The wood pellet industry relies heavily on rolling element bearings within their pelletising machinery, which require specialised bearing greases to ensure optimal machine performance. Selecting the right grease is critical to maintaining machine efficiency, reducing downtime, and keeping operational costs in check.

Arvina XK1 is a high-performance synthetic grease specifically designed for the wood pellet industry. It combines the excellent thermal stability, low volatility, and high viscosity index of polyalphaolefin (PAO) base fluids with a high-temperature organoclay thickener to offer outstanding performance across a wide temperature range.

The optimised additive package in Arvina XK1 works to reduce friction and enhance oxidative stability, which helps extend the service life of bearings and reduce the need for frequent relubrication. The superior stability of synthetic greases, like Arvina XK1, allows them to operate effectively in the high-temperature, high-pressure environments common in wood pellet manufacturing, where lithium and calcium-based greases may struggle to perform optimally.

With Arvina XK1, wood pellet manufacturers benefit from a lubricant that can withstand the extreme conditions of the pelletising process, prolonging equipment life, reducing maintenance costs, and ensuring efficient, uninterrupted machinery performance. This is critical to producing high-quality wood pellets while maintaining competitive production costs.

The wood pellet industry, like many high-intensity manufacturing sectors, faces several operational challenges, especially when it comes to managing extreme temperatures and mechanical stress.

Pellet mills operate continuously under heavy loads, generating intense heat through friction. This constant strain places significant stress on the bearings inside wood pellet machinery, often leading to accelerated wear and frequent maintenance needs.

In fact, poor lubrication in pellet mill bearings can result in downtime and maintenance costs exceeding £200,000 per year for some manufacturers.

To address these issues, it’s essential to use a high-temperature bearing grease specifically designed for pellet mill environments. The right lubricant not only resists thermal breakdown but also protects against wear, helping to extend equipment life and reduce operating costs.

A recent case study at a leading Southeast Asian wood pellet plant demonstrated the effectiveness of Arvina XK1 grease. When used in their KAHL Pelletizer, the advanced formula increased operational efficiency by 21% and cut annual maintenance costs by £40,000.

When looking to achieve optimal results from a bearing grease in your manufacturing, the product should ensure the following key benefits:

• Outstanding resistance to thermo-oxidative degredation
• Excellent load-carrying and anti-wear properties
• Highly water resistant
• Excellent corrosion protection

Arvina XK1, our specifically designed wood pellet industry solution, has been formulated for the specific demands of the wood pellet industry. 

Arvina XK1 has a proven history of enhancing bearing life, leading to an annual saving of over £200,000 at a Southeast Asian wood pellet manufacturer. 

In a recent case study, Arvina XK1 was trialled in a specialised wood pellet plant, leading to the following results: 

• Extended Bearing Life: Arvina XK1 achieved a remarkable 21% improvement in operations before requiring bearing replacement. This allowed them to extend their bearing replacement intervals and reduce associated costs. 

• Consistent Grease Consumption: Grease consumption remained consistent, mirroring the previous product’s usage rate. Monthly consumption held steady, maintaining predictable cost and usage without excessive grease loss. 

• High-Temperature Stability: Operating temperatures for the bearings using Arvina XK1 averaged similar to the industry standard. Despite the high machine temperature, Arvina XK1 resisted melting and maintained stability, which prevented contamination issues that had previously impacted product quality. 

• Reduced Bearing Oxidation and Wear: By avoiding excessive oil bleed and oxidation, Arvina XK1 preserved the bearings’ structural integrity. At 1,017 hours, the grease on the rollers and bearings remained in optimal condition, whereas the incumbent grease displayed significant degradation by 839 hours. 

• Cost and Efficiency Gains: Given the 21% increase in operational life for each bearing, the manufacturer can now expect to reduce annual bearing replacement costs significantly. With a 21% increase in lubricant life, that equates to a £40,000+ saving on the previous £200,000 annual maintenance cost within the factory. With fewer maintenance interventions, machine downtime decreased, thereby enhancing production efficiency. 

Read the full wood pellet manufacturing case study and learn more about speciality wood pellet bearing grease solutions.  

As highlighted, the wood pellet industry is a high-intensity, high-demand manufacturing sector that requires specialised bespoke solutions to operate effectively.  

Ensuring that specialised bearing greases are utilised can greatly improve productivity and reduce the rapid wear that wood pellet manufacturing can encounter. Maximising production within a wood pellet factory is vital, and high-performance greases and lubricant solutions are key to ensuring results. 

To learn more about wood pellet industry lubricants and solutions, reach out today to speak to our expert technical team.