#Industry News
simalube lubrication in a waste water treatment plant
simalube creates more efficient maintenance at VA Syd and becomes an important piece of the puzzle to achieve a sustainable cycle for Malmö’s wastewater.
VA Syd’s water treatment plant Sjölunda is one of the largest in Sweden. About 7 full bath tubs of sewage water are received every second (approx. 1350 l/s).
Environmental requirements have become stricter in recent years and in order to guarantee the cleaning process during times of heavy flow, continuous operation is vital. Therefore, it is very important that all mechanical equipment in the facility is properly cared for in order to avoid breakdowns and unwanted downtimes.
There are many applications at the site that require lubrication. Research conducted on bearings show that about 35% of all breakdowns are caused by incorrect or even completely forgotten lubrication. Regular and controlled lubrication on the other hand extends the life time of components and reduces the need for repairs.
Lubrication is often done manually with grease guns but there are alternatives. The company simatec ag in Switzerland produces the lubrication system simalube
which automatically provides single lubrication points with oil or grease for up to twelve months.
Johnny Kristiansson is responsible for service and maintenance at the Sjölunda water treatment plant and responds to why VA Syd has chosen to use simalube. „A simalube test installation on a few selected lubrication points worked well. Thereafter, the decision was made that automatic lubrication should be installed across the
entire facility. Since then, most electric motors, pumps, bearings and ball screws have been equipped with simalube lubricators. At our plant, we have a great number
of lubrication points spread out over a large area. With so many lubrication points, it is very easy to overlook a few. One single forgotten lubrication point could cause a
breakdown that in turn can stop the entire water treatment process”, Johnny continues.
”By using simalube consistenly, we expect the number of bearing failures to go down over the long run and thereby increase up-time. “What we like with simalube is its simplicity. It is easy to install the product which is then easily activated with a hex key.”
Benefits with simalube’s compact lubrication system:
■ Economical system that reduces maintenance costs
■ Many different sizes and standard lubricants that work on most applications
■ Eco-friendly and refillable
■ Extremely simple to install and activate
■ Guarantees automatic lubrication 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
