GE Motorized Wheel Gearbox Approval
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Bel-Ray Synthetic Gear Oil 680 Wins Approval for Use in Off-Highway Vehicle GE Motorized Wheel Gearbox Applications
March 27, 2009 – Bel-Ray Company, Inc. is pleased to announce the recent approval and recommendation of Bel-Ray Synthetic Gear Oil 680 (Product No. 66960) by General Electric Transportation Systems (GE) for the lubrication of both DC and AC motorized wheel gearbox applications in off-highway haul trucks. Bel-Ray Synthetic Gear Oil 680 is a high performance synthetic gear oil formulated for demanding mining and industrial applications. Features and benefits include:
- PAO and ester based - state-of-the-art low traction base fluids promote friction and temperature control and reduced wear for extended component life
- Anti-Wear and Extreme Pressure properties - reduces wear to maximize component useful life helping to reduce replacement parts costs and lost production time
- Controls micropitting - prevents minor tooth surface damage that can lead to catastrophic gear damage
- Highly filterable - clean fluid promotes longer component and fluid life for reduced cost of ownership
A successful GE authorized field trial of Bel-Ray Synthetic Gear Oil 680 was performed in the motorized wheels of eight Terex Unit Rig haul trucks (16 wheel motors) at the Felix Reserves Minerva Joint Venture in Queensland, Australia. Two truck models were used in this trial - Terex MT 3700AC (200 ton payload) and Terex MT 4400AC (240 ton payload).
One of the Terex trucks used in the trial
This successful lubricant approval field trial was for a general unlimited use in both DC and AC motorized wheels and for the product to appear as an approved lubricant in the GE Off-Highway Vehicle Gearbox Oil Guideline D50E27
Each wheel motor drives a sun pinion that turns a central sun gear and three planetary gears. The gear set is enclosed in a gearbox and lubricated with gear oil. The wheel motors were inspected before the start of this trial and then after one year (5,000 hours of operation) and two years (10,000 hours of operation). The gear oil was filtered (at 10 microns nominal) after every 1,000 hours of operation to remove particles of wear metals, sludge, dirt and contaminants.
Bel-Ray associate measuring sun pinion over diameter
Planetary Gears
The diameter of each sun pinion was measured with a micrometer ("diameter-over-pins" measurements to 0.0001 inch). The "diameter-over-pins" measurements indicated that the sun pinion wear was negligible. Average losses per truck for the fleet were 0.0003 inch and 0.0008 inch for the first and second year respectively, well below the maximum permissible loss of 0.0064 inch limit set by GE.
Graph shows sun pinion wear trends for each truck
Bel-Ray Synthetic Gear Oil 680 Field Trial and Product Performances Summary
- No lube related failures
- Highest level of sun pinion and gear protection
- Sun pinion wear significantly below GE maximum permissible value
- Outstanding wear protection and service life for over 2 Years (>15,000 hours per truck)
- Outstanding lubricant performance
- Filtration contributed to lubricant performance
- Bel-Ray Research & Development and Total Lubrication Partnership (TLP) Service were keys to field trial and OEM approval successes
- Bel-Ray Synthetic Gear Oil 680 was awarded a general GE approval and can be used in all machinery equipped with any model of General Electric DC or AC wheel motor drive equipment
