Eight years, zero oil changes: how one gear oil saved a brewery $18,000
A regional brewing company has achieved significant cost savings and sustainability gains after switching to Duolec® Industrial Gear Oil, supplied by lubrication specialist Lubrication Engineers (LE), to protect a critical and irreplaceable lauter tun gearbox
Protecting a hard-to-replace asset
The brewery’s Flender H3LV secondary gearbox plays a central role in separating mash from wort and moving spent grain – a process fundamental to brewing operations. Because replacement components would require custom manufacturing, the gearbox represented a high-value asset with no straightforward substitute, making its protection a priority for the facility’s engineering team.
The original OEM warranty fill, a major oil company’s standard gear oil, was initially run to 5,000 hours. On the second fill, oil analysis revealed excessive wear metals and additive depletion at just 2,500 hours, demonstrating that a conventional lubricant was insufficient for the demanding conditions of lauter tun operation.
Switching to Duolec 1605
Using oil analysis data, LE recommended draining the competitor product at 2,500 hours and converting to Duolec Industrial Gear Oil (1605), a high-performance ISO VG 220 formulation designed for applications requiring high thermal stability and extreme pressure performance. The product is suitable for any industrial gear or bearing application, offering the brewery the additional benefit of potential plant-wide lubricant consolidation.
Following the switch, the gearbox operated for eight years – reaching 25,000 working hours – without a single oil change. Oil analysis recorded an ISO 4406 cleanliness code of 16/14/11, confirming oil cleanliness and sustained protection throughout the period. The brewery documented replacement oil cost savings of US$18,518 and eliminated 620 gallons of waste oil, directly supporting its environmental sustainability targets.
“The most important result was that the Duolec (oil) stopped the component wear,” the brewery’s engineer said.
A broader lubrication reliability programme
Beyond the lubricant itself, LE implemented a comprehensive lubrication reliability programme around the gearbox. This included contamination control breathers to exclude airborne particles and moisture, oil sight glasses for routine visual inspection, regular oil sampling and laboratory analysis, and in-line filtration to maintain oil cleanliness standards.
The case illustrates how rigorous oil analysis, combined with a purpose-selected high-performance lubricant, can extend equipment service life, reduce maintenance costs, and lower environmental impact in industrial food and beverage processing environments.
Founded in 1951 and operating across more than 60 countries, Lubrication Engineers manufactures proprietary lubricant formulations from its facility in Wichita, Kansas.
- For more information, visit: LElubricants.com
