The BMG team works closely with key players in the sugar sector to enhance production efficiencies, minimise downtime and extend the service life of critical systems in the field and during harvesting, transport, milling and refining.
“To ensure the local market has access to the latest sugar technology, trends, components and equipment, BMG continually launches new products, which are enhanced by critical technical support,” says Carlo Beukes, business development manager, power transmission, agricultural, automotive and lubrication divisions, BMG. “An important development has been the addition of high-performance Liqui Moly additives to our range of industrial lubricants. Cera Tec – developed by Liqui Moly, global leaders in additives, motor, transmissions and hydraulic oils – is highly effective in protecting gears in industrial transmissions in many sectors, including sugar mills, mining, chemical plants, manufacturing and general engineering.
“Cera Tec – with exceptional resistance to high temperature and pressure – is a micro-ceramic solid lubricant suspension based on hexagonal boron nitride (BN) in selected base oils. This product reduces friction and protects the engine and transmission against wear, thus extending the service life of assemblies. Cera Tec also improves the reliability of industrial equipment, lowers engine and transmission noise, minimises maintenance requirements and reduces downtime. Other benefits include energy savings, reduced risk of contamination, lower pollutant emissions and more efficient operating costs.
“The graphite-like structure of resilient ceramic particles, with high mechanical and thermal stability, fill in the roughness in the metal of oil-lubricated engines, transmissions, pumps and compressors, thereby preventing direct metal-on-metal contact. An active chemical utilises the existing friction energy to ensure a smooth-running effect that reduces fuel consumption in gasoline and diesel engines. The < 0.5 µm particle size guarantees optimum filter flow properties and protects against depositing of solid lubricant particles. Cera Tec is miscible with all industrial oils.”
According to BMG specialists, local operators face continuing difficulties with transmissions — for example, with the gearing in conveyor systems.
Problems occur largely in applications where dust accumulates in the transmission, thus increasing friction between the gears and other components, thus accelerating wear.
This results in greater wear and higher temperatures. An additional troublesome factor is the high ambient temperature, which increases the temperature of the oil in the transmission. The risk of inadequate lubrication and excessive wear thus increases, adding the threat of defects in the conveyor system and subsequent loss of production. Experts have proven that with the inclusion of Cera Tec additives in transmission oil, the temperature of the transmission oil decreases by up to 15 degrees Celsius. This solution not only offers better protection for machines, lowers maintenance risk and costs.