In 2016, a food production facility specializing in brioche baking sought to improve the lubrication process on its industrial proofing ovens. The ovens, used to raise dough, measured 15 meters in length and 6 meters in height, operating at ambient temperatures around 50°C with extremely high humidity. Each oven included 20 drive chains, and the site operated three ovens in total. These chains played a critical role in elevating and moving the brioche trays through the proofing chambers.
MEMOLUB HPS
That’s how the cookie crumbles: chain lubrication made easy.
Context
Problem
The lubrication process relied on manual spray application, requiring around 200 sprays per year across the three ovens. This approach incurred high consumable costs and demanded significant involvement from maintenance teams. Every six weeks, the ovens had to be stopped for several hours so that teams could access and lubricate all chains—a labor-intensive, time-consuming task that interrupted production and stretched maintenance resources.
Solution
To eliminate the inefficiencies of manual spraying, the site installed two MEMOLUB HPS GIGA automatic lubricators per oven. Each system was fitted with 10-outlet distributors and 50 mm brushes to ensure accurate application of lubricant directly to the chain surfaces. The systems were filled with OPTILEB CH 1500, a high-viscosity, food-grade H1 oil suited for high-temperature and high-humidity environments. The consumables only needed replacement every two months, and the operation took less than five minutes—dramatically reducing maintenance time.
Results
The MEMOLUB HPS systems delivered reliable, continuous lubrication and eliminated the need for manual spraying. Spray can usage dropped from 200 cans per year to zero, replaced by 30 Memolub cartridges annually. This shift led to a consumable cost reduction of approximately 50% in materials alone.
Maintenance labor was reduced by over 90%, freeing up roughly 120 technician hours annually. Production uptime also improved, avoiding around 36 hours of planned downtime per year previously needed for lubrication rounds.
