Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1080534
PERSPECTIVE 34 | January - February 2019 | www . machinerylubrication.com Filter Before Use I have yet to see a lubricant container from any supplier that states, "Filter before use." You are responsible for this task, with all its associated costs. I am encour- aged that several of the plants I've visited are filtering their oils prior to use. Unfortunately, most of these facilities are filtering for a random amount of time. For example, you might hear, "We hook up a cart and filter each drum for an hour before it goes into our tanks." How do you know an hour is long enough or perhaps too long? For the purposes of this article, filtering for "too long" will cost more in energy consumption and the time the techni- cian spends babysitting the filter cart. You are unlikely to damage the oils by filtering them too long, but other activities could offer much more value. What concerns me most is when oils aren't filtered long enough, and dirty oil is put into the equipment. Without some type of particle counting, you can only guess as to how long your oils should be filtered. Sadly, for every plant that is filtering its oils prior to use, there are untold numbers that are not. e value of this simple improvement in your lubrication program cannot be overstated. e chart on page 33 shows the potential life extension of hydraulic systems when lubricant cleanliness is increased. With few exceptions, oils should not be put into service without filtra- tion. e length of time oil should be filtered will vary considerably based on the lubricant's initial cleanliness level, the filter's beta ratio and the gallon-per-minute rating of the pump on the filtration unit. Other Considerations All of what has been described previously is related to just one aspect of the lubricant's condition – its cleanliness. However, the moisture content, the possibility of lubricant cross-conta mination, mislabled lubricants and off-specification lubri- cants must be considered as well. How often would you visit a restaurant that continues to mess up your order? How long are you willing to sit in a restaurant and wait for your order? How many times will you accept the answer that it's coming or that it will be right out before you get up and leave, likely never to return? Do you think your customers are any different? How often can you get away with missing delivery dates? How many of those missed deliveries are due to equipment failure? e majority of those failures could be traced back to equipment wear and particle-induced failure. Remember, new oil does not mean clean oil. ere are countless companies out there, including your competitors. While it may sound implausible, lubricant cleanliness can in some cases be a true compe- tive advantage. ML About the Author Loren Green is a senior technical consultant with Noria Corporation, focusing on machinery lubrication and maintenance in support of Noria's Lubrication Program Devel- opment (LPD). He is a mechanical engineer who holds a Machine Lubri- cation Technician (MLT) Level II certification and a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level III certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Loren at lgreen@noria.com to learn how Noria can help you develop a program to filter new oil at your plant. 21/18 20/17 20/18 20/17 28/21 23/20 20/17 20/18 17/14 20/17 21/18 20/18 21/18 21/18 14/11 21/18 17/14 21/18 20/17 15/12 20/17 23/20 14/11 20/17 21/18 17/14 14/11 21/18 18/15 23/20 These results are from a study conducted a few years ago. Unfortunately, lubricant cleanliness has not progressed much across the board. Some companies are doing better, but there is still a long way to go.