ExxonMobil partners with a South African plastics firm to launch a new hydraulic fluid geared towards cutting energy consumption costs

A team of field engineers helped MPact Polymers reduce the energy used by processing equipment at its Pinetown site by 7% by switching to Mobil DTE 10 Excel hydraulic fluid. The move also helped optimize equipment performance, which reduced unscheduled maintenance, while the hydraulic fluid’s long life cut waste oil disposal costs.

The South African plastics packaging manufacturer was looking for ways to improve the efficiency of its plastics processing equipment. Following a site inspection, ExxonMobil’s Field Engineering Services (FES) team recommended switching the company’s 22 injection moulding machines and 13 blow moulding lines to Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46 hydraulic fluid.

ExxonMobil also recommended that MPact Polymers implement Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysis. The used oil analysis programme can detect issues before they become problems, helping reduce unplanned maintenance.

The high-performance oil’s excellent shear stability and wide operating temperature range helped deliver a 7% average reduction in energy consumption. Data from Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysis confirmed the oil’s long in-service life, which reduced hydraulic fluid consumption by 200 litres. This extended oil drain intervals, reducing human-machine interaction by 27 hours over the space of a year.

“In addition to spiraling energy costs and tough competition, plastics processors have to keep pace with increasingly stringent environmental legislation. That’s why saving energy while safely reducing oil consumption is a significant achievement,” said Andreas Hadjidimitriadis, Field Marketing Adviser SA – ExxonMobil.

Andreas continued to observe that high-performance hydraulic fluids can play a significant role in enhancing productivity and competitiveness.