Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1080534
The Yanbu Cement Co. (YCC) is one of the major c ement ma nu fac t u rers in Saudi Arabia with a total installed capacity of more than 7 million tons of clinker and a cement dispatch capacity of more than 10 million tons per year. e company's lubrication program was piloted by its maintenance crew, which performs lube tasks along with other activities such as overhauling, repairing and replacing damaged parts. e crew's journey to lubri- cation excellence would not be easy, as many obstacles were encountered, including high lubricant consump- tion, leakage and contamination control problems. The following account details how YCC success- fully managed its lube program and achieved a 60 percent reduction in lubricant procurement for 2017. In the Beginning e story begins at the end of 2016 when the reins of the lubrica- tion activities at YCC were handed over to a standalone division with a well-defined lube program. Lubri- cation responsibilities were assigned to specific champions who had been transplanted into the program during its infancy and who held Level I Machine Lubrication Techni- cian and Level I Machine Lubricant Analyst certifications. e company knew that to attain a successful program and the desired results, a solid foundation with highly skilled and trained people would need to be developed. e goals of the lube program were based on problems that were currently being faced and obsta- cles that were seen as a barrier to world-class lubrication. A number of practices had to be corrected. For instance, greasing was continued until lubricant was seen spewing out the sides of the bearing. ere were also no written procedures for oil changes, sampling or regreasing tasks. The breathers were poor quality and had not been changed since the equipment's insta lla- tion. In addition, a single transfer container was used for different types of lubricants. e program's goals eventually were defined as being able to perform lubrication tasks at the right time, apply the correct amount of lubri- cant, carry out lube tasks according to the written procedures, and extend the service life of the lubricant and equipment by improving the quality of the breathers and filters. Accomplishing t hese goa ls would be challenging and would Yanbu Cement's Journey to World-class Lubrication CASE STUDY 10 | January - February 2019 | www . machinerylubrication.com By Torki Ibrahim, Yanbu Cement Co. "Yanbu Cement's approach for developing a lubrication program can be accomplished by any organization interested in achieving lubrication excellence." Previously, YCC lubricants were stored in a dust-prone area, and a single-handle pump was used for different types of lubricants.