Economy & Market

Oil Monitoring and Maintenance

Published

3 years ago

April 11, 2022

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The progressive approach that industries are adopting to move towards condition-based oil change and maintenance can prove to be a game changer.

Lubrication oil in thousands of litres is changed in the industrial world, based on the periodic oil change intervals or schedules, which is part of a preventive maintenance programme. Most of the oil is prematurely changed in the equipment resulting in disposal of oil still having a remaining useful life. This results in loss of revenue due to cost of new oil and disposal of the used oil. The flip side of the preventive oil change schedules is that the lubricant can exceed its useful life before oil change interval, which can result in equipment breakdown resulting in loss of revenue again.
A better way, which progressive companies are adopting, involves periodic oil analysis and scheduling oil changes based on the oil condition, which not only maximises the lubricant life based on condition but also acts as a tool for a proactive approach to prevent equipment breakdown because of oil quality.
The oil analysis programme is a useful tool to monitor the condition of the oil and the equipment where it is being used. It consists of predetermined oil sampling plans from the equipment, testing the oils for major tests and determining the condition of oil and equipment. There are industry accepted precautionary and critical limits for the major tests, which are well established. The interpretation of these major tests help determine the oil and condition equipment and is the backbone of the condition-based oil changes. Almost 50 per cent of equipment damages are caused by oils and about 70 per cent of equipment defects are visible in the lubrication oil.

Lubricant contamination or degradation
Lubricant consists of either mineral or synthetic base stock fortified with performance chemicals called additives. These impart the specific properties required by lubricant based on its application. Over its usage, we all know that lube oil gets polluted due to internal contaminants like wear particles or degradation products or external contaminants like dirt, dust, water etc. Oil contamination is the major reason why oil is condemned. More and more companies are getting into oil regeneration programmes to extend the oil’s life.

Drawing oil samples at periodic intervals for analysis, trends are monitored of the oil condition, The oil is retested if any significant changes occur in the test results of the sample in comparison to the previous. The test results are compared to the standard Industry limits which are used as guidelines. These limits are based on oil and equipment types. The oil analysis results can be used to make intelligent decisions on maximising oil life without compromising the equipment.

Periodic oil analysis has resulted in significant savings in oil life extension and also savings from proactively detecting potential failures caused by poor oil quality and degrading components. Condition monitoring provides gradual information and warnings according to the significance of the abnormality in the oil analysis.
Many of the industrial plants condemn their lubricating oils based on water and particulate contamination or sometimes on the recommended oil change interval. These oils can be regenerated by using high quality efficient filtration systems and sometimes by topping up with additives to restore their performance to original. Oil never dies, just
gets contaminated and depleted. It is possible to restore many such lubricants to their original performance levels.
Total Lubrication Management (TLM) is a very productive practice followed by many companies, its key features being:
TLM is now augmented with vibration sensors, thermal imaging and ultrasound analysis integrated with software driven by AI, making the equipment more reliable and predictive to operate and manage.
Condition-based oil monitoring in modern industries has progressed to a broader perspective of condition-based maintenance, which is to implement maintenance schedules that can be considered as actual condition of the equipment. Shorter response time with more targeted and corrective actions are resulting in improved productivity.

(Communication by the management of the company)

Image Source: Google Images

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Hindalco Buys US Speciality Alumina Firm for $125 Million

Published

3 weeks ago

June 25, 2025

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This strategic acquisition marks a significant investment in speciality alumina, a key step by Aditya Birla Group’s metals flagship towards becoming future-ready by scaling its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco Industries, the world’s largest aluminium company by revenue and the metals flagship of the $28 billion Aditya Birla Group, has announced the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity stake in US-based AluChem Companies—a prominent manufacturer of speciality alumina—for an enterprise value of $125 million. The transaction will be executed through Aditya Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary.

This acquisition represents a pivotal investment in speciality alumina and advances Hindalco’s strategy to expand its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco’s speciality alumina business, a key pillar of its value-added strategy, has delivered consistent double-digit growth in recent years. It has emerged as a high-growth, high-margin vertical within the company’s portfolio. As speciality alumina finds expanding applications across electric mobility, semiconductors, and precision ceramics, the deal positions Hindalco further up the innovation curve, enabling next-generation alumina solutions and value-accretive growth.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, called the acquisition an important step in their global strategy to build a leadership position in value-added, high-tech materials.

“Our strategic foray into the speciality alumina space will not only accelerate the development of future-ready, sustainable solutions but also open new pathways to pursue high-impact growth opportunities. By integrating advanced technologies into our value chain, we are reinforcing our commitment to self-reliance, import substitution, and building scale in innovation-led businesses.”

Ronald P Zapletal, Founder, AluChem Companies, said the partnership with Hindalco would provide AluChem the ability and capital to scale up faster and build scale in North America.

“AluChem will benefit from their world-class sustainability and safety standards and practices, access to integrated operations and a consistent, reliable raw material supply chain. Their ability to leverage R&D capabilities and a talented workforce adds tremendous value to our innovation pipeline, helping drive market expansion beyond North America.”

An Eye on the Future

The global speciality alumina market is projected to grow significantly, with rising demand for tailored solutions in sectors such as ceramics, electronics, aerospace, and medical applications. Hindalco currently operates 500,000 tonnes of speciality alumina capacity and aims to scale this up to 1 million tonnes by FY2030.

Commenting on the development, Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries, said the deal reinforced their commitment to innovation and global expansion.

“As alumina gains increasing relevance in critical and clean-tech sectors, AluChem’s advanced chemistry capabilities will significantly enhance our ability to serve these fast-evolving markets. Importantly, it deepens our high-value-added portfolio with differentiated products that drive profitability and strengthen our global competitiveness.”

AluChem adds a strong North American presence to Hindalco’s portfolio, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes across three advanced manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Arkansas. The company is a long-standing supplier of ultra-low soda calcined and tabular alumina, materials prized for their thermal and mechanical stability and widely used in precision engineering and high-performance refractories.

Saurabh Khedekar, CEO of the Alumina Business at Hindalco Industries, said the acquisition unlocked immediate synergies, including market access and portfolio diversification.

“Hindalco plans to work with AluChem’s high performance technology solutions and scale up production of ultra-low soda alumina products to drive a larger global market share.”

The transaction is expected to close in the upcoming quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

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Shree Cement reports 2025 financial year results

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4 weeks ago

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Shree Cement posted revenue of US$2.38 billion for FY2025, marking a 5.5 per cent decline year-on-year. Operating costs rose 2.9 per cent to US$2.17 billion, resulting in an EBITDA of US$528 million—down 12 per cent from the previous year. Net profit fell 50 per cent to US$141 million. The company reported cement sales of 9.84Mt in Q4 FY2025, a 3.3 per cent increase from 9.53Mt in Q4 FY2024, with premium products making up 16 per cent of total sales.

Image source:https://newsmantra.in/

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Rekha Onteddu to become director at Sagar Cements

Published

4 weeks ago

June 17, 2025

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Sagar Cements has announced the appointment of Rekha Onteddu as a non-executive independent director, effective 30 June 2025. According to People in Business News, Rekha Onteddu is currently serving in a similar capacity at Andhra Cements, the parent company of Sagar Cements.

Image source:https://sagarcements.in/