Fuchs stars at Electra Mining

FUCHS showcased its comprehensive range of mining lubricants at Electra Mining Africa 2024.

Ongoing pressure on commodity prices and reduced output has seen the global mining industry focus increasingly on energy efficiency and optimising production. “There is a major emphasis on cutting costs, especially in terms of proactive maintenance, which is where our products play a key role,” said Dave Gons, national manager mining | regional mining manager Sub-Saharan Africa at FUCHS Lubricants South Africa, at the expo.

“Regardless of market conditions, we focus on helping our mining customers become more efficient. By using superior products, they can actually save money through improved maintenance regimes and longer component life,” explained sales director Andrew Cowling. “Even when the market is down, we believe we have a role in supporting our customers. Unfortunately, some businesses cut costs in areas like lubrication, which might offer short-term savings but lead to long-term costs.”

FUCHS had a significant presence at Electra Mining Africa 2024. “We showcased our niche or speciality products as well, as we have a complete offering for all types of mining operations and mining clients; we have everything they need,” asserted Cowling.

Gons pointed out that specific products like Ceplattyn GT 10 and Titan Utto Pro 102 have critical original equipment manufacturer (OEM) approvals. The former is a high-viscosity adhesive lubricant for heavy-duty open gears, such as on kilns, mills, and driers in the raw materials industry. A synthetic base oil, it has new types of additives and a combination of white, reaction-effective solid lubricants. This guarantees extraordinarily good wear protection and an extremely high lubricant film stability.

The latter, meanwhile, is a premium performance multifunctional oil for gears, axles, and hydraulic systems, with improved wear protection and a range of application temperatures. It has been specially developed and approved for Volvo axles with built-in wet brakes in construction machinery.

Gons pointed out that certification is increasingly important in the mining industry, both for on- and off-highway equipment: “The fact that Titan Utto Pro 102 has specific approval for Volvo fills a gap in our portfolio. Ceplattyn GT 10 is our flagship open gear product and is used by some major mines.”

“It was about offering a complete product range and showing we are on top of certifications and accreditations for leading OEMs,” Cowling expanded. “That has been our strength – offering products that some competitors might not have. Often, that is our entry point with mining customers and then we can expand the conversation to include our services, support, and other products.”

FUCHS experts were on hand to engage with visitors about the latest trends and developments, such as calcium sulphonate greases. This is a future-proof product, especially as lithium costs fluctuate.

Calcium sulphonate is a much more natural lubricant compared to others, as well as being more efficient and cost-effective, because less product is required for improved results. This is due to the fact that the calcium itself acts as a lubricant, unlike lithium, which requires additives.