Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1032074
One major struggle maintenance groups seem to be dealing w it h tod ay i s a growing preventive maintenance (PM) backlog. Over time, some PMs fail to be closed, and work begins to pile up, resulting in large amounts of non-critical work being put on the back burner. Although the task of minimizing or eliminating backlogs can seem daunting at times, there are ways to address this problem while still taking a proactive mindset toward your equipment. In most plants, many failure- related issues tend to be repeat events. Identifying, addressing and resolving these known and recurring failures or defects in the field will lead to reduced maintenance costs and minimal equipment downtime. is strategy is known as defect elimination. In the defect elimination process, counteractive measures are developed to minimize failures that are similar in nature. is method often takes place directly after installation of the equipment, but it also offers value at locations where the equipment has been functioning for years. While this practice is typically thought of as only replacing actual components, all aspects of the asset should be consid- ered, including lubrication. Lubrication defect failures can be broken down into three primary modes: particle contamination, temperature and moisture. By clearly understanding these issues and the requirements for improving each failure mode, you can help to mini- mize the repeat offenders. Particle Contamination In regard to lubrication, particle contamination can be described as any dirt (silica), metal, soot or soft insoluble material that is not designed to be present but which gains access to the lubrication system. It has the potential to damage the lubricant and the component's lubricating surfaces. As particle contaminants find their way into a lubricant, they begin to cause different types of wear and drastically affect the addi- tive depletion rate. Wear can occur on the lubricating surface through mechanical wear, chemical wear or surface fatigue. Mecha nic a l wea r happens through a variety of different mech- anisms. Adhesive mechanical wear, also known as galling, scuffing or seizing, takes place in heavily loaded, sliding-contact locations where poor lubrication is evident. It is most common to see this type of wear with cylinders, gear contacts, rolling-ele- ment bearings and cam followers. Three-body abrasive mechan- ical wear occurs when a particle becomes lodged between two lubri- cating surfaces, leading to cutting, gouging and plowing of the compo- nent's surface. is type of wear is most apparent with rolling-element bearings, journal bearings, gears and cylinders. Erosion wear is another concern with particle ingression. It happens when materia l loss occurs, and solid particles rapidly strike the c omp onent su r f a c e s. E ro sion wear mainly becomes an issue in hydraulic systems. Chemical wear or etching is the result of a reactive environment How Controlling Three Contaminants Significantly Reduces Machine Failures "By clearly understanding these issues and the requirements for improving each failure mode, you can help to minimize the repeat offenders." Contamination Control Matthew Adams | Noria Corporation BACK PAGE BASICS 46 | September - October 2018 | www . machinerylubrication.com