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Large industrial Banbury mixer gearbox used in tyre manufacturing operations.

Extended Banbury mixer gearbox lifetime in a tyre factory

A major US-based tyre factory reduced particle contamination in a Banbury mixer gearbox, extending oil life and equipment lifetime while avoiding multiple oil changes.

Customer case written by: Mr. Peter Smyth, C.C.JENSEN Inc. USA

In cooperation with: C.C.JENSEN A/S, Denmark

Application Snapshot

Factory icon representing industrial application or sector.
Industry:

Tyre industry

Globe icon representing geographic location or country.
Country:

United States

Oil droplet icon representing oil type or lubrication fluid.
Oil type:

Mobilgear SHC 636, ISO 680 gear oil

Executive summary

A Banbury mixer gearbox in a tyre factory was operating in a rough environment with high levels of carbon black contamination. This resulted in high particle counts, frequent spare part replacements, and oil changes every two years on a time-based basis.


A CJC® Oil Filter HDU 27/54 with CJC® Filter Inserts GFi 27/27 was installed to continuously remove particles from the ISO 680 gear oil.


After installation, contamination levels were reduced from ISO 22/21/17 to ISO 17/16/13. Oil changes were extended from every two years to more than six years, equipment lifetime was doubled, and three oil changes were avoided, resulting in total savings of 60,000 USD over six years.


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Downward arrow icon representing reduced particle contamination and improved oil cleanliness.

Reduced particle contamination

Cleanliness improved from ISO 22/21/17 to ISO 17/16/13 through continuous depth filtration.

Dollar symbol icon representing significant maintenance cost savings.

Significant maintenance cost reduction

Three oil changes were avoided, saving 60,000 USD over six years with a payback period of two months.

Gear with checkmark icon representing extended gearbox lifetime through cleaner oil.

Longer gearbox lifetime

The Banbury mixer lifetime was extended by a factor of 2 due to reduced contamination.

CO₂ cloud icon representing lower emissions from extended oil service life.

Lower CO₂ emissions from extended oil life

Prevented premature oil changes reduced oil consumption, resulting in approximately 1,500 kg CO₂ reduction annually per machine.

Engineers inspecting an industrial oil filtration system in a tyre manufacturing facility.

Client brief

The customer is a major US-based tyre factory operating Banbury mixers under harsh production conditions with high levels of carbon black contamination. The gearbox oil volume is approximately 3,000 litres.

Bottle containing dark, heavily contaminated gearbox oil sample.

Challenge

High particle contamination led to reduced gearbox lifetime, frequent spare part changes, and time-based oil changes every two years, with an oil value of approximately 20,000 USD per change.

CJC® Oil Filter installed on a Banbury mixer gearbox oil system for continuous depth filtration.

Solution

A CJC® Oil Filter HDU 27/54 equipped with CJC® Filter Inserts GFi 27/27 was installed to provide continuous depth filtration of the high-viscosity ISO 680 gear oil.

Two oil samples showing dark contaminated gear oil before filtration and cleaner oil after one month of filtration, with ISO cleanliness codes 22/21/17 and 17/16/13.

Reducing particle contamination in high-viscosity gear oil

Oil analysis before filtration showed high levels of particle contamination, with cleanliness at ISO 22/21/17. Carbon black particles were the primary contaminant in the Banbury mixer gearbox.


After installation of the CJC® Oil Filter, particle levels were significantly reduced. Cleanliness improved to ISO 17/16/13, and particle counts at >4 µm were reduced from 25,033 to 1,178.

Measurable results and operational impact

The improved oil cleanliness extended oil life by a factor of 3 and equipment lifetime by a factor of 2. Oil changes were extended from a two-year interval to more than six years without oil changes.. 



“We wanted to reduce the number of oil changes. During the trial period, we selected three companies to test their filtration efficiencies. The CJC® HDU series depth filter far exceeded the other two filter companies and was selected as the filter of choice for our most critical applications.”

–  Maintenance Manager

Bar chart comparing particle counts before and after filtration, showing a strong reduction in particles larger than 4, 6, and 14 microns.

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