Testimonials
Jernberg Industries significantly improved compressor efficiency using Monolec® R & O Compressor / Turbine Oil.
key takeaways
Challenge
Ken Lopatka aimed to extend oil drain intervals, decrease daily make-up oil usage, and prevent carbon build-up to address the issues with Ingersoll-Rand compressors.
LE solution
Jernberg Industries, a long-term customer of Lubrication Engineers, confidently adopted Monolec® R & O Compressor / Turbine Oil (6404) for their fleet and crane applications due to their satisfaction with previous products.
Results
Since switching to Monolec 6404, Jerngerg has quadrupled drain intervals to once a year, reduced make-up oil consumption to three gallons daily per compressor, eliminated excessive carbon build-up, and avoided compressor bearing losses for eight years.
Jernberg has not lost a compressor bearing in the last eight years since they switched to Monolec 6404.
- Ken Lopatka, Maintenance Supervisor
Customer Profile
Jernberg Industries Inc., based in Chicago, Illinois has been in business for about 60 years producing and supplying heavy forged materials primarily for the transportation industry. Their customers range from General Motors, Toyota, and Harley-Davidson, to small and medium sized businesses.
Application
Jernberg operates four Ingersoll-Rand 350 hp air compressors which supply the entire facility with the needed air to run equipment. Uptime of these compressors is critical to produce the materials necessary to meet the high customer order demand. Since these compressors have a heavy workload, the maintenance staff had to add about six gallons of make-up oil a day per compressor. These compressors were experiencing significant issues with the carbon build-up in the intake and exhaust areas. Based on oil analysis and these conditions, Jernberg had to change the compressor oil every three months.
Challenge
Due to the heavy workload of these Ingersoll-Rand compressors and the problems Jernberg was experiencing, Ken Lopatka, maintenance supervisor, wanted to increase oil drain intervals, reduce the amount of make-up oil added daily, and eliminate carbon build-up.
LE Solution
Jernberg Industries has been an LE customer for more than 10 years. They have been very pleased with the products Lubrication Engineers has supplied them to utilize in their fleet and crane applications. When Monolec® R & O Compressor / Turbine Oil (6404) was recommended for this demanding and critical application, Jernberg did not hesitate to utilize it.
Results
Since the introduction of Monolec 6404, Jerngerg has been able to quadruple the drain intervals to once a year, all substantiated by oil analysis. Another major reduction was obtained in the area of make-up oil consumption. By the nature of the Ingersoll-Rand compressor design, make-up oil is a necessity but when switched to Monolec 6404, the amount was reduced to three gallons a day per compressor. Monolec 6404 also eliminated the excessive carbon build- up in the intake and exhaust areas which resulted in the reduction of maintenance cost to clean the compressors during scheduled maintenance.
Ken Lopatka stated that Jernberg has not lost a compressor bearing in the last eight years since they switched to Monolec 6404.