Steel lubricants

Where a steel plant uses oil and grease

• Rolling mill and main drive gearboxes
• Furnace-side, kiln and hot-zone bearings
• Hydraulic systems on presses, shears and cranes
• Cold rolling and forming lines
• Heat treatment and quenching
• Thermic oil heating circuits and compressors

Heavy-duty gear oil for mill and drive gearboxes

Mill drives work under heavy, shock-type load, often with water and scale around. They usually need an extreme-pressure (EP) gear oil in a high viscosity grade, commonly ISO VG 220, 320 or 460, and a full synthetic EP oil is often chosen for high heat or long drain intervals. Check the gearbox manual for the grade, watch the oil temperature, keep water out, and do not mix oils.

High-temperature grease for furnace-side bearings

Bearings near furnaces and hot zones see heat that melts ordinary grease. High-temperature, non-melt greases keep their structure at high temperature, and grades with moly help where shock is severe. Re-grease on a short, fixed cycle, because hot grease ages fast.

Quenching oil and heat treatment

In hardening, a quenching oil controls how fast the part cools, which decides its hardness and how much it distorts. A heat treatment grade quenching oil is made for steady, repeatable cooling. Keep the oil clean, check it on a schedule and avoid water getting in.

Cold rolling and forming oil

Cold rolling lines need an oil that lubricates the roll and strip and cools them. The right oil protects the surface finish and reduces roll wear. Match it to the mill and the product.

Hydraulic and thermic oil

Hydraulic systems on presses, shears and cranes work at high pressure, so an anti-wear (AW) hydraulic oil in the grade the machine maker specifies is the starting point. Thermic oil circuits run hot for long periods, so they need oil that resists breakdown and sludge, and a test schedule to catch ageing early.

How to choose the right lubricant

• Start with the machine maker's manual.
• Note the temperature, load, water and scale exposure.
• Match the viscosity grade and the performance level (AW, EP, high-temperature).
• Ask for a sample and test it on one machine first.
• Set a change and greasing plan, and keep to it.