Simple Solutions Offer Great Value

Q: What are the dangers of leaving a lubrication system unsupervised and without maintenance?

A: Any lubrication system that is left unattended, starts building up contamination. Every piece of lubricated equipment comes with specific instructions on the maximum allowable amount of contamination each piece of equipment can handle. The problem is that when different types of contaminants get into the system, the chemical structure of the oil begins to change. It changes the way it functions, meaning it no longer performs as it should. People tend to think that lubricant only lubricates. In reality, lubricant does a lot more; for example, it controls temperature. Inside a machine, oil moves around from one component to another, ultimately leveling out the overall temperature. So, when oil begins to break down and lose its overall efficacy, the by-products of its oxidation process start to leave residues in the inner components, eventually turning into mud and varnish. Varnish, for instance, is incredibly difficult to remove once it is in the system. Add that to increasing temperatures, and the overall lifespan of that machinery shortens, which unfortunately means the loss of expensive critical equipment.

Q: What are some of the innovations provided by Desiccant Breathers?

A: Over the years, we have focused on a group of products that complement one another. We have definitely improved our portfolio’s versatility. However, our breather product continues to be our insignia product. A breather is considered the vanguard of contamination control and equipment lifespan extension. It also expands to other solutions for our clients. In addition, our adapter kits allow lubricated equipment to be closed and sealed. These allow equipment to be monitored, and for samples to be taken, without even opening it thus avoiding contamination ingression in the process.

It is important to highlight that every time a person comes in contact with a piece of equipment, there is always the risk of contamination. Our solutions bypass that risk. They are also very economical, easy to install and allow a high level of cleanliness in filtration, transfer, sampling, lubrication and contaminant control. 

Q: How do you monitor your products?

A: We are product manufacturers and consultants. It is very important for us to understand our clients’ goals and why they need a certain product. In some cases, after doing some research into our clients’ needs, we have seen issues that are much simpler to solve and some others that are much more difficult than we originally thought.

We like to take it by steps. First, we identify the needs of our clients. We act like a consultant, always looking for the best and most economical solution. Second, we offer a product according to our research. Last and most importantly, we follow up. We offer many training courses to our clients, and we provide them with web material for the market.

Q: What are the enhanced features of the IsoLogic platform?

A: IsoLogic is the software we use to monitor the sensors rather than the breathers themselves. However, monitoring begins with even the simplest of measures. In our standard breather line, it is very easy to identify color change, which helps understand how the asset is behaving and what the source of contamination might be. In addition to this traditional visual monitoring, we have been pushing more “smart” monitoring solutions that allow for 24/7 real-time asset data gathering. While our goal is to introduce it to Latin America, we are still working on the details for these solutions. We have some exciting things behind the curtain on the breather front. Other monitoring solutions that are offered to the market allow different type of data trending. Our oil quality sensors for instance, operate based on the type of oil being monitored. The sensor provides real-time change & degradation monitoring of the oil that is being used. this means that we know down to a cellular level when the oil’s performance starts to deteriorate.

Q: What has been a client success story?

A: We had a client that was looking for a filtration solution that would help them remove water from a system. Once we had done our own diagnostic, we realized that a water filtration system was not what they needed. Instead, what they needed was a dehydrator. There were doubts at first because dehydrators are not kind on a budget. But once they had installed it, there were noticeable improvements to their operation. The client then went out and purchased more of our products, such as oil sight glasses and breathers, to complement the dehydrator. With the new equipment installed, they noticed that they had a leak in their system. It just goes to show all the great stuff that can be achieved with an early diagnosis and proper monitoring.

Q: What are some of the challenges that Des-Case sees in the Mexican mining market?

A; One of the challenges we experience in any market, not just mining, is that customers often want mobile filtration solutions. This occurs when customers want to use the same product with multiple pieces of machinery. While this offers a low-cost solution, in the lubrication market, they could lead to cross-contamination problems when not handled properly. Therefore, it is not the best solution for every scenario. We work really hard to explain when it is better to use a global solution and when to get specific solutions for specific issues. In addition, proper lubrication practices have the specific challenge of being somewhat neglected. Now more than ever, with the pandemic in the foreground, there is a growing awareness regarding the importance of lubrication practices and products that help customers get to world class lubrication as a way to extend equipment life and cut unnecessary maintenance costs and Des-Case is here to help.

Q: What area of opportunity does Des-Case see in the Mexican mining market?

A: Mexico has many opportunities. An incredibly simple one is proper lubrication storage, which is sometimes neglected but it is a key and simple pillar of the lubrication process. If a client has its lubrication products properly stored and labeled, that already is a huge plus because no matter what lubrication process follows, the first step is safe. Another area of opportunity is the agri-business because the equipment needed to operate in this industry works in harsh environments and temperatures and needs to be properly protected to perform. There is also an opportunity in water-related industries like waste water or hydroelectric power. Companies often think that because they operate in water environments, lubrication is not really necessary. Ships, ports and other water equipment often run on poor lubrication. The important thing to take from this is that any piece of equipment that requires lubrication, must have the proper protection and monitoring.

Des-Case Corporation is the worldwide standard for contamination control & lubrication best practices, providing the industry with innovative solutions to extend oil and equipment life.