SKF's wire rope lubricator (WRL) is helping a Greek ship management services provider to maximise safety, cut downtime and significantly extend the life cycle of its ropes. Pantheon Tankers Management Ltd is currently using the specially developed service tool on 11 vessels in its fleet of oil tankers and is showing particularly positive results.
The robust WRL is helping the Athens-based firm to ensure optimum lubrication in all of its wire rope applications, while supporting key business objectives such as zero incidents and zero harm to the environment. For example, the lubrication system eliminates the need for manual lubrication by hand, which can be very time consuming and dangerous, and the precise application of lubricants reduces consumption by up to 25 per cent to not only cut costs but also to reduce waste and the impact it has on the planet.
Konstantinos Giannoulis, Purchasing, Pantheon Tankers Management says: "We have been using the wire rope lubricator solution for two years and it has been proving to be highly reliable, with no issues during time in operations."
In addition, maintenance can now be carried out up to 90 per cent quicker than before, as the system can lubricate between 30 and 35m of rope per minute. The WRL, which supports all lubricants typically used with wire rope, is attached to the equipment periodically and works by forcing only the right amount of grease into the rope core. It distributes the lubrication evenly and adheres it to each wire for long-lasting protection against friction and heat generation, while also reducing the risk of corrosion.
On top of the benefits being delivered by the WRL, Pantheon Tankers Management also praised the customer and after sales service that it has received from SKF over the last 2 years since implementing the product.
For more information about SKF's wire rope lubricator please visit www.skf.co.uk.