Making a Gear Fluid Change Helps OEM Maintain Quality

In the food processing industry, achieving impeccable food safety is a shared responsibility. Not only is the food processor responsible, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is also held accountable. It's a relief to know that there are OEMs — such as ASGO Lda. — out there manufacturing top-quality, food-safe machinery, and using advanced food grade lubricants when factory-filling and servicing.

Since 1962, ASGO has been building top-quality equipment for the food processing industry. Based in Ermesinde, Portugal, the company has grown to become a well-respected, international OEM. Their product range is built to suit small, medium and large industrial demands with the highest standard of quality and reliability.

The equipment ASGO builds several pieces of food processing equipment, including grinders, filling machines, lifters and mixers. Each piece is constructed with food grade stainless steel, safety devices and tools.

Lubricating speed-reducing gears ASGO's mixers are designed specifically for mixing food pastes and dough. The speed-reducing gears are the heart of the machine. Lubricating these gears properly with a top-quality gear fluid is vital. Without doing so, oxidative breakdown, shortened drain intervals, seizures, scuffing and wear are just a few potential problems. Such was the case at ASGO a few years ago when the factory-fill gear fluid being used wasn't doing its job providing the enhanced lubrication required.

Finding a better gear oil Jorge Gonçalves, ASGO's Technical Director, contacted his lubricants distributor, Shintaro Quimica e Engenharia Lda., and explained the issues he was having. He needed to find an enhanced gear oil — one that was H1 registered by NSF, with extended drain and long-term protection capabilities. Gonçalves got all that and more when he found Petro-Canada's PURITY FG EP Gear Fluid 460.

"Our search for a gear fluid came to an end when we found Petro-Canada's PURITYTM FG EP Gear Fluid 460," said Gonçalves.

A notable difference Since Gonçalves began factory-filling and servicing his mixers' speed-reducing gears with PURITY Gear Fluid, his customers have benefitted from several performance enhancements. For instance, drain intervals have been drastically extended. In the past when servicing his customers' mixers, he used to have to drain the gear fluid annually. But since the switch to PURITY Gear Fluid, he's more than doubled the drain intervals. In addition, upon inspecting the gears, Gonçalves is delighted to see substantially reduced gear and bearing wear and the absence of rust and corrosion.

"PURITY FG EP Gear Fluid 460 is now the factory-fill gear fluid for our mixers. It has everything we need — it's H1 registered, extends drains, protects against shock loading and rust corrosion. All of its performance benefits have enabled me to provide my customers with a performance guarantee," says Gonçalves.

A full range of products Gonçalves was so impressed with the performance of PURITY FG EP Gear Fluid 460, he decided to upgrade and switch to some other products from the PURITY FG family, including PURITY FG2 Grease, PURITY FG Compressor Fluid 100, PURITY FG AW Hydraulic Fluid 46 and PURITY FG White Mineral Oil 15.

If you would like to know more, please contact Petro Canada at www.lubricants.petro-canada.ca.