Tetra Pak launches new water-free lubrication

Tetra Pak has expanded its Technical Services portfolio with the launch of a dry lubrication kit for packaging line conveyor belts and distribution equipment. The new solution helps customers cut water and electricity consumption, and reduce the man-hours required for machine maintenance.

Traditional conveyor lubrication, known as wet lubrication, uses high quantities of water mixed with oil, leaving both the equipment and factory floor wet. With the new solution, the process is nearly dry. It does not require the use of water but just very small quantities of oil. A drop of food grade oil roughly the size of a pea (80mm³) is directly added to the conveyor belt to reduce its friction with the package.

Unlike wet lubrication, which uses tens of thousands of litres of water, dry lubrication offers producers a number of advantages, including:

1. An improved environmental footprint, saving an average of 35,000 litres of water per filling line each year and reduced electricity costs;
2. A fully automated system that ensures precision;
3. A 75 % reduction in man-hours requested in maintenance; and
4. Improved health and safety for staff on the operation floor.

Klara Svedberg, Director of Parts, Consumables and Upgrades at Tetra Pak said: “We are pleased to offer a much more efficient lubrication solution to our customers, helping them to improve operational performance and reduce costs. With an estimated 50 % reduction in running costs compared to wet lubrication, the benefits of switching to dry lubrication systems speak for themselves.”

The Tetra Pak Dry Lubrication kit includes the application systems, lubricant and installation. It takes approximately five minutes to install, thereby ensuring minimal disruption to operations.