Situation
Inefficiency was slowing production at a midwestern asphalt plant. The company’s heat transfer system failed to consistently keep thermal balance, causing increased labor costs and component wear. In search of a fix, the Mobil™ engineering team implemented an oil-based solution that would improve heat transfer system performance and stability as well as extend oil life.
Recommendation
After conducting Mobil Lubricant Analysis, the engineering team recommended Mobil™ Solvancer® which is a leading oil-soluble cleaner. The product excels at dissolving deposits and maintaining overall system cleanliness. Due to its compatible nature, the cleaner can do its job without the need for costly additional system flushes, keeping plant production largely unaffected. The team worked with the plant – monitoring pressures, cycle times and temperatures – to find the optimal strategy for introducing and integrating the product into their system.
The Mobil engineering team predicts annual savings of up to
$60,000 USD
for the plant because of its use of Mobil™ Solvancer® — leading oil-soluble cleaner.
Impact
After more than six months utilizing Mobil™ Solvancer® oil-soluble cleaner, the plant observed numerous benefits, including reduced fuel consumption, zero hot oil breakdowns and, most importantly, restored thermal balance. Moreover, the system’s overall oil parameters were kept stable enough to allow the plant to skip a full system oil change.
