In high-stakes applications, such as trucking, automotive manufacturing and heavy industry, the choice of grease can mean the difference between safe, reliable operation and catastrophic failure, says lubricants distributor Atlas Oil sales manager Henry Mc Duling.

Selecting the appropriate grease according to its intended application can protect equipment, extend component life and safeguard lives.



In smaller businesses or less technically advanced sectors, grease is often viewed as a generic product, with little consideration given to specifications such as base oil viscosity, thickener type or performance additives. This can result in mismatched applications, reduced equipment life and avoidable inefficiencies.

In contrast, larger or more specialised industries, such as mining, steel production or heavy manufacturing, generally have a better understanding of how using the wrong grease can lead to equipment failure, higher maintenance costs and unplanned downtime.

As a result, these operations are often more proactive in selecting the appropriate grease based on load, temperature, speed and environmental conditions, Mc Duling explains.

“Using a premium grease is not simply about maintenance efficiency, it’s about [. . .] preventing accidents. A failed wheel bearing while driving can result in catastrophic vehicle failure, with severe financial consequences or even the loss of life.”

He cites petrochemicals company Shell’s “premium” grease range, which has been formulated to “exceed industry specifications”. 

Mc Duling highlights the Shell Gadus S3 V220C 2 and Shell Gadus S3 V460D 2 greases in Atlas Oil’s range.

Shell Gadus S3 V220C 2 is a multi-purpose grease formulated with high viscosity index mineral oil and a lithium complex soap thickener. It provides improved mechanical stability, oxidation resistance and corrosion protection.

For high-load applications, such as pins and bushes, Shell Gadus S3 V460 D2 provides “superior performance”, ensuring equipment reliability under extreme pressure conditions, with field tests showing that it can extend pin and bush life by up to three times, compared to standard general-purpose greases.

Shell greases are blended beyond original-equipment manufacturer specifications, Mc Duling says. In particular, the combination of high-quality, oxidation-resistant base oils and lithium complex thickener extends greasing intervals. 

The lithium complex thickener also creates an effective seal against dust ingress, while the high-quality base oils ensure a high dropping point of about 240 °C, allowing for reliable operation at intermittent temperatures of 140 °C to 160 °C.

He concludes that the low-friction, energy efficient formulations help to reduce power losses in bearings and moving parts, improving overall equipment efficiency and lowering energy consumption across large-scale operations.