Earthmoving & Construction

The construction industry (earthmoving) is one of the industries that most lends itself to the protection afforded by Lubrication Engineers products. Our lubricants provide protection in heat, dust, cold and moisture. For years the construction industry has been one of our top markets.

Construction equipment is subjected to a variety of environments and usually a variety of operators. While working on highways, streets, bridges the temperatures can range from cold, foggy mornings to hot, dusty afternoons. Greases that are subjected to high heat can melt and run out of bearings, causing premature wear and failure. If grease does not form a good seal when lubricating, it can also let in contaminants such as water and dirt. Diesel fuelled equipment which sets out in hot/cold extremes can get water in the fuel. This can cause poor performance and loss of power. Hydraulic powered scrapers, shovels, etc. can lose hydraulic power when the day becomes hot. This "mid-day" fade will result in lost production time and can be dangerous to the operators of this equipment.

Most earthmoving, packing and grading contractors use a scraper, and they are also used in stripping and quarry operations. This piece of equipment is generally pulling and hauling heavy loads, a high quality bearing grease is required to lubricate the steering links and cranks, bushings, pins, rods and bearings.

Crawler tractors are constructed for rugged, heavy-duty construction work. These units are powered by diesel engines. This can lead to difficulty in keeping valves, injectors, rings and other parts of the engine free from deposits of carbon, etc.

Open gears, rack teeth, and hoist mechanisms are found on all shovels. Because these gears are exposed to changing weather, it is important they be protected against rust and corrosion. Furthermore, extreme pressures and shock loads can cause commercial grade lubricants to rupture, resulting in excessive wear of the gears.

Draglines and/or cranes are commonly used in general construction. Planetary wheel hubs on large units carry weight of up to 100 T. Transmission and transfer case failures can be quite common. Another critical point on most units of this type are the clutches which are subject to slippage.Backhoes and front-end loaders are commonly found on construction sites and can be easily adapted to perform different functions. They may be equipped with various attachments such as impactors, tampers, drills or hoes on the rear and scrapers on the front.

One of the most critical areas on the large loaders (rubber tire loaders) are the bucket pins. These are constantly exposed to dust, sand and other abrasives. Aside from handling heavy loads, the grease used on this equipment should have the ability to seal out dirt.

Ditching and trenching machines are made in various makes and sizes such as hand operated units commonly used in electrical and plumbing work around building sites to large self-propelled units used for laying cross country cable or pipe lines. Because these units run at high rpms, gearboxes become overheated. Gearbox failures are quite common where conventional gear lubricants are used. In larger units, where greater depths, wider trenches and harder soil formations are encountered, power is generally transmitted by hydraulic action.

Portable or mobile air compressors on construction site are constantly exposed to severe environmental conditions such as extreme heat, cold, dust and moisture. Please call us at 1-800-GO-LUBES to properly lubricate your compressors.

Power producing equipment in power plants consists of an engine (gas, diesel, steam, electric), clutch, transmission, transfer mechanism, propeller shaft (with U-Joints) differential and final drive nits. Operating conditions may range from prolonged high speed or high load operation at summer temperatures to excessive idling and light load operation in subzero weather. These are usually found in larger construction operations. The bearings are lubricated through pressure fittings and require a lubricant that will maintain a seal against the entrance of dirt and moisture.