How De Boer & De Groot cut lubrication use by 75%
When sustainability means taking real action
De Boer & De Groot, based in Harlingen, the Netherlands, is a family-run business specialising in concrete and hydraulic engineering. The company designs, installs and maintains structures where land meets water – from bridges and locks to sheet piling, quay walls and jetties.
Electric piling rig
To carry out this work, including restoration projects, the company relies on heavy equipment: a 50-tonne Sennebogen crane, two Volvo crawler cranes, and, more recently, an all-electric piling rig. Huite Dijkstra, Head of Equipment Management, explains: “Our engineers designed this machine in-house to reflect our commitment to sustainable operations. The ELM team in Waddinxveen (etec division) converted a diesel-powered rig into a fully electric machine, developing the concept further and building it to spec. Thanks to intelligent software, this rig can run at full load for 13 hours on a single 475 kW battery, more than two full working days in practice.”
Lubrication that fits the environment
A strong focus on sustainability is no coincidence. Working in and around water demands the utmost care to avoid soil and water contamination.
“Preventing emissions is one thing,” says Dijkstra. “But the lubricants we use must also be safe for the environment, especially with our electric piling rig. We’d already worked with Interflon for bridge maintenance in Harlingen, where we had taken over contracts from another company. The bridges were consuming huge amounts of grease. On Interflon’s advice, we switched to a different lubricant and managed to reduce that usage significantly.”
When developing the new rig, De Boer & De Groot consulted Interflon’s Technical Advisor to find the best lubrication setup. The result: Interflon Grease LS1/2 with MicPol® technology, a long-fibre grease that performs under extreme pressure, repels water and dirt, and contains no PFAS. For the cables, a dry-film lubricant was chosen to prevent sticking and dust accumulation.
Practical advice, lasting results
“Again, it was spot-on advice,” says Dijkstra. “That’s been our experience with every issue we’ve brought to our regular Interflon advisor. One of our crawler cranes, for example, had a track chain that was seizing up due to corrosion and wear. After treatment with Interflon Lube EP+ aerosol, that issue disappeared. Interflon also pointed out a central lubrication system that was dispensing far too much grease. That insight alone led to major savings.”
The cumulative result of these interventions? A 75% reduction in overall lubricant consumption, without compromising performance.
Practical advice, lasting results
“It was spot-on advice—again,” says Dijkstra. “That’s been our experience with every issue we’ve brought to our regular Interflon advisor. One of our crawler cranes, for example, had a track chain that was seizing up due to corrosion and wear. After treatment with Interflon Lube EP+ aerosol, that issue disappeared. Interflon also pointed out a central lubrication system that was dispensing far too much grease. That insight alone led to major savings.” The cumulative result of these interventions? A 75% reduction in overall lubricant consumption, without compromising performance.
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