Best in class lubrication efficiency for circular knitting machines with BECHEM Staroil KNT 32

Customer: An integrated producer of high-quality textile yarns and knit textile in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh, India with supplies to top active and inner wear brands across the globe

Application: Circular knitting machines
No. of machines: 18 nos.
Machine OE: Reputed German brand known for supplying high performance circular knitting machines
Material to be knit: 100% cotton fabric (organic / fair trade / BCI product) 95% cotton + 5% lycra material
RPM (revolutions per minute): 31 (avg.)
Existing knitting oil: Brand K Oil 32
Knitting oil consumption with existing product (avg. of 18 machines): 90 drops per minute
Avg. life of needles and sinkers: 90,000 kg. of knitted fabric

While the BECHEM team pitched in, the Customer was not too keen for a changeover to an alternate product. However the Customer responded with a challenge to the team seeking for a possibility of reducing oil consumption while increasing needle and sinker life with BECHEM’s knitting oil. Analysing the operational parameters, the BECHEM team recommended Staroil KNT 32 against the existing knitting oil

• Keen to compare performance of the existing product ‘Brand K oil 32’, to BECHEM Staroil KNT 32, the maintenance team recommended a performance trial by monitoring the oil consumption of all machines keeping temperature constant for a week
• The machines were thoroughly cleaned prior to charging with Staroil KNT 32
• Temperature readings were measured on the following points of all the 18 machines,
  • Needle cam
  • Needle cylinder
  • Sinker cam

The temperature readings to be maintained however was withheld from the BECHEM team during the trial period. Once the machines were charged with BECHEM Staroil KNT 32, the subsequent trial observation was conducted solely by the Customer’s maintenance team.

Avg. oil consumption reading measured, maintaining the temperature constant (not disclosed),

• Average oil consumption reduced by 14% with BECHEM Staroil KNT 32 (77 drops per minute) against the earlier knitting oil, ‘Brand K Oil 32’ (90 drops per minute) with the same production
  • The reduction observed for a week when extrapolated to annual consumption, resulted in savings of 600 litres for a total of 18
• Material produced during the trial period was approved by the QC (Quality Control) Department without any rejection for oil stain This demonstrated the washable property of Staroil KNT 32.
• During the next two maintenance services of the machine with an interval of 45 days, no wear marks were observed visually on the needle and sinker zones of the

Having experienced the performance and with the clear possibility of achieving substantial reduction in maintenance costs, the Customer switched over to BECHEM Staroil KNT 32.