Advanced lubrication and the smart, more sustainable, factory of the future

Industrial operators worldwide are seeking to advance their sustainability ambitions while maintaining productivity. Navigating this dual challenge requires collaboration with partners who have both the products and services to drive real-world change, particularly for the most energy-intensive sectors of industry.

Last month, I sat down with Steven Fulleylove who represents ExxonMobil’s Finished Lubricants in EMEA, to explore the role played by advanced lubrication solutions in the smart, more sustainable factory of the future.

Fact not friction

Across industries, net zero goals are requiring operators to rethink what and how they manufacture. Steven explained that a key challenge is meeting sustainability targets at the same time as preserving or improving efficiency:

“Operators are striving to achieve more, fulfil customer expectations, and do so as efficiently as possible. We provide lubrication solutions which mean they don’t have to compromise, supporting them in potentially reducing GHG emissions by delivering energy efficiency and fuel economy.”

I learned that lubricants play a surprisingly important role when it comes to reducing wasted energy by avoiding metal-to-metal contact, as Steven stressed:

“A third of global energy is lost through friction every year. We bring together a package of lubrication experts, services and products to provide a solution that helps customers reduce their energy use and run further for longer.”

Achieving more with less

Advanced synthetic lubricants can also help to drive extended oil drain intervals, supporting operators to reduce oil consumption, downtime and unit costs, as well as human machine interaction. Taken as a whole, these efficiencies can contribute towards significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions – particularly in heavy industry, as Steven illustrated:

“Working with a customer who makes components for the aviation industry, we’ve been able to reduce the carbon emissions of their pull-down forging press by around 4k tonnes over 20 years.”

Steven also gave examples of how ExxonMobil’s global network of lubricants blending plants has taken steps to reduce waste in its own operations:

“We are proud to have received a Zero Waste to Landfill Silver validation from Underwriters Laboratories. This means that over 90% of our lubricant operations waste (around 50,000 tons) goes away from landfills and into new, productive uses every year,” he said.

Smart solutions to close the skills gap

Digitalisation is having a major impact in how smart factories can monitor and measure the results of these kinds of solutions. This is most evident in the area of used oil analysis, which Steven described as a ‘blood test’ for your machinery:

“Just like in the healthcare space, new tech is helping give customers detailed analysis on the condition of their oil and equipment in situ. Online sensors, for example, generate real time data without the need for sample taking.”

Time-saving solutions like this are becoming increasingly important as customers’ maintenance teams shrink. In this context, Steven explained that the consultancy services provided by his company’s engineers are helping relieve the pressure:

“Our Field Engineering team understand customers’ industries, equipment and applications and can give support – on the ground or virtually - in almost any situation. They also often train customers’ staff to develop their own preventative maintenance strategies. This and our digital tools allow maintenance teams to high-grade their time and generate more value for their company.

Wrapping up

This final point from Steven really echoes our perspective at IBM that sustainability projects start with data - empowering business leaders to visualise their metrics and see where efficiencies can be made, which ultimately empowers organizations like Exxon to drive further meaningful action.

It is this intersection between expertise, smart technology, and strong commitments that will see the industry deliver its part in realizing a greener future.

To watch Steven’s LinkedIn live in full, visit: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7121078928592486400/comments/

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