Routine audit uncovered a lubrication issue that was quietly eroding a pipe manufacturer’s gearboxes – and chewing through their maintenance budget.
With the support of Shell’s Omala S2 GX 220 and Motion’s product support team, the business was able to double oil change intervals, cut downtime, and regain control over critical assets.
The problem hiding in plain sight
When a major Australian pipe manufacturer asked Motion to conduct an on-site audit of its fixed plant, the issues were immediately apparent: Excessive wear, costly oil change routines, and a lubricant that simply wasn’t up to the demands of continuous, heavy-duty gearbox operation.
“Our customer was spending 3–4 days each year changing out nearly 1000L of oil,” explains Mark Brocherie, Business Manager at Motion. “And this was a logistical challenge in terms of handling, disposing and replacing the gearbox oil. We needed a lubricant that could handle heavy, continuous use without breaking down or requiring constant replacement, and Shell Omala S2 GX 220 was a perfect fit.”
The solution that went the distance
Shell Omala S2 GX 220 is a heavy-duty industrial gear oil designed for the very conditions the customer was facing: high loads, sustained runtime, and no tolerance for performance drop-off. Its advanced additive system resists oxidation, combats corrosion and micro-pitting, and delivers thermal stability under punishing conditions.
“This Shell oil is particularly effective in prolonging the interval between oil changes,” Brocherie says. “By switching to this product, this specific customer was able to move from a yearly changeover to intervals of two or even three years.”
For a site previously stuck in an annual cycle of labour-intensive maintenance, the benefits of stretching out service intervals were immediate – and measurable.
More than a product – a complete solution
What made the project successful, however, wasn’t just the lubricant itself. It was the broader service Motion delivered around it: auditing, product selection, technical support, supplier engagement, and implementation – all integrated through a single point of contact.
This was a classic example of Motion’s model in action – combining deep application knowledge with national supply capability and frontline engineering support …
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