Application: Food Manufacturing — Multi-Equipment Lubrication Program
Location: USA
Challenge
A US-based food manufacturer was operating with 23 different lubricant references across its facility, covering hydraulic systems, enclosed gearboxes, conveyor chains, refrigeration compressors, bearings, and vacuum pumps. Many of the lubricants in use were non-food-grade products applied in zones where incidental food contact was possible, creating a direct food safety compliance gap.
The facility's hydraulic system sump was stored and maintained outdoors without adequate protection, leading to high water contamination risk and reduced oil life. The dough mixer gearbox was running on an incorrect viscosity grade, generating excess heat and accelerating gear wear. The refrigeration compressor was operating on a conventional mineral oil with a service life of approximately 1,500 hours, well below what a synthetic food-grade alternative could deliver. Lubricant storage was disorganized, with food-grade and non-food-grade products sharing the same area without color-coding or clear identification. No formal oil analysis or condition monitoring program was in place.
"The facility was experiencing approximately 120 hours of unplanned downtime annually, increasing maintenance costs, operational risk, and food safety exposure."
Solution
FUCHS conducted a Lubrication Critical Control Point (LCCP) audit to identify food safety risks, improve equipment reliability, and simplify lubrication management across the facility.
The audit covered seven application categories across the facility: hydraulic and pneumatic systems, enclosed gearboxes, bearings and grease points, vacuum pumps, maintenance specialties, conveyor chains, and refrigeration compressors.
"FUCHS reduced the lubricant portfolio from 23 products to 13, simplifying inventory management while standardizing on NSF H1 registered CASSIDA food-grade lubricants."
Key recommendations included:
Replacing non-food-grade hydraulic oils with CASSIDA FM HYDRAULIC OIL (ISO VG 32 and 68) and adding desiccant breathers to the outdoor sump
Switching the dough mixer gearbox from an undersized ISO VG 220 product to CASSIDA FLUID GL 460 to handle the high-torque, high-load operating conditions
Converting the fryer gearbox to a fully synthetic food-grade gear oil to manage temperatures regularly reaching 380°F
Upgrading the refrigeration compressor from a mineral-based non-food product to CASSIDA FLUID RF 68 — a PAO-based, NSF H1 registered synthetic — extending oil change intervals from 1,500 to 3,500 hours
Replacing the mineral-based chain spray with CASSIDA CHAIN OIL 1500 SPRAY to eliminate mineral oil contact risk in open chain applications
Implementing lubricant color-coding and storage segregation to eliminate cross-contamination risk
RESULTS
IMPACT AREA | SAVING TYPE | ANNUAL VALUE |
Storage & Inventory | Product consolidation (−10 SKUs) | $2,000 |
Operations | Reduced unplanned downtime | $21,600 |
Operations | Reduced maintenance labor | $1,050 |
TOTAL: $24,650
Operational benefits included:
COMPLIANCE: Non-food-grade lubricants eliminated from food-contact-risk zones; food-grade coverage increased from 13% to 15% of the lubricant program
RELIABILITY: Refrigeration compressor oil change interval extended from 1,500 to 3,500 hours through conversion to synthetic food-grade lubricant
SIMPLICITY: Lubricant references reduced by 43%, lowering inventory complexity and procurement cost
SAFETY: Lubricant storage reorganized with clear segregation of food-grade and non-food-grade products
Advantages
HACCP-aligned lubrication audit identifying food safety and reliability risks across all application categories
43% reduction in lubricant references — fewer products, lower inventory cost, reduced contamination risk
NSF H1 registered CASSIDA products across hydraulics, gearboxes, chains, compressors, and maintenance
- Improved food safety compliance, simplified lubrication management, and projected annual savings of $24,650 through reduced downtime and maintenance requirements.