Lubriplate Lubricants Co.

129 Lockwood St., Newark, N.J. 07105

Company website: lubriplate.com

EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY

LUBRIPLATE LUBRICANTS COMPANY SUPPORTS CRAFT BREWING

By Don Wrocklage, National Accounts Manager

Lubriplate Lubricants Co. is a manufacturer of mineral base and full synthetic oils and greases. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is located in Toledo, Ohio. For decades Lubriplate has put a strong emphasis on developing and manufacturing NSF H1 and 3H food grade registered lubricants that perform to the same or higher level as compared with non-food grade lubricants. We have always put a strong focus on the beverage industry. Our products and value-added services provide the opportunity for our bottling and canning customers to generate significant cost savings in many ways. Lubriplate Distribution Centers feed our extensive network of authorized stocking distributors, making our products readily available to our customers.

When I started with Lubriplate many years ago, one of my first experiences was at a large brewery in Houston, Texas. I was brought in to evaluate a Cone Drive gear box driving a Pneumatic Scale Can Closer that was operating upwards of 200F. This excessive oil temperature was causing seals to harden, resulting in oil leakage and premature gear box failure due to lack of lubrication. With assistance from those with more experience than myself at Lubriplate we determined that while the viscosity of the non-Lubriplate gear oil they were using was correct, the additive package was not. After the conversion to the more appropriate Lubriplate product, oil temperatures dropped over 30F and into a range that provided long seal life, solving the problem. This really enlightened me early in my career that selecting the correct lubricant for the application is critical to achieving the longest possible life of the lubricated machine component and reducing downtime caused by inadequate lubrication.

As my field work in the canning and bottling industry continued, I realized the cost saving benefits of a well-designed lubrication program. A canner or bottlers lubrication program, or lack of, also can have a direct impact not only on lubricated machine component life, but also production downtime. Both of which can be very expensive. Lubriplate offers to our customers value-added services that facilitate building world-class lubrication programs. These complimentary services include lubrication surveys, color coding/tagging, oil analysis and on-site lubrication training. Some of the cost-saving benefits that result from utilizing these services are lubricant consolidation, improved food safety and increased plant operating efficiency

Up until about eight years ago, my experience in the brewing industry was primarily with large mass-producing brewers. It was then I was contacted by Mike Palmer, President of Palmer Beverage Systems. Mike was seeking our expertise in making the proper lubrication recommendations for the can fillers, can seamers and numerous other types of machines they manufacture that support the craft brew industry. The time I spent working with Mike and his team showed me that the craft brewing industry had many of the same challenges as the other breweries I had worked with. These efforts resulted in a reduction in the number of different lubricants required and the added benefit of all selected oils and greases being NSF H1 food grade registered. We also generated color coded lubricant-application lube charts with color matching lubricant machine ID tags for all lube points.

I shared this positive experience with our Lubriplate field service team and since that time our 17 District Managers covering the U.S. and our Representatives in Canada and Mexico have worked to support numerous craft brewers in creating complete lubrication programs. In virtually every case the number of different types of lubricants that were currently in use, were able to be reduced by 50% or more. The cause of the excess number of lubricants being the numerous different machines coming from different OEMs. Although many of the lubricated machine components were of similar design across the different OEMs, these components all had differences in recommended lubricants. To add to that, many of the recommended lubricants were not NSF H1 food grade registered. By utilizing Lubriplate’s expertise in lubricants and applications, the same Lubriplate lubricant could be selected for these similarly designed components. By utilizing properly selected Lubriplate NSF H1 lubricants for all applications, consolidation improved even more as did food safety.

Once the survey work was complete, Lubriplate prepared color coded Lubriplate Lubricant/Replaced Lubricant/Application charts. These are produced in 24x36 size and posted in the lube storage area(s) along with color matching product ID signs for storage containers. Color matching PVC credit card size lubricant ID tags were prepared by Lubriplate and provided to the plant for all lube points as well as lube transfer containers. A new feature we have added to the program are QR codes that are specific for each product utilized. Plant personnel can scan the QR code located next to each product designation and it will take them to that Lubriplate products information page where SDS’s, NSF Registration Letters, TDS and other important product information can be accessed immediately.

For plants interested in potentially increasing oil change intervals and improving predictive maintenance capabilities, Lubriplate will assist the plant in instituting Lubriplate’s complimentary oil analysis program. In addition to offering on-site lubrication training, we also train on how to properly pull oil samples and interpret results.

In summary, craft brewers know beer and Lubriplate knows oil and grease. We will continue to put our best efforts forward to support the growing and exciting craft brewing industry. If you would like assistance with just one application or to develop a complete lubrication program, please visit our website at www.lubriplate.com and click on “Ask A Lubexpert” and we will facilitate you in achieving your goals.