Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1250226
18 | May - June 2020 | www . machinerylubrication.com is a cheap test, and results can be phoned in from an outside lab if necessary. 47. Onsite Repairs Whether to repair or buy a new piece of lubrication hardware is a question every maintenance department may face. Most maintenance personnel like to prove they can get something operating again, and if the component fails often enough, they may create a small shop to continuously make the repairs. Be careful in setting up these little shops or adding people to old ones. Sometimes you must step back and ask, "Why are we doing this?" Perhaps buying a new part would be best. Do not assume that repairing it in-house is a good idea. 48. Avoid Lubrication 'Gadgets' Some lubrication hardware on the market could be considered unnecessary, redundant or misguided. ese "gadgets" can take the form of aftermarket additives which may not be compatible with the additives already present, are redundant or may actually be harmful. Several basic questions must be asked when approached by salespeople for such products. While the salesperson may be sincere in the belief that the product will answer your prayers, you owe it to your employer to protect your machinery. is requires you to go slow when assessing a new product. e previously mentioned lubrication committee can act as a brake. PROBLEM SOLVING 49. Use a Systematic Problem-Solving Routine Most industrial problem solving consists of trying something, and if that doesn't work, trying something else. Typically, the tried solu- tion focuses on one area, forgetting that most problems could have multiple causes. e first thing to know about any problem is that the symptoms can distract you from the true cause. You must learn to distinguish between symp- toms and causes. Symptoms are the things you see, like the excessive heat from a hydraulic system. Poor problem solvers focus on the heat and install additional heat exchangers, while the good problem solver asks the question, "What is causing this heat?" 50. Root Cause Analysis Even though cause-and-effect problems are only one of four major problem types found in an industrial plant, they are the ones that cause more consternation than all the others. e term "root cause" implies that the immediate cause may not be the ultimate cause. You must dig deeper to find the root cause. e best question to ask in this situation is why or what caused this issue. Rather than stop at the first answer to this question, ask what caused it and then proceed backward. Sometimes the causes are in a long string and may surprise the problem solver, but there will be a point where a solution will be most effective and practical. at is the place to apply your efforts at cause correction. 51. Ishikawa Diagrams A n Ishikawa diagram is a powerful method of organizing one's thinking when trying to solve a problem. Its greatest benefit is helping the problem solver include all possible causes of a problem. One is forced to think in terms of multiple categories of causes, not just one. An Ishikawa diagram is most useful when a single effect may have many causes, which describes the majority of cause-and-effect problems. If the method has a weakness, it is that it cannot point at the most likely cause. It covers this weakness by being all inclusive. 52. What Has Changed? One of the critical questions that must be asked in any cause-and-effect problem investi- gation is, "What has changed?" is question implies that if everything was running well for a long time and suddenly there was a problem, something must have changed. Otherwise, things would still be running smoothly. e Kepner- Tregoe method advocates using this question relentlessly until the thing that changed is found. e question has its greatest value in machinery questions or production situations. 53. How Do Bearings and Gears Fail? Of the many ways that bearings and gears can fail, only a few of which are lube related. All too often, the lubricant is blamed, but the best lubricant in the world cannot make up for poorly made, maintained or installed components. Investigate gear and bearing fail- ures as you would any other problem, with no preconceived notions. Use a rational approach, and you may be surprised how many times the cause is mechanical and not lube related. 54. Condition Monitoring Good lubrication specialists always have their antennae up anticipating problems. Condition monitoring allows you to do just that. Common technologies in this field include infrared thermography, ultrasonics, oil analysis, vibration analysis and acoustic emission. Many companies find it helpful to employ outside contractors to conduct certain tests and have their staff perform others. e field is growing, and one would be wise to explore the potential benefits. 55. Continuous Improvement Every lubrication committee should have a list of the current projects for improving equip- ment life or minimizing costs. is list should be on the agenda of each meeting, with the progress noted in the meeting report. In the absence of a committee or with an individual working alone in the lube program, a project list can help to multiply the individual's effectiveness. No item on the list should be ignored. If it makes it on the list, either work on it or remove it. e concept of continuous improvement concentrates the mind and prevents drift or simply reacting to problems. It also convinces management that while no bad COVER STORY