In our recent interview with Chris Mancini, Senior Sales Director for Mining Lubricants at FUCHS, he discusses the lubrication challenges mines face as maintenance intervals are extended amid labor shortages, and increasing operational demands. We explore the risks these shifts create, the lubrication best practices that most directly impact equipment reliability, productivity, and profitability, common mistakes in grease selection for harsh environments, and how rising sustainability and regulatory pressures are influencing lubrication decisions across the mining industry.
What lubrication risks emerge when mines extend maintenance intervals in response to labor shortages?
This is obviously an issue that's plaguing the industry for quite a few years now, with a lack of labor and a lack of resources at the mine sites. Typically, one of the big ones would be oil and grease degradation, so when you get into longer intervals, it lets contaminants, oxidation, water build up, which ends up reducing lubricant film strength, additive effectiveness, and can lead to increased wear, corrosion, and ultimately failure.
Some other things that should be considered as well is undetected degradation. When you have fewer people to do inspections, there's going to be a lot more time in between visible inspections on the equipment. Temperature rises, vibration, particle counts, are things that could be missed and cause sudden failure. Increased failure rates and downtime from small degradation can become catastrophic, leading to unplanned maintenance, unplanned outages, and costly repairs.
With that being said, there's a lot of mitigating things you can put in place to try to work around this, including automation and ensuring the right lubricants are selected and applied properly.
What lubrication best practices have the biggest influence on equipment reliability, and how do they ultimately result in improved productivity and profitability?
Some lubrication best practices could include condition-based lubrication monitoring, oil analysis, wear particle analysis, and infrared vibration analysis. All of these things can be done as part of either a preventative or predictive maintenance program, and could extend component life while minimizing lubricant usage. It’s also important to ensure the correct lubricant is selected based on the application, environment, and use case.
Your base oil viscosities, additives, grease thickeners, all need to be compatible you’re your specific application. This would ultimately lead to longer time between failures. Another thing to consider is the lubrication method, making sure that the application method is metered, automated pumps were applicable, and that the re-lubrication intervals and amounts were correct. When selected and handled appropriately, this could all result in lower lubrication usage and longer component lifetime.
Are there common mistakes mines make when selecting or applying grease in harsh environments, and what are the consequences?
One of the most common mistakes is selecting the wrong thickener type or base oil viscosity for the application. When this happens, it can result in premature component failure, insufficient lubrication film strength, leakage, excessive mess, and even safety and environmental risks. Incompatibility between greases is another frequent issue that can further compromise performance and reliability.
Mixing incompatible thickeners or additive systems can cause grease to soften, harden, or separate, ultimately leading to lubrication breakdown and potential component seizure. Contamination is another major issue—poor storage practices or inadequate control can introduce dirt and debris into the grease, creating abrasive conditions that accelerate wear and result in premature component failure.
Public and regulatory scrutiny around sustainability is increasing. How is that influencing lubrication choices in mining, and what tensions does it create for maintenance teams?
Public and regulatory scrutiny around sustainability continues to grow, shaping how mining operations approach lubrication. There has been somewhat of a shift to bio-based or biodegradable lubricants. You know, this is just being more cognizant of the environment and, you know, having spill sensitive areas and meet regulations and stakeholder expectations.
At the same time, sustainability is closely tied to reliability and efficiency. So, you know, people increasingly prefer to utilize longer life, high performing lubricants that result in less waste, less disposal, and less consumption. Ultimately this leads to better component life, more efficient spend, and reduced cost per ton.
Improve Reliability and Performance in Your Mining Operations with Advanced Lubrication Solutions
Today’s mining operations face increasing pressure to extend maintenance intervals, improve equipment reliability, and make smarter grease selection decisions while also advancing sustainability goals. These challenges highlight the growing importance of a well-optimized lubrication strategy in supporting safe, efficient, and long-term operational performance.
Connect with our team of experts for personalized guidance and to learn more about innovation in mining lubrication and how FUCHS can support your operation.
