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Digging deeper


The raw material prices for minerals have taken a dip in recent times. Seemingly this makes the mining industry a less prioritised area for some to get into. However the mining industry has to be viewed in a longer perspective than the quarterly updates. Looking at recent history, going back 5 years the price of iron ore has dropped significantly. How relevant is this?


It takes generally about 10-15 years to open a new mine. Looking back 15 years it is clear that the prices now are significantly higher than back then. Predicting the iron ore prices for the coming 15 years almost makes astrology look like a science.


What we do know is that the world still has a hunger for the diverse range of naturally occurring raw material reserves within the earth’s crust that contribute to the growth of industries from infrastructure and construction to food stuffs and medicine. However, the conditions under which they are extracted have become progressively more difficult as we explore locations that are increasingly remote and challenging. There are mines at such high altitudes that compressors are needed just to feed the


machines with enough air to simply function. Mines are so deep now that the ambient temperatures reach 60°C and thus require cooling and, in contrast, there are mining operations facing temperatures as low as -60°C, putting equipment at risk as the metal becomes brittle. Mining now also takes place at 6000 m below the surface of the sea level. Such operational challenges, when combined with an increased need for efficiency and productivity means ensuring the reliability of larger and more effective machines, but how has their lubrication evolved to continually match these changing demands?


The answer in a surprising number of cases is very often, ‘“not a great deal” as we still lubricate 2015 equipment with technology developed in the 1940s, however there are other alternatives. The mother of all greases: ‘Lithium EP 2’ is still a decent multipurpose grease and that is clearly demonstrated by remaining the bread and butter for all grease producers. Multipurpose in the sense that it works over the wide range of applications that have a moderate speed, moderate load, moderate temperatures, moderate water resistance, moderate, moderate and moderate… Mining is moving further and further away from ‘moderate’ each day.


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LUBE MAGAZINE NO.132 APRIL 2016


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