Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/655822
ML failures these root causes eventually would have turned into emergency work. One of the simplest ways to move toward proactive maintenance is through education or training your frontline people on what to look for and why. This is essentially what proactive maintenance comes down to — knowing the root causes that lead to the majority of machine failures, knowing what they look like and knowing why it is important to correct the issue at this stage versus waiting until later in the P-F (failure) cur ve. These types of inspections can save organi- zations tremendous amounts of money, but they are often overlooked for their simplicity. For instance, consider checking the oil level in a splash-lubricated component. Although this is extremely easy to do and only requires the briefest of training, if not done, it could lead to catastrophic failure of the component and everything associated with a breakdown. With proactive work, you want to trade the costly breakdown in the future for the time, money and energy up front to perform a simple inspection. This is almost always a favorable trade and will lead to a massive reduction in maintenance and production costs. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way. Not all programs and strategies fit a perfect mold. Each program needs to balance the cost of implementation with the expense of being complacent. For instance, it is perfectly acceptable to utilize a reactive maintenance mode for a cheap component that is easily changeable and readily avail- able. It doesn't make sense to spend a lot of time, money and energy on a sump pump that costs $500 from a mail-order catalog, has three available spares, takes five minutes to change and is not part of a critical process. The ideal program will be able to use a variety of maintenance modes to make sure the plant is running as efficiently and effec- tively as possible. Understanding the different maintenance philosophies and having an excellent grasp of operations, machine criticality, costs, etc. will be essen- tial in adopting a balanced approach at your plant. Only once all the variables are fully understood can you optimize your program and start getting the most from your people and machines. About the Author Jeremy Wright is the vice president of technical services for Noria Corporation. He serves as a senior technical consultant for Lubrication Program Development projects and as a senior instructor for Noria's Machinery Lubrication I and II training courses. He is a certified mainte- nance reliability professional through the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Profes- sionals, and holds Machine Lubricant Analyst Level III and Machine Lubrication Technician Level II certifications through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication. Contact Jeremy at jwright@noria.com to learn how Noria can help you make the transition from reactive to proactive maintenance. Summit Ultima is a high performance lubricant formulated to o u tp erfo rm o th er synth eti c co mp res s o r l u b ri cants o n to d ay 's market. Ul ti ma's u n i q u e fo rmu l ati o n al l ows fo r better compressor performance, and it is compatible with existing O.E.M. lubricants. Summit Ultima Series synthetic rotary screw air compressor lubricant benefits include: • Better thermal conductivity for lower operating temps • Superior prote ction against mechanical stress • Reduces power consumption through reduced friction • Eliminates varnish, sludge and carbon deposits • Protects against shear & viscosity loss under heavy loads • Product consolidation by application Up to 12,000 hours of Dependable Service Summit Ultima ® Series Extended Life Rotary Screw Compressor Oil 800.749.5823 Summit www.klsummit.com 903.534.8021 Quality • Service • Expertise Summit Ultima Compressor Oil_Layout 1 2/16/2016 9:14 AM Page 1