form sits on four pedestal vibrators about 2 feet tall. Once a form is filled, the vibrators, powered by 15 HP motors, start up and shake the form for 4 minutes until all the air is removed and the base concrete is consolidated.

The Root of the Problem 


The problem was, the air wasn’t the only thing being removed during this period of intense vibration & friction. Each time the vibrators started up, they cause a migration of the grease lubricant needed to protect & lubricate the bearings under high load. This caused excessive wear and a high rate of premature bearing failures, leading the company to incur extra costs (labor, shipping and replacing the damaged bearings), and production downtime due to the maintenance.

Product Selected 


Plant Superintendent George D. Butler reached out to their local DuPont MOLYKOTE® distributor in hopes they could provide a grease that would negate lubricant migration in their application. They recommended the grease that does just that; MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease, a lithium-soap grease containing an optimum percentage of solid lubricants including molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ), in combination with other highly effective extreme-pressure additives. It performs equally well under high loads at high speeds, low speeds and with reciprocating fast movements. This suits it particularly well for the vibrating motion of the Strescon machinery. MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus is composed of mineral oil, lithium soap, solid lubricants, and additives for extreme pressure (EP) and corrosion inhibition (CI).

The Outcome


The vibrators at Strescon run for four out of every eight minutes and are greased every day. The company uses a 120-lb keg full of the lubricant every month, opposed to much higher volume of the incumbent greases. Strescon enjoys significant cost savings since switching to the MOLYKOTE® brand grease. Why? Butler estimates that bearing life is extended an astonishing 600%. MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus truly adds value and generates high savings by reducing bearing equipment costs and the downtime required for bearing replacement.
Properties MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus Performance
Chemistry Mineral Oil
Base Oil Viscosity (@ 40°C) 110
NLGI Grade 2
Thickener Lithium
Solid Lubricant MOS2 (molybdenum disulfide) and other solids
Low Temperature -29°C (-20°F)
High Temperature 129°C (265°F)
Color Black
Hazards Not classified as hazardous upon disposal, chemicals pose no known health or environmental risks from transportation or use

MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease is formulated with a mineral base oil, lithium soap, solid lubricants, and additives for extreme pressure (EP) and corrosion inhibition (CI).  The Strescon application also imposes heavy loads on the gear box and bearings. MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus is formulated to perform under heavy loads, reducing the coefficient of friction and metal-to-metal contact, minimizing wear and improving running-in conditions. Under load, a boundary lubricating film containing MoS2 is deposited from the grease to the sliding surfaces so that emergency lubrication is available. Unlike the previous material used by Strescon, MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus eliminates migration, which results in plain bearings that last longer.
 

MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus High Performance Grease is a versatile multi-purpose lubricant solution that is ideal in a wide range of applications including splined shafts, threaded spindles, ball-and-socket joints and much more.  Learn more about the MOLYKOTE® BR-2 Plus grease in the page linked below.   

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