Shell wins contract to supply world’s largest hydraulic press machine

Shell has been awarded the contract to supply hydraulic oil for the world’s largest hydraulic press, an 800 mega newton closed-die hydraulic forging machine, owned by China Erzhong Heavy Industry Company.
China Erzhong designs, produces and sells equipment and forged steel product for the metallurgy, power generation and petrochemical industry. The company’s products include rolled steel plates, hot rolled steel plates, wind turbine accelerators and petrochemical containers. It has two manufacturing bases, one in Chengdu and another in Deyang, both located in China’s Sichuan province.
For lubricants, the giant hydraulic press represents a challenging environment in which to operate. Following intense competition from leading lubricant manufacturers, Shell Tellus S2 M 46 was selected to be used in the machine.
Hydraulic oil is one of the most critical components in order to resist the extreme pressures and severe loads that components in the forging machine face. Featuring 30 high pressure cylinders and 60 piston pumps, the press has an initial fill of 400 kiloliters and can reach an oil pressure of up to 650 bars. Erzhong is working closely with Shell Lubricants to ensure that a hydraulic oil is used in the machine that meets its special high pressure and high load requirements.
This press machine is designed to be used in the aviation, aerospace, nuclear power and petrochemical industries amongst others. In particular, the machine is involved in the processing of ultra-high strength titanium and aluminium alloys, such as airplane body frames, nuclear power plant piping and turbines.
Hans Gerdes, Spirax & Tellus brand manager at Shell, commented: “We are delighted to be working with China Erzhong on this ground-breaking hydraulic forging machine. Shell Tellus is one of the world’s leading hydraulic oils and we know that it meets the industry specifications of OEM heavyweights as Bosch, Rexroth, Denison, Vickers and Eaton. Working alongside China’s leading manufacturer–Erzhong–is an important part of our growth in the Asian market.”