Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1080534
30 | January - February 2019 | www . machinerylubrication.com LESSONS IN LUBRICATION trends. Most condition monitoring technologies such as oil analysis and vibration analysis are known for their ability to apply trend tech- niques to predict machine operating conditions and potential failure modes. Making these predictions and optimizing task techniques can be greatly enhanced by analyzing the documen- tation for task completion and feedback data. 7. Enforcing Proactive Maintenance Despite the overwhelming evidence of a proactive maintenance program providing huge returns, it has a long history of being treated with diminished importance. Why? Maybe because the activities are not as urgent as rebuilding a failed pump or because there is no instant satisfaction from daily inspections or precise relubrication procedures. Whatever the reason may be, this is why all lubrication tasks should be documented. Documenting the task requirements, scheduling, prioritizing and monitoring compliance are effective ways to emphasize the magnitude of these proactive activities. Managing Your Lube Procedures For today's maintenance teams, a comput- erized maintenance management system (CMMS) is the standard for a repository where documented lubrication procedures reside. However, with the complex function- ality and requirements of mainstream CMMS programs, there can be challenges integrating the specific needs of lubrication activities. Similar to what plagues many proactive lubri- cation requirements, a CMMS often treats lubrication tasks with lesser importance. For this reason, it is not unusual for plants to opt for separate programs for lubrication documentation, route management and other lubrication data organization. Regardless of how you choose to manage the documentation for your lubrication procedures, the following checklist can be used to evaluate a management system: • Is it easy to use? • Is it easily accessible for those who need it routinely (various levels of access permis- sions may be required)? • Is it easily editable for those who are training and accountable (editing should be limited and maintain consistency)? • Is it aligned with standards provided by the corporate lubrication standards manual? • Does it have a fixed hierarchal asset struc- ture for organized documentation? • Does it offer template and format control for the structure and organization of proce- dures (these can be driven by the corporate standards manual or internationally recog- nized standards)? • Does it contain checklists or other evalu- ation feedback methods for inspection and quality-control tasks? • Does it include references to additional supporting documentation (such as the corporate standards manual, training materials and internal or external subject- matter experts)? • Do tasks specify tools, inventory items or other materials required to perform the task? • Do tasks specify those responsible for performing the tasks (and the minimum training requirements for this role), those responsible for editing the task, as well as any other personnel involved in the task? • Are there built-in triggers between each possible condition reported from the condition monitoring tasks (inspections, oil analysis, etc.) with specific follow-up tasks to reconcile or monitor the concern? • Does it have route generation and docu- mentation features to modif y, assign, review, etc., the structure of routes? • Are there reporting options for weekly or monthly overviews and management requirements? • Does it feature task documentation and routing mobility? • Is there a metrics dashboard with custom- ization options? • Are there compliance tracking options? • Does it have data import and export options? • Are terminology definitions provided? • Is there organized training on how to align functionality across departments? Managing your lubrication task documen- tation is not always easy, but neither is dealing with an undocumented or poorly managed lubrication program. If your plant has just been getting by for some time without any control of how tasks are performed or docu- mented, consider the opportunities available when upgrading your lubrication program. Coupling these improvements with other lubrication excellence initiatives is a great way to modernize and gain huge returns on your investment. W hile many challenges will emerge during this process, such as changing the culture, purchasing and installing machine modif ication hardware, and obtaining comprehensive lubrication training, with the right action plan, these hurdles can be overcome in a short period of time. e new business as usual will then become business with the right lubrication practices. ML About the Author Bennett Fitch is the director of product development and Lubrication Program Develop- ment (LPD) services for Noria Corporation. He is a mechanical engineer who holds a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level III certification and a Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT) Level II certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Bennett at bfitch@noria.com to learn how Noria can help you properly document the tasks for your lubrication program. 45% of lubrication professionals say their plant does not have written lubrication procedures, based on a recent poll at MachineryLubrication.com