The Productivity and Efficiency Boost Hiding in Your Hydraulic Oil

Lubricants play a vital role in helping extend the life of injection moulding machines. They can also deliver a significant reduction in a plant’s energy consumption.

In injection moulding, hydraulic oil is the lifeblood of the machine, tasked with transmitting power mechanically throughout the system, often in 24/7 operations. In doing so, it is exposed to:

• high pressure
• fluctuations in temperature
• contaminants, such as water and air.

A good hydraulic oil should therefore be able to cope with typical application challenges such as:

• wear, corrosion and oil leaks
• oxidation and thermal breakdown
• build-up of sludge and varnish.

Why invest in high quality hydraulic oil?

Since hydraulic oil accounts for a fraction of the maintenance budget, investing in high quality hydraulic oil may not seem like a top priority for a plastics production plant. But the long-term savings can be significant when considered in light of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): the total amount spent on industrial equipment, including both the cost of acquisition and of operation over its entire working life.

To meet the demands of hydraulic systems and help better control TCO, Shell’s global team of technical experts works closely with leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the development of the Shell Tellus range of hydraulic oils.

First introduced in 1947 to inhibit rust and oxidation, over the past 70 years the formulation has been enhanced to match changing hydraulic system designs and customer needs, offering:

• protection against wear
• oxidation resistance and thermal stability
• hydrolytic stability and filterability
• greater energy efficiency and less energy loss from hydraulic pumps.

Reducing costs and improving energy efficiency

Selecting the right lubricant, together with harnessing support from specialist technical services such as Shell LubeAnalyst and Shell LubeExpert, is critical for improving productivity and helping to realise significant TCO savings.

It can also deliver energy savings and a resulting reduction in carbon emissions, which can contribute towards your company’s sustainability targets.