Industrial plants lose millions every year due to equipment failures caused by inconsistent lubrication. MCE’s automated lubrication systems eliminate guesswork, delivering precise lubrication exactly when and where it’s needed.
High-demand industrial operations, like steel mills, paper production plants, cement facilities, and mining operations, rely heavily on the seamless performance of critical machinery. Behind the scenes, equipment components like bearings, slides, ways, chains and gear are what stand between you and a downed production line. Proper lubrication reduces the horsepower required to drive machinery, reducing energy consumption and cost. Without it, machinery components seize and overheat, degrading the machine and potentially shutting down the line.
The problem is that traditional manual lubrication methods are often inconsistent, time-consuming, and expose workers to unnecessary safety risks. Machinery Lubrication magazine reports, “Bearing failure is a major cause of equipment downtime in today’s industrial environment, most often resulting from improper lubrication.”
Recognizing these challenges, a growing number of industrial facilities are transitioning to automated lubrication systems. These systems integrate solenoid valves to deliver precise amounts of lubricant during operation, eliminating the risks of over- or under-lubrication that could potentially shut down the line.
The Challenges of Manual Lubrication in Industrial Applications
Manual lubrication is inconsistent and risky for your production and your workforce. Industrial plants, particularly those using roller bearings, face several challenges in maintaining lubrication and preventing failures due to heat, moisture, and contamination. These include: - High Temperatures (e.g., steel mills) – Bearings near molten metal are exposed to extreme heat, requiring specialized lubrication to prevent premature failure.
- Moisture & Water Ingress (e.g., paper mills) – Bearings in wet environments, such as paper production and chipboard manufacturing, face water exposure that can lead to corrosion and failure.
- Dust & Debris Contamination (e.g., cement plants) – Fine particles from cement and rock quarries cling to grease and infiltrate bearings, accelerating wear.
- Inconsistent Lubrication – Manual lubrication methods lead to over-lubrication (waste) or under-lubrication (bearing failure), both of which are costly.
- Downtime Costs – Unplanned downtime due to lubrication failures can result in tens of thousands of dollars in lost production per hour.
Automated lubrication brings precision to a formerly unwieldy manual process, but the impact varies depending on each industry’s operating environment. Each facility faces unique lubrication challenges, from the extreme heat of steel mills to the dust-filled conditions of cement plants.
MCE’s team collaborates with plant managers and engineers to design custom automated lubrication solutions tailored for each industry’s unique challenges. From providing reservoirs, grease pump piping, valve installation, and PLC integration to training and support, MCE delivers the solutions and expertise you need to stay competitive.
Automated Lubrication Systems: The Advantages for Industrial Plants
Whether you’re an operations manager at a steel mill or cement plant, a proper lubrication regimen is key to keeping your machinery running and preventing unplanned downtime.
Maximizing ROI Through Cost Savings
MCE’s industrial customers offset the upfront cost of an automated lubrication system with long-term savings in maintenance, labor, and energy costs. Most companies see ROI within 12 to 18 months, with reductions in unplanned downtime and lubrication waste making up for the initial cost.
One steel plant invested in MCE’s automated lubrication system and saw a full ROI of its $500,000 investment within nine months, primarily through reduced grease waste and fewer emergency maintenance interventions. These savings can amplify with fewer bearing replacements—each avoided failure can save between $10,000 and $40,000—depending on the equipment type. When paired with increased production uptime, the financial justification for switching is undeniable.
Steel Mill: Handling Extreme Heat & Harsh Environments
Steel production relies on the continuous operation of casters, rolling mills, presses, and conveyors, all of which require constant lubrication to prevent premature wear. Bearings in hot and cold rolling mills experience extreme temperatures, and those positioned near furnaces must withstand intense heat.
Manually applying lubrication to steel mill machinery is difficult and dangerous. Workers must navigate high-temperature zones, increasing the risk of burns and exposure to hazardous conditions. Plants may need to shut down production to safely lubricate all points, resulting in downtime. Manual lubrication is often inconsistent, leading to over-lubrication (wasting grease and creating slip hazards) or under-lubrication (causing excessive wear and equipment failure).
A centralized lubrication system with automated solenoid valves ensures each roller station, conveyor belt, and press receives precisely metered lubrication. Automation ensures that all points are getting the proper amount of lubrication when needed and provide continuous monitoring with warnings when lubrication is insufficient.
Reducing human intervention and relying on precision machines to do the job ultimately extends bearing life and frees up skilled workers to concentrate on revenue producing tasks. Plus, automation reduces over-greasing, which can cause fires in steel mills or create slip hazards, enhancing worker safety, optimizes grease usage, and improves overall mill efficiency.
Roller Conveyor Systems: Keeping Bearings Lubricated
Conveyor systems are the backbone of steel mills, mining operations, and material handling plants. They operate continuously to move heavy materials. Bearings within these systems endure constant friction, requiring precise lubrication to prevent misalignment and premature wear.
Manual lubrication presents multiple challenges. Maintenance teams must reach individual bearings on moving conveyor belts, often in hazardous environments. These teams usually grease on a schedule having little to do with when the machine needs lubrication. Inconsistency in grease application causes roller misalignment, bearing seizures, and unexpected conveyor failures. The resulting downtime and production slowdowns directly hit the bottom line.
A solenoid-controlled grease distribution system ensures each large conveyor roller receives the right amount of lubrication at the right time. These systems can integrate with a programmable logic controller (PLC) for precise metering. This integration allows the PLC to monitor operating conditions and adjust lubrication intervals based on real-time data for each conveyor system component. The result is more consistent grease application, reduced wear and tear, and less production downtime.
Paper Mills: Protecting Bearings from Water Ingress
In pulp and paper production, machinery is constantly exposed to heat and moisture, increasing the risk of bearing failure due to water intrusion and corrosion. Without proper lubrication, bearings can degrade quickly, leading to equipment issues and production shutdowns.
The traditional industry best practice relies on frequent manual lubrication to keep bearings sealed and functional. However, this process is labor-intensive and inefficient. In the worst cases, excess grease can mix with water and paper fibers, leading to contamination and production defects.
An automated precision grease application system ensures that bearings are consistently lubricated, preventing water ingress while reducing grease waste. Solenoid valves deliver precise amounts of lubrication exactly where needed, extending bearing life and minimizing the risk of product contamination. Automated systems also reduce the need for manual maintenance interventions, allowing paper mills to operate more efficiently.
Cement Plants and Quarries: Combatting Dust Contamination
Cement manufacturing and quarry operations generate massive amounts of dust and airborne particulates, contaminating grease and clogging bearings due to their abrasive properties. Crushers, pulverizers, and kilns operate in harsh, dust-filled environments, making it difficult to maintain adequate lubrication through manual methods. The resulting increased friction and overheating ultimately lead to equipment failure. Maintenance teams also face significant safety concerns when accessing lubrication points in large cement kilns or rock crushers.
A PLC-controlled lubrication system with solenoid valves is the modern lubrication alternative in these environments. The technology prevents dust from infiltrating lubrication points by delivering precisely timed grease pulses. Automation provides optimal lubrication without excessive buildup, significantly extending the lifespan of heavy equipment components. Cement plants and quarries implementing automated lubrication reduce bearing failures, lower maintenance costs and maintain continuous operation with fewer unplanned shutdowns.
While these are a few examples of the benefits of these new lubrication technologies, plant managers should note the ROI of these highly strategic investments. Transitioning to an automated lubrication system delivers long-term operational improvements in these and other industrial settings.
The Advantages of MCE’s Automated Lubrication Systems
Automated lubrication offers a more reliable and cost-effective solution to one of industrial operations' most critical maintenance challenges. According to Machinery Lubrication, process plants like paper, petrochemical or primary metals can replace on average 1,000 bearings or more per year. By their calculations, an automated lubrication system will reduce the number of bearings to be replaced by at least 50 percent, netting a savings of $120,000/year just on labor and bearing costs. And this number does not include the cost of downtime and lost production.
Industrial plants that switch to automated lubrication systems can reduce maintenance costs by up to 30% and extend equipment life by 50%, resulting in significant long-term savings.
Integrating solenoid valve technology guarantees the right volume of lubrication applies precisely where and when it's needed—on the machine's schedule and without human intervention. The impact extends beyond efficiency—automated lubrication enhances workplace safety, optimizes grease usage, and provides faster ROI.
Reducing Maintenance Calls and Downtime
Equipment downtime is one of the most expensive problems faced by industrial facilities. According to Siemens, unplanned downtime costs manufacturers at least 50 per cent more today than it did in the period 2019-20, due to inflation and production lines running at higher capacity. Production shutdowns result in financial losses, with the cost of a lost hour now ranging from $39,000 for FMCG facilities to over $2 million in the automotive sector.
Automated lubrication prevents these disruptions by delivering precisely timed and measured grease to all critical components, eliminating the risk of bearing failures due to under-lubrication. Better control of lubricants reduces the overall usage of lubricants and, with the money saved, operation managers can invest in higher quality lubricants that extend component life.
Monitoring provides real time proof of lubricant delivery and alerts when there is a lube failure. This gives the maintenance team time to fix the problem prior to bearing failure and costly downtime.
MCE Real World Examples:
MCE worked with a steel mill to implement an automated lubrication system for all of its caster bearings. The automated system eliminated unexpected shutdowns, achieving a full return on investment in just nine months. Similarly, MCE helped a cement plant reduce maintenance intervals by 50% after automating lubrication for its crushers, which substantially decreased production disruptions.
These examples highlight how automation removes inconsistencies, allowing maintenance teams to focus on proactive system monitoring rather than reactive repairs.
Increasing Equipment Reliability and Extending Bearing Life
Manual lubrication often results in too much grease in some areas and too little in others, causing mechanical stress and reducing equipment lifespan. Automated systems eliminate this problem by applying the exact amount of lubrication needed at controlled intervals.
MCE Real World Examples:
A paper mill that transitioned to automated lubrication reduced its oil consumption by 90%, extending its equipment's life by three years. In another case, a quarry operation saw a 30% reduction in roller bearing failures after implementing a precision lubrication system. These reductions in equipment failures translate directly to lower maintenance costs and improved operational uptime.
Enhancing Workplace Safety and Employee Benefits
Manual lubrication doesn’t just impact equipment performance—it also puts workers at risk. Lubricating machinery in hazardous environments, such as high-temperature steel mills, wet paper mills, and dust-heavy cement plants, requires maintenance teams to work in dangerous conditions.
Workers must often navigate confined spaces, climb onto elevated equipment, or work near high-speed machinery to perform lubrication tasks, increasing the risk of injuries. Automated lubrication eliminates the need for workers to enter these hazardous areas, reducing the chances of slips and falls from grease buildup, burn injuries from hot surfaces, and hand injuries from reaching into tight spaces.
MCE Real World Examples:
MCE automated a steel mill’s high-temperature lubrication process resulting in a measurable decrease in safety incidents since maintenance teams were no longer required to enter extreme-heat zones to apply grease. In another case, an automated lubrication system at a paper mill reduce maintenance labor by 40%, allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks rather than routine lubrication.
Reduces Environmental Waste, Contamination and Cost
Excess grease application leads to waste, contamination, and unnecessary disposal costs. Automated systems apply only the necessary amount of lubrication, optimizing grease consumption while reducing overall waste. For water treatment facilities, automated grease systems reduce contamination, resulting in fewer violations and fines.
MCE Real World Examples:
MCE helped a steel manufacturer implement an automated lubrication solution and they cut grease disposal costs by two-thirds, preventing unnecessary lubricant waste from entering its water treatment system. Similarly, a precision-controlled lubrication system MCE installed at a paper mill prevented thousands of pounds of grease waste annually. These savings extend beyond financial benefits to help companies meet their sustainability goals by reducing their environmental impact.
The MCE Advantage
MCE’s technical team collaborates directly with plant managers and engineers to design custom lubrication automation solutions tailored to each facility’s unique challenges. From system design and installation to ongoing support and optimization, MCE ensures companies get maximum value from their investment in lubrication automation.
Industry-Leading Proprietary Solenoid Valves for Harsh Environments
MCE RitterTech engineered their proprietary 208 Solenoid Valve for extreme conditions in steel mills, cement plants, and mining operations. Unlike generic solenoid valves, which max out at 3,000 PSI, the 208 Valve operates at high pressures (5,000 PSI) for greater durability under high-pressure grease applications. Its rugged construction withstands high temperatures, moisture, and dust contamination, preventing lubrication failures in even the harshest environments.
MCE’s Comprehensive Inventory and System Components
MCE is a one-stop solution for lubrication system components. Our inventory management services help prevent downtime by making sure the critical replacement parts you need are always available. MCE customers have easy access to solenoid valves, lubrication pumps, controllers, piping, hoses, fittings, and PLC controller components on demand.
>> Learn how MCE’s inventory management solutions streamline productivity.
Future-Proofing Industrial Operations with Automated Lubrication
Manual lubrication is inefficient, costly, and dangerous. It’s risky for industrial operations to continue to support manual lubrication as a best practice as it puts skilled workers at risk by trying to access awkwardly positioned lube points. By automating, skilled workers can be doing skilled job and adding to the profit margin.
Today’s modern machinery operate with more accuracy and tighter tolerances. That’s why proper lubrication regimens are required, resulting in production lines running longer at the proper tolerances. This reduces unplanned maintenance and downtime.
MCE provides modern, proven solutions to increase safety, extend equipment life, and deliver cost savings to our customers. Companies that invest in lubrication automation gain a long-term competitive advantage. We solve problems and can help you get there.
Smarter Lubrication. Longer Equipment Life. Lower Costs.
Schedule a consultation with one of our lubrication system experts today.