Selecting Performance Grease

From the Desk of:
R.T. Kirkpatrick, President
Kirkpatrick Wire Rope Lubrication Systems
Dynagard™ Environmental Wire Rope Lubricants
www.thekirkpatrickgroup.com

I wanted to share a presentation titled “Selecting Performance Grease” by Don Oldiges, Vice President for research and development for Jet Lube. Don is one of the foremost experts in his field. This presentation was from 2006 and is one of many we have in our files that we would like to share with our business contacts.

Beginning with our own fleet of over 350 heavy lift cranes in 1967, we have been involved in wire rope preventative maintenance. We have collected and have in our files very informative technical information from experts such as Don Oldiges from around the world over that time period. This information has helped us understand the many aspects of what it takes to maximize wire rope preventative maintenance and thus wire rope longevity. This is especially true in supporting and increasing our knowledge of what it takes to bring it all together from many sources to develop the finest wire rope pressure lubrication systems and lubricants available. Let me provide a few bullet point examples confirming this:

• Understanding the correct metallurgy to optimize the strengths and flexibility of our castings.
• Understanding pump flow rate performance and how these flow rates contribute to maximize or minimize lubrication collar coating performance.
• Defining what pump manufacturers will support or be there for us in the long term and thus for those customers that have believed in our program.
• Understanding that coating performance is also affected by wire rope constructions, wire rope travel speeds, and how they are married to the broadest range of lubricant viscosities used in any maintenance operation.
• Understanding wire rope construction and design to better analyze what penetration factors are required in maximizing the application of the broadest range of lubricants used in conjunction with our systems.
• Understanding lubricant fluid film and anticorrosion strengths that help avoid excessive friction wear from strand rubbing after application.
• Understanding how specially engineered seal material formulations and design limit wear and chemical breakdown of the seal materials thus prolonging seal and groove cleaner life.
• Understanding the hundreds of different types of customer applications our systems are used for so that we can help troubleshoot and engineer the best system for their applications.