Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/680544
14 Consolidate Your Lubricants (from May-June 2011) Although the primary sampling location is a great place to start, it often leaves behind a lot of valuable data. This is why secondary sampling locations should be installed on most systems. The goal of a secondary location is to be able to pinpoint the cause of any fault seen on an oil analysis report. Unlike the primary port, which provides an overall look at the entire machine, secondary ports enable you to focus on individual components inside the system. Most circulating and hydraulic systems should have both a primary and secondary sampling location to ensure that any identi- fied failure mechanism can be tracked back to the component causing the problem. Not only can a secondary port be used to help determine the source of wear debris or particles, but by installing sampling ports behind filters, you can monitor how well the filter is removing particles. So while the primary port may get the most use, the secondary port is invaluable once a fault has been detected. In the interest of reducing purchasing costs and streamlining storage and handling, many organizations have substantially slashed the number of lubricant stock keeping units (SKUs) they use. They have also re-engineered the precision of their lubricant specification. There are many real and a couple of somewhat imag- inary benefits to these consolidation initiatives. Let's start with the real benefits. These include: • Reducing stale inventory by directing more turnover (usage) across fewer lubricant products • Purging discontinued or hard-to-find lubricants from lubricant storerooms • Sole-sourcing lubricants to a single distributor and perhaps brand to simplify the purchasing function and leverage volume buying • Enhancing usage convenience and lowering the risk of acci- dental cross-contamination (fewer drum pumps, transfer systems, filter carts, top-up containers, etc.) • Re-engineering and enhancing lubricant selection especially for machines utilizing lubricants that have drifted out of spec (perhaps as a result of several past consolidation attempts) The imaginary relates to the false reality that limiting lubricant SKUs to the catalog products of a single major brand can optimize the selection and number of lubricants in typical process industry plants and factories. For instance, some chemical plants have reported as many as 80,000 lube points, all requiring periodic relu- brication. Many of these same companies have bloated inventories of lubricants from as many as 25 brands of more than 200 unique products. These are the companies that stand to benefit the most from consolidation. Of course, along with the potential for benefits and savings, there are also many real risks and concerns. Most of these are asso- ciated with cutting corners and failing to do proper lubrication engineering. This can be avoided by making technically sound deci- sions with the support and advice of qualified lubrication advisors. Some lubricant suppliers have these capabilities, but others do not. After all, one or two harsh machine failures from placing the wrong lubricant in a high-value machine can wipe out all the potential savings and benefits that might have otherwise been realized. What is an effective lubrication procedure? It is a step-by-step guideline that directs the user through a specific lubrication task. Of course, there are many types of tasks, including manual bearing lubri- cation, gearbox filling, gearbox checking, kidney-loop filtration, sample collection, etc. Each of these tasks will have some degree of uniqueness as well as a lot of overlap with other similar lubrication tasks. When preparing a lubrication procedure, consider the following: Strategy — How does the procedure support the broader main- tenance strategy? Purpose — What needs to be accomplished? Procedure — How is the task accomplished, including the many details that determine safety, efficiency and effectiveness? While there is no single approach to defining the individual tasks for a procedure, certain specifics must be incorporated to remove ambiguity and assure compliance. At a minimum, the purpose should include the name of the item to be addressed, the objective of the work, the identification of the individual to perform the task, the operational and safety conditions, and the amount of time allocated to the task. The details should identify what is to be done, where it is to be done, who will do the work, tools and materials needed, and special issues surrounding the work (safety, operational, etc.). In the process of devising and writing procedures, expect to find major similarities between like components grouped by maintenance strategy. A template can be created with a significant amount of generic information or structure to facilitate the process without diluting the results. 15 Develop Effective Lubrication Procedures (from July-August 2013) Machinery Lubrication's 15th Anniversary THANKS FOR 15 GREAT YEARS! 20 | May - June 2016 | www.machinerylubrication.com