In the midst of a sudden drop in external temperature due to cold waves, if the lubricant is in a state where it cannot effectively protect equipment at low temperatures, problems may occur in which equipment or facility infrastructure does not operate normally. Therefore, for more stable facility management, it is important not only to use a high-performance lubricant that can be used in extreme low-temperature environments such as those that result from cold waves but also to select a lubricant suitable for the general operating environment during the winter season.

NCH Korea’s Wintertime Lubrication Management Plan consists of: Selection and use of lubricants for wintertime, Checking the operating environment and operating temperature range of the product, Maintaining the appropriate amount of lubricants, Periodically removing condensed water from equipment to prevent freezing and bursting of equipment, Appropriate preheating of outdoor facilities and equipment prior to use.

Use different lubricants for winter and summer: In Korea, where there are four seasons, it is recommended to use separate lubricants for summer and winter. For example, if the outdoor temperature is -15℃, the high viscosity of a lubricant designed for use in summer may prevent effective lubrication when used outside of its recommended operating temperature range, and problems with facilities and equipment, including suspension of operation, may occur. PREMALUBE XTREME GREEN, NCH’s winter grease, is resistant to cold waves. PREMALUBE XTREME GREEN’s operating temperature range from -28°C to 204°C effectively lubricates equipment even at cryogenic temperatures. PREMALUBE XTREME GREEN is an economical product that provides a long life, a long injection cycle, and a low equipment failure rate - providing operational continuity by reducing equipment downtime. In addition, PREMALUBE XTREME GREEN contains Solumol (organic synthetic moly) that prevents friction and abrasion to keep equipment running smoothly for long cycles, protecting the metal surface from moisture and chemical reactions with its excellent water resistance and anti-corrosive agents.

Check the usage environment and product temperature range: During the winter season when the temperature drops rapidly, certain areas of facilities such as rooftops may reach -20℃ or lower even when the general outside temperature is only -10℃. It is vitally important to check the temperature of the specific facility location and the usable temperature range of the lubricant.

Maintain and check the proper amount of lubricant: Grease can cause problems such as poor pumping in winter, inability to rotate bearings, and inability to rotate reducers due to the increase in thickness and viscosity. In addition, it is common for lubricating oil to go below the level gauge due to an increase in viscosity due to winter temperatures, and grease dry-out, oil cavitation, condensation, and other problems may occur, resulting in damage to equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the proper amount of lubricant according to equipment guidelines.

Periodically remove condensed water from the equipment to prevent freezing and ruptures: In order to prevent equipment freezing/bursting accidents caused by condensation during cold waves, condensates must be discharged and removed periodically. In addition, a lubricant with strong water resistance performance should be selected to minimize condensation.

Preheat before using outdoor facilities/equipment: It is possible to maximize performance by making the lubricant soft and fluid through sufficient preheating before operating the facility/equipment.

NCH’s PREMALUBE XTREME GREEN can be used for various bearings, reducers, air conditioners, cranes, and any other equipment outside buildings or factories, as well as in reducer facilities and hydraulic facilities which require heavy equipment to be operated outside.

NCH Korea’s Country Manager Junkyu Oh says: “Due to the sudden drop in external temperature caused by the cold wave, many lubricants do not perform properly at low temperatures, causing equipment problems and disrupting operations. Mismanagement of lubricants can cause an entire operation to stop due to the freezing of lubricants and damage or inoperability of equipment, resulting in increased costs while making it impossible to ensure business continuity. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to use the appropriate lubricant after preheating it to its specified operating temperature range before operating the facility or equipment. Furthermore, for more stable facility management, operators should be sure to use high-performance lubricants with excellent low-temperature performance optimized for the winter season.”