New Breakthrough Mobil Industrial Gear Lubricants Designed to Maximize Performance

Mobilgear 600 XP Series Delivers Exceptional Protection to Reduce Wear and Increase Customers' Productivity

FAIRFAX, Va. -- ExxonMobil today announced that the new Mobilgear 600 XP Series of premium industrial gear oils will be introduced worldwide. Formulated to deliver exceptional, long-lasting protection for industrial gearboxes, Mobilgear 600 XP can help industrial companies become more competitive in global markets by raising their productivity.

"Gearbox technology has advanced significantly in recent years. As a result, maintenance professionals are demanding higher-performance gear oils that can enhance the durability and performance of gearboxes," said Jeff Biamonte, ExxonMobil's global industrial advisor. "At the same time, gear industry groups, gearbox and equipment manufacturers continue to introduce new specifications and equipment designs which impose ever higher demands on gear lubricants."

With its advanced and balanced formulation, Mobilgear 600 XP delivers exceptional performance over the long haul, even under the most demanding operating conditions, surpassing the industry's most demanding specifications, such as Flender BA Table 7300 A, DIN 51517 Part 3 and AGMA 9005 E02. Mobilgear 600 XP is formulated to minimize wear and enhance the performance of all critical gearbox components - including gears, bearings and seals.

By providing exceptional wear protection, Mobilgear 600 XP helps control micropitting and other forms of gear wear. Its balanced formulation improves bearing and corrosion protection while remaining compatible with commonly used gearbox sealing materials. Furthermore, Mobilgear 600 XP is designed to significantly reduce the formation of oil degradation by-products that often lead to frequent oil changes.

Robert Errichello, a gear failure analysis expert and head of GEARTECH consulting firm based in the United States, stated, "All gear metallurgies are susceptible to wear, and without the appropriate lubrication, this can lead to machine failure. Gear oils need to have basestocks and additives that are properly balanced to protect against micropitting, macropitting, scuffing and corrosion."

"Maintenance and production professionals continue to seek ways to increase productivity and reduce costs by maximizing the reliability of their equipment. Mobilgear 600 XP offers them a huge advance in this quest," said Dr. Tim Nadasdi, ExxonMobil's product technical advisor.

New utility vehicle from Kubota - utility equipment

Kubota Tractor Corp., Torrance, Calif., has announced the development of its first utility vehicle, the RTV900. Designed for general purpose, worksite, turf and recreational applications, the new unity vehicle is available in four configurations and incorporates the same technology used on the company's tractors, which have been sold in the U.S. for more than 30 years.

Kubota entered the utility vehicle market based on the growing trends of utility vehicles and the resources it already had to produce the vehicles, said James Burnside, product manager at Kubota. "We are going to grow this business. This is going to be big growth for Kubota this year."

After three years in development, Kubota began production on the vehicles in Gainesville, Ga. Full production was slated to begin in January.

While the company may have aimed for commonality between its new utility vehicle and its tractors in many areas, Burnside said the Kubota D902 diesel engine was designed specifically for the RTV900 utility vehicle. The three-cylinder, OHV, liquid-cooled engine has an 898 cc displacement on a bore and stroke of 2.83 in. x 2.90 in. and is rated 21.6 hp. The engine features a half float valve cover with a rubber ring gasket to seal and isolate vibration and reduce noise throughout the crankcase, the company said. Engine cooling is provided by a Denso radiator.
The vehicle's ground drive is a hydrostatic transmission (HST) system that incorporates a shaft-driven pump, mounted to the engine block, that de livers power to a single motor. Kubota built the RTV900 vehicle's HST from the design used in its tractors. "We used the knowledge that we know on hydrostatic and tractors and built a hydrostatic transmission to function in a utility vehicle," said Burnside.

In order for the HST to provide the same low-end torque as Kubota's tractors, a second variable displacement motor is driven off the main pump. Hydraulic flow is provided to this motor through a swashplate that automatically opens when the system senses the HST is beyond its limit, the company said. Hydraulic flow can also be manually directed to the second motor by selecting the low gear range. A foot-operated pedal controls gear selection by changing the gear ratio in the trans mission through a clutchless gear shift. Vehicle operation is also available in mid- and high-speed modes.

Both two- and four-wheel drive is standard on the vehicle, "because we already make our own transmission, gears and gearboxes for all our four-wheel drive tractors," said Burnside. "To take it out of the vehicle was insignificant." Four-wheel drive is activated by a single lever inside the cab.

An independent suspension is mounted to the front axle and rear semi-independent suspension is mounted to the rear axle. The rear axle has a flexible bend to achieve semi-independent movement in the Titan International Inc. tires. Tire options include four-ply turf, six-ply knobby, heavy-duty or ATV

Also taken from its tractor line, is Kubota's power steering and wet disc brakes. The power steering is driven off the engine by a hydraulic cylinder. The brakes prevent free-wheeling during downhill travel, the company said. Additional braking is achieved by a rear wheel, hand lever parking brake.

The four configurations of the RTV900 vehicle include a general purpose model used for light labor with the option of knobby, turf or heavy-duty tires. The work site model features a hydraulic bed lift, grill guard and heavy-duty tires for application in general construction projects. The turf model, with the same features as the work site model, has a rear remote valve to run hydraulic implements for golf and landscape projects and turf style tires. The camo model is designed for the sportsman with protective grill guard, ATV tires and real tree camouflage coloring. All other models are available in Kubota's signature orange color.

Gear Grinder rough and finish grinds gears in one setup

Built on mineral-filled cast polymer base, 6-axis GS:G2 produces gears from 1-12 in. dia, employs near net-shaped or hobbed gears, and requires 15 min of setup. Machine requires users to install proper tooling and enter part form, dress, and grind parameters into control in order to start-up new jobs, while menu-driven screens and Gear Smart(TM) Programming facilitate operation. Product features dual wheel machining and infinitely variable wheel speeds and feeds.

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Sometimes a new machine is just destined to happen. Markets evolve, new technologies emerge, and an experienced machine tool builder seizes the opportunity. The result: the right machine, at the right time, at the right price.

Drake Manufacturing in Warren, OH is putting the finishing touches on a highly productive 6-axis gear grinder that will be grinding quality parts after just 15-minutes of setup. Best part is - like Drake's other gear and thread manufacturing machines - it's priced to provide high return on investment for the job shop owner as well as the large, automotive supplier.

Drake is best known for its line of CNC gear hobbers, thread and worm grinders, rack mills and bore grinders. The GS:G2 is a machine that blends the best of Drake's specialty grinding and gear making expertise.
As the basis of competition in the power transmission and speed reducer markets increasingly shifts toward quiet operation and efficiency, more and more manufacturers are calling for precision ground gears. The Drake GS:G2 enables manufacturers to source near net-shaped or hobbed gears from low-cost suppliers and still control the final product quality. "This is a high value-added grinder, that with minimal capital outlay, can help our customers remain globally competitive for years to come," said Stig Mowatt-Larssen, Drake's Manager of Research and Development.

A flexible grinder

The GS:G2 has the flexibility and capability to handle a variety of grinding roles: job shop work, manufacturing cell environments, high volume grinding - even prototype work. Fast changeovers with menu-driven setup screens-no more change gears or dressing thread wheels-make it easy to switch from job to job.

Ideal customers for the Drake GS:G2 are manufacturers and suppliers of industrial, off-highway and heavy equipment power transmissions, speed reducers, and gearboxes. Actually, anyone who is producing gears and has wanted ground gears but thought an affordable gear grinder was unobtainable is a potential customer. Drake Manufacturing Services made CNC thread grinders affordable 20 years ago and is now working to do the same in gear grinding. "We want to take the mystery out of gear grinding and make that technology widely available and less intimidating," said Michael Hughes, Systems Engineer at Drake.

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