During the crushing season a sugar mill runs day and night. Mill rollers, cane carriers, centrifugals and cogeneration turbines carry heavy loads in juice, water and heat, with no time for breakdowns.
A sugar mill packs some of the heaviest lubrication duties in industry into a few months. Mill roller journals carry enormous loads at slow speed while juice and water try to wash the lubricant out. Open gears and pinions on mill drives and cane carriers need adhesive lubricants. Centrifugals, pumps and cogeneration turbines run continuously. Downtime in the crushing season is the most expensive downtime a mill has.
Banesto supplies water-resistant and EP greases, open gear lubricants, EP and synthetic gear oils, turbine oil for cogeneration, NSF H1 grease for points near sugar, and Beltone belts for the mill house, boiling house and power house.
Selected from our 852+ SKU range for the duty cycles most common in sugar mills. Every recommendation is matched by application (temperature, load, speed and exposure), not by catalogue number. Where the equipment maker specifies a grade, the maker's specification comes first.
Need specifications? Full technical data sheets are available for every grade.
View Product Datasheets →A starting point for your lubrication schedule, point by point.
| Equipment | Lubrication point | Banesto product | Good practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill rollers | Roller journals | Ca-Sulfonate Complex HT Grease, or the mill maker's grade | Keep the lubricator feeding continuously through the season. |
| Mill drives, cane carriers | Open gears and pinions | Wire Rope & Open Gear Grease | Clean off old, dirty lubricant before the season. |
| Mill drive gearboxes | Enclosed gears | PAO Synthetic Gear Oil or Industrial Gear Oil, grade as per the maker | Check for juice and water in the oil. |
| Carriers, elevators | Chains | Chain & Wire Rope Lubricant away from sugar; H1 grease near sugar | Lubricate chains when clean and dry. |
| Centrifugals, pumps, motors | Bearings | Polyurea Bearing Grease for motors; Lithium Complex MP elsewhere | Follow the bearing maker's interval. |
| Cogeneration and mill turbines | Turbine oil system | Turbine Oil ISO VG 32, as specified | Test for water and oxidation; remove water promptly. |
| Sugar conveyors, elevators, bagging | Bearings and chains near product | Food-Grade White Grease NSF H1 | Keep a register of H1 points. |
| Pumps, fans, workshop drives | Belt drives | Beltone C or D section or SPC wedge belts | Stock spare belts before the season. |
Mill roller journals need a heavy-duty, water-resistant EP grease with high load capacity. Calcium sulfonate complex grease is a strong choice; always follow the mill maker's specification and use the lubrication system the mill was designed for.
Use an adhesive open gear compound applied by spray or brush, clean off old dirty lubricant before the season, and check the tooth contact pattern regularly.
Where lubricant could contact sugar or its packaging (sugar conveyors, elevators, bagging and some centrifugal areas), NSF H1 food-grade grease reduces the risk. Mill house and power house equipment usually uses standard industrial lubricants.
In the off-season, drain and flush gearboxes, change filters, clean open gears, test the turbine oil, replace worn belts and stock lubricants and spare belts. Our storage guide covers keeping that stock clean.
Preparing for the crushing season? Send us your mill, boiling house and power house equipment list, and we will quote the season's lubricants and spare belts in one go.