Five Ways to Improve ROI with the Right Maintenance Products

METAL CUTTING

By Erin Bala

While increased profitability is the end game of return on investment (ROI) analysis, improving ROI can also mean increased productivity and time saved. In addition to new machinery or technologies, efficient operations should look at products used in high volume, such as drilling and cutting fluids.

For the metal fabrication industry, that can mean upping the ROI of your maintenance products. Whether your processes include cutting, stamping, bending, folding, shearing, roll forming or something else, the right maintenance products can keep facilities moving, increase efficiency, reduce downtime and minimize risk.

More than 65 years ago, scientists challenged with helping rockets get into space, created the iconic WD-40^® Multi-Use Product. Building on that same spirit of innovation, today, the company offers the WD-40 Specialist^® line of more than 20 products to solve challenges. The line includes lubricants, penetrants, greases, cleaners and degreasers and rust management solutions.

Try these game-changing tips outlined below:

1. Reduce time between applications by choosing long-lasting lubrication – WD-40 Specialist^® Gel Lube sprays on thick, won’t run, drip or make a mess, and is ideal for vertical surfaces. The no-drip formula is powerful enough to provide 15× longer-lasting lubrication than the competition¹ and it also prevents rust and corrosion for up to one year² – which means less maintenance and more performance.
2. Choose lubricants that can be applied in hard-to-reach locations – Machine shops and manufacturing plants of all types are filled with equipment that depends on proper lubrication to work efficiently. The challenge lies in the fact that all parts in need of lubrication are not easily accessible. Try WD-40 EZ-REACH with a flexible straw that gets into hard-to-reach places, saving time without the need to disassemble parts for routine maintenance.
3. Select fast-acting penetrants for less downtime – Bust rust and break the bonds that hold stuck parts together with WD-40 Specialist^® Penetrant with EZ-REACH^®, which provides 10× longer surface rust protection than the competition.³ This product also extends equipment life, and its long-lasting protection means reduced re-applications. With an attached flexible straw that bends, keeps its shape and sprays two ways, it’s also perfect for accessing hard-to-reach spaces, including tight crevices, threads and locks, and can save time by allowing users to avoid disassembling equipment to lubricate parts.
4. Pick up safer cleaning products for multiple surfaces –Engineered and proven to be more powerful and safer than other degreasers on the market, WD-40 Specialist^® Cleaner & Degreaser is biodegradable and formulated with a unique bio-solvent that quickly breaks through tough grease and grime, protects against flash rust and is safe for use on sensitive surfaces — meeting the EPA’s Safer Choice Certification criteria for safety and efficacy. It also outperforms competitors in surface compatibility tests on sensitive surfaces such as aluminum and glass.⁴
5. Remove rust with products that require less downtime – WD-40 Specialist^® Rust Remover Soak’s fast-acting formula removes rust and restores surfaces to bare metal without caustic chemicals or harsh acids with minimal downtime.⁵ It restores even intricate, hard-to-reach surfaces to clean, bare metal that is ready to paint, and brightens copper, brass and similar alloys.

Erin Bala is the director of brand management and innovation at WD-40 Co. Email ebala@wd40.com or visit wd40.com/industrial.

Notes
1 Test Lab: Petro-Lubricant Laboratories Inc. (Lafayette, NJ); ASTM D5620A; Test date: 04/2020.
2 Independent testing conducted in salt spray chamber. Results may vary depending on extreme conditions.
3 Test Lab: Fred Cuneo (3rd Party); Nail Climb Test; Test date: 03/2021.
4 Test Lab: WD-40 Technical Center (Pine Brook, NJ); Surface Compatibility (Deleterious Effects to Hard Surfaces); Test date: 02/2020.
5 Test Lab: WD-40 Technical Center (Pine Brook, NJ); Soak Test; Test date: 09/2020.