Rust eliminated with dry-film NSF H1 lubrication
Doubling chain life in stunning & bleeding conveyors
Initial situation
At a leading European poultry plant, CO₂ and electrical stunning conveyors (Stork) ran under heavy washdowns and disinfectants. Conventional oils were rinsed away during sanitation, leaving chains and bearings unprotected.
- Chain lifetime: ~1.5 years on average.
- Chain condition: corrosion and stiff movement after washdowns.
- Bearings: grease washout in adjacent wet zones, leading to early failures.
- Lubrication frequency: weekly relube required, with high grease consumption.
- Impact: recurring micro-stoppages, increased spare part spend and audit pressure from dripping oil and rust.
Solution
- Chains → switched to Interflon Food Lube G220 (PFAS-free, NSF H1). Its MicPol® dry-film penetrates into chain links and resists water, disinfectants and steam. Weekly relube was applied on stunning conveyors; dosing optimised on bleeding conveyors to prevent dripping.
- Bearings → exposed bearings moved to Interflon Food Grease LT2, offering water- and shock-resistance under washdowns.
- Clean-in/clean-out → legacy residues removed, lubrication route and frequency logged for repeatability.
- Compliance: All lubricants used are PFAS-free and NSF H1 certified (Halal & Kosher).
Results (measured & calculated)
- Chain lifetime doubled → from 1.5 years to ~3.0 years.
- Spare part savings → Chain replacement cost ~$5847. With doubled lifetime, one replacement avoided every 3 years = ~$1,871/year.
- Rust almost eliminated → chains stayed smooth after washdowns.
- Relubrication reduced → infeed conveyors extended from weekly (52×/year) to monthly (12×/year).
- Labor savings → 40 relubes avoided = ~13 hours/year.
- Lubricant consumption cut by 70–80%, lowering cost and eliminating dripping.
- Downtime avoided → fewer micro-stoppages (≈ 1–1.5 hours/year), worth ~≈ $3,508–$5,847/year, depending on line speed and production value.
- Audit readiness improved → no dripping oil, visibly cleaner chains, easier HACCP/BRC compliance.
Conclusion
Switching to a dry-film NSF H1 lubricant with MicPol® technology doubled chain lifetime, reduced rust-related stiffness and stabilized conveyor operation without drip risk. Optimized dosing and bearing upgrades further reduced maintenance load. The approach is repeatable, audit-ready and directly valuable to reliability and production KPIs.
