Lubricants firm swings into action with Canal Bridges Solution

22 August 2012 – A team of experts at a leading British lubricants company has come up with an environmentally friendly solution to keep transport on and off The Manchester Ship Canal running smoothly.

Shrewsbury-based Morris Lubricants was challenged to develop a lubricating, water soluble and biodegradable product that wouldn’t freeze so that a series of swing bridges would continue working in all weather conditions.

Following a year of use, the specially formulated Morris Terralus MSC product has been declared a big success.

In its day, Manchester Ship Canal, which began construction in 1887, was the largest navigable canal in the world, enabling the port of Manchester to increase dramatically.

Vessels navigating the canal pass through a series of swing bridges, which employ simple hydraulic pressure. Being water based, these bridges are prone to corrosion and freezing during winter months, which can lead to very high operating overheads.

Adrian Hill, Morris Lubricants’ product and marketing manager, takes up the story: “Following an extensive investigation into the operation of the bridges, the solution to this issue was extremely complex as lubricity must be present even if the dilution were to fall to as low as one per cent.

“Should the bridge not open to canal traffic, heavy fines are imposed and in the worse case scenario, should the bridge not close, significant disruption to the local area traffic would arise for many hours, especially during peak periods.

“Following an extensive development programme at Morris Lubricants, a trial product was supplied and, after cleaning and refitting a new header tank, Old Quay Swing Bridge was converted to run.

“After three months of trials, the remaining bridges, Moore Lane, Northwich Road and Knutsford Road, were converted and have now been in operation for 12 months without issue.

“There have been no reported issues to date with regards to winter running and freezing, despite temperatures falling to levels where issues have been experienced in the past.”

Peter Murphy, a superviser with Manchester Ship Canal, said: “We are very pleased with Morris Terralus MSC, which is doing what we wanted it to do and it’s biodegradable.

“This winter was much milder than last year, so the new product hasn’t had to contend with the same extreme freezing conditions, but what we tend to do is increase the solution to suit the temperature and it has certainly proved itself to date.”

Morris Lubricants makes a range of Morris Terralus Earth Welfare biodegradable products, designed to reduce environmental impact. These products have been formulated for use in equipment operating in conditions where there is a risk of environmental pollution.

The range contains lubricants and ancillary products, such as cleaners, for use primarily in off-highway, agricultural, horticultural and marine applications.

For more information visit Morris Lubricants’ website at www.morrislubricantsonline.co.uk.

Picture caption:
Morris Lubricants’ northern area sales manager Aled Edwards (left) Manchester Ship Canal superviser Peter Murphy (centre) and Hywel Roberts from lubricants distributor Collister and Glover.