Greases play a vital role in aviation airframe maintenance, delivering protection against wear and rust, whilst extending the life of flight controls and components such as wheel bearings, landing gear, actuators, slides and joints.
Aviation regulations and mandatory OEM approvals help segment grease types by specification. This ensures that operators use only greases that are approved for their intended aircraft frame type. However, merely having these specifications does not mean that all greases are made equal; in fact, they may well perform differently due to their different formulation types.
Therefore, selecting the correct grease and having the right lubricant supply partner is an essential way to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of your aviation maintenance programme.
So… what is the right grease selection for me?
For many operators, it is wise to choose a few select greases that deliver proven value and effectiveness. In particular, a multipurpose grease can help operators consolidate inventories, reduce complexity and minimise the chance of misapplication.
Below are a few key greases and their applications:
Mobilgrease 33:
Due to its long shelf life and wide specification range, it’s common for an airline operator to use a high-performance, multipurpose airframe grease like Mobilgrease 33.
Mobil Aviation Grease SHC 100:
Along with Mobilgrease 33, operators will often use a specific application grease like Mobil Aviation Grease SHC 100, in wheel bearings, due to its superior performance characteristics.
A good multipurpose grease is extremely valuable to airlines for several reasons. They are looking for a material which performs under extreme temperature conditions, as high as 121 C and as low as -73 C and can deliver outstanding protection across this whole range. It also needs to carry approvals which cover a wide range of industry and OEM specifications.
What if I want to switch and upgrade to a different grease?
Making sure you have the right grease(s) to optimise aircraft performance is a primary concern for any maintenance team. There can, therefore, be several common reasons why operators would look to switch greases.
Common reasons include dissatisfaction with the performance of current greases or a drive to streamline inventory management in order to use fewer product types throughout the aircraft fleet. It could even be that the airframe or component OEM has changed its recommended greases.
A quality lubricant supplier like Moove Aviation can help guide operators through the key factors that should be considered when selecting grease, including lubrication requirements, age of equipment, environmental factors and conditions, preferred methods of grease applications and re-greasing intervals.
Contact our team for more advice on making sure you select the right grease for your fleet, or request a quote from us today.
Moove Lubricants is an Authorised ExxonMobil Aviation Lubricants distributor in Europe. Moove operates extensively throughout South America, Europe and Asia; representing Mobil products in the automotive, industrial, marine and aviation sectors.
