Steel manufacturing demands more than just durable equipment, it requires intelligent lubrication strategies that enhance reliability, minimize downtime, and improve cost efficiency across every stage of production. FUCHS helps the steel and metals industry achieve their manufacturing goals by improving the productivity, reliability, and profitability of their operations through product and process optimization. With decades of experience in industrial lubrication, FUCHS delivers engineered solutions that align with your plant’s performance objectives, transforming lubrication into a lever for operational excellence.
Improve Reliability
Steel manufacturing equipment—ranging from hydraulic systems and caster molds to hot strip mill bearings—operate under extreme mechanical loads, elevated temperatures, and exposure to water and chemically aggressive environments. These conditions place intense stress on machinery components. High temperatures can rapidly degrade lubricating oils, reducing their effectiveness and accelerating wear on critical surfaces. Extreme mechanical loads mean that even minor misalignments or surface defects can lead to catastrophic failures in a very short time. Additionally, water and aggressive chemicals can lead to corrosion, contamination of lubricants, and breakdown of seals, further compromising the integrity and lifespan of the equipment. The combination of these harsh factors results in increased maintenance demands, unplanned downtime, and higher operational costs.
FUCHS offers a complete range of application-specific lubricants, including fire-resistant hydraulic fluids, specialty greases, and advanced rolling oils, formulated to provide:
- High load-carrying capacity and wear protection
- Thermal and oxidative stability in continuous high-temperature applications
- Corrosion resistance in the presence of moisture, acids, and particulates
These properties extend equipment service life, reduce failure rates, and improve process consistency, even in the most demanding sections of steel production environments.
For example, the RENOLIN MORGEAR series is engineered specifically for MORGOIL® bearing systems. High water levels in MORGOIL® systems are a persistent issue for many customers, often far exceeding target limits. This contributes to accelerated bearing wear and increased oil consumption. Water content in these systems can routinely reach 3–5% (30,000–50,000 ppm), while most mills target less than 1% and set a technical limit of 5,000 ppm (0.5%). By helping reduce water content to fractions of a percent, RENOLIN MORGEAR dramatically improves bearing life and system reliability, even under the extreme conditions of critical steel mill operations where a single bearing failure can halt production. FUCHS RENOLIN MORGEAR consistently outperforms major competitors in water separation under new, used, and artificially aged conditions, demonstrating faster and more effective performance across all scenarios. These oils demonstrate good resistance to ageing and meet the demanding requirements of the MORGOIL advanced dynamic demulsibility endurance test, ensuring reliable operation over extended service intervals. This directly reduces the frequency of oil changes and unexpected shutdowns due to lubricant failure.
By aligning lubricant performance with equipment-specific demands, FUCHS helps ensure stable, reliable equipment operation, minimizing disruptions and enabling continuous production. The result is greater productivity, fewer unplanned stoppages, and improved overall process efficiency across all stages of steel manufacturing.
Optimize Productivity
In high-load, high-temperature applications such as continuous casters, rolling mills, and work roll bearings, excessive maintenance and unplanned downtime pose significant threats to productivity. FUCHS lubrication solutions are designed not only to protect equipment, but to actively reduce maintenance requirements and maximize operational uptime.
Our formulations are engineered for extreme environments to maintain performance under continuous production demands. For example, rolling oils from our RENOFORM RO Series are engineered for unmatched performance, increased productivity, and superior surface quality. These low residue fluids ensure optimum surface finish and cleanliness to reduce the likelihood of defects, lowering labor associated with cleaning and reprocessing materials. A large steel mill company independently tested a group of common rolling oils and found that FUCHS’ new technology reduced their roll forces and reduced carbon residues on the coils by ~90%.
FUCHS supports steel manufacturers with solutions that:
● Extend lubrication intervals and reduce the frequency of maintenance interventions
● Lower failure rates by providing consistent protection in critical components
● Improve overall plant efficiency through on-site training and lubrication best practices
Through product and process optimizations our experts help you prevent system failures and simplify lubricant management to increase throughput.
Increase Profitability
Lubrication plays a critical yet often overlooked role in reducing total cost of ownership (TCO). With the right products and expert support, steel manufacturers can significantly lower downtime, component wear, maintenance labor, and fluid consumption, all of which contribute directly to improved profitability.
FUCHS delivers more than just high-performance lubricants. We provide value-added services like on-site inspections, oil analysis, and technical training to help uncover and implement cost-saving opportunities across your operation.
For example, our oil analysis service detects early signs of lubricant degradation, contamination, or equipment wear. By identifying issues before they lead to failures, we help you reduce unplanned maintenance, extend equipment life, and maintain consistent production output—ultimately boosting plant reliability and productivity.
Our solutions are engineered to:
● Reduce unplanned maintenance and lubricant change-outs through predictive diagnostics like oil analysis
● Lower power consumption by minimizing friction and rolling force
● Improve product quality by reducing scrap and rework
● Cut lubricant usageand waste, lowering both material costs and environmental impact
Driving Operational Excellence Through Lubrication Intelligence
When performance, reliability, and cost-efficiency matter, lubrication is not a secondary consideration, it’s a strategic advantage. FUCHS partners with steel manufacturers to turn lubrication into a tool for continuous improvement, applying deep industry expertise and innovative product solutions to reduce waste, maximize uptime, and protect critical assets. From tailored fluid selection to ongoing technical support, FUCHS helps ensure your plant runs smarter, cleaner, and more profitably, today and into the future.
Proven Impact: Real Results on the Plant Floor
At one U.S.-based cold rolling mill, high purge rates and water etching from a lithium-complex grease were driving excessive product use and downtime. After transitioning to RENOLIT CXS AM 1 from FUCHS, the plant eliminated water etching, reduced grease purging by 30%, and achieved annual cost savings of approximately $400,000.
