Pre-lubricated stainless steel fasteners reduce costs and minimise downtime

Jos Lavrijsen, Segment Leader at Fabory, discusses the challenges of machine downtime caused by cold welding (galling) and preventive lubrication. He explains how pre-lubricated bolts help reduce total cost of ownership and minimise the risk of machine downtime for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end users.

Within the European machinery manufacturing sector, stainless steel fasteners are often a small component but can have a disproportionately large impact on costs, complexity and operational risks. This is particularly true in industries such as food and beverage processing and pharmaceuticals.

When bolts seize, experience galling, or require manual lubrication to prevent galling, the result is additional labour, production delays and unnecessary waste. As a result, more and more OEMs are switching to pre-lubricated stainless steel fasteners, reducing the risk of performance issues in machines used by end customers.

Galling: a small problem with major consequences

Stainless steel threads can unexpectedly seize when they are not lubricated or incorrectly lubricated, particularly during high-speed assembly. Manufacturers estimate that approximately one in every hundred bolts seizes, often because a fastener was accidentally not lubricated or not lubricated correctly.

When galling occurs, the bolt effectively welds itself to the nut or thread. Resolving a seized fastener can easily take twenty minutes or more. In many cases, cutting, drilling or grinding is required to remove the bolt. These are actions that are undesirable in hygienic food processing lines or clean machine assembly environments.

For end users who modify equipment on site, a seized bolt can even lead to production downtime. In addition, removing a seized fastener may release metal particles into sensitive production environments.

Manual lubrication: a hidden cost factor

For many OEMs and end users, manually greasing bolts has long been considered a necessary inconvenience to prevent galling. In practice, an operator picks up a bolt, applies grease with a brush, sets the applicator aside and then installs the fastener. Although this seems quick, the process typically takes around five seconds per bolt.

After installation, excess grease often emerges and must be removed to prevent contamination of the machine, which requires additional time. Studies show that the full lubrication and cleaning process can take up to 25 seconds per bolt.

In larger machine assemblies with thousands of fasteners, this quickly adds up. At one of our customers, eliminating manual lubrication resulted in cumulative savings of more than €200,000 per year at a single facility. Grease consumption itself is also a recurring cost. Depending on the type and quantity used, eliminating anti-seize compounds can save approximately €3,000 annually.

In addition, machine builders and end users often apply lubricants inconsistently. Some use specialised anti-seize products, while others rely on readily available alternatives such as petroleum jelly or copper grease. These products are not always designed for stainless steel fasteners, may not be food-safe, and can raise regulatory or environmental concerns.

Manual lubrication also generates waste. Cleaning excess grease results in contaminated cloths, used brushes, disposable gloves and packaging materials, much of which must be disposed of as chemical waste. It is estimated that roughly ten percent of all grease used ultimately ends up in the waste bin.

Pre-lubricated fasteners make assembly more predictable

Lubrinox fasteners are designed to prevent galling, minimise machine downtime and reduce the total cost of ownership. Each bolt and nut is supplied with a factory-applied lubrication coating that significantly reduces friction while remaining completely dry, odourless and invisible.

The coating ensures consistent friction properties (approximately 0.12 ± 0.04), making tightening torques more predictable and requiring less force during installation. Because the coating is bonded to the metal, it does not smear, wear off or attract dirt. This helps keep workspaces clean and improves hygiene.

Lubrinox fasteners are also detectable under ultraviolet light, which supports quality inspections in regulated production environments. They also operate reliably across a wide temperature range, from freezer storage conditions to high temperatures in processing equipment.

Fewer steps, more efficient assembly

For machine builders, this results in a simpler assembly process. Operators only need to pick up the bolt and install it, as the entire lubrication procedure is eliminated. Instead of spending 25 seconds per bolt, only the installation time remains. Across a full machine assembly, this results in significant and consistent time savings.

Lubrinox fasteners are already used in industries such as food processing, dairy, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals and general machinery manufacturing. In practice they are suitable wherever stainless steel is essential and hygiene is a priority. They are available directly from Fabory in a wide range of common DIN and ISO standards, with full batch traceability.

In industries where margins are tight and production schedules are demanding, eliminating 25 seconds of wasted time per fastener is not a minor improvement but a clear competitive advantage.

About the author

Jos Lavrijsen is segment leader at Fabory and has been with the company since 1999.