Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1080534
ML www . machinerylubrication.com | January - February 2019 | 39 varnish as the initial LEBP topic because its prevalence in the field merits a standalone training curriculum and because varnish challenges are on the rise. "Deposits and varnish comprise one of the major problems we face, and there has been a huge increase in recent years due to more powerful equipment, modern lubricant chemistry and more demanding working conditions," obser ves Rüdiger K rethe, managing director at OilDoc. "ey are responsible for a serious number of component failures and unscheduled down- time in many applications. A standalone certificate gives proper attention to this matter and what is needed to overcome it." Krethe was one of several volunteer subject-matter experts invited by the ICML board to form a committee to develop the new varnish badge. Other committee members include Muhammad Naseer Uddin of Petro- leum Development Oman, Jatin Mehta of Fluitec International and Matt Hobbs of EPT. "Varnish is currently a signif icant problem in many industries since it impacts a wide range of crit- ical industrial equipment like turbines, compressors and hydraulic control systems," says Hobbs. "In our daily work, we all see end users frustrated by varnish problems. While we would always recommend as much training as possible with general certifications like MLA or MLT so that end users can become well-rounded lubrication professionals, the standalone nature of the VDPR badge may be useful for those with specific concerns relating to varnish." Mehta suggests that ongoing education actually accel- erates the need for varnish and deposit specialization. "As more people become aware of proactive mainte- nance practices, there is a desire to learn more about the difficulties faced due to oil degradation," he says. "ere is a need to understand the formation and mitigation of varnish and its costly impact on machine reliability, uptime and profitability." e basics of varnish are well-documented. Machinery Lubrication readers certainly are aware that, even under normal operating conditions, lubricating oil breaks down from extended thermal and mechanical stress, resulting in oxidation that can lead to varnish formation. Varnish is a highly viscous mixture of degradation byproducts — solids, liquids and gases. It generally accretes in machinery by combining readily with any variety of routine contaminants such as carbon-based dirt, metallic particles, water droplets, etc. If varnish were found only in cases of abuse or neglect, the corrective maintenance solutions would be obvious and ICML likely would not have considered a certification badge for it. However, varnish is produced naturally even through normal operations, which is why it is a continuous challenge for all maintenance personnel — whether they know it or not — even in the most well-maintained machines. One of the first high-profile papers on the growing challenges of varnish in machinery lubrication was written in 1999 by ICML board member and Noria CEO Jim Fitch. Over the years, Fluitec's Greg Livingstone has published multiple papers on oil degradation and varnish mitigation. Livingstone was also instrumental in devel- oping a method for measuring varnish potential, which is now an ASTM test method. Even with such ongoing research and attention, technology's pace makes varnish a moving target in actual practice. Echoing Krethe's comments, Mehta believes that "ever-evolving base-stock technology, additives and advances in equipment design bring in more unique challenges to the understanding of modes of degradation, prevention and removal." "Many end users still do not fully understand what varnish is, how it forms and what solution will be best for their needs," notes Hobbs. "ere is a desperate need to raise the level of awareness with industrial professionals who are responsible to keep machines running for uninterrupted production," adds Uddin. "Developing the VDPR badge is the right step for ICML to take to raise the level of awareness among professionals for improved business performance globally." The Volunteer Expert Team Putting the right team together is always key to the success of these types of projects. Hobbs, Krethe, Uddin and Mehta all jumped at the opportunity to develop ICML's inaugural badge. Krethe was first invited by ICML to turn his attention to varnish matters in 2016. He was joined by Hobbs and Uddin in 2017. However, the nature of long-distance communication proved chal- lenging at the outset. Krethe is based in Germany, while Hobbs is in Canada and Uddin in Oman. When the three men finally met face to face at the 2018 Reliable ICML invited volunteer experts to develop the Varnish and Deposit Prevention and Removal certification badge. The team includes (from left to right) EPT's Matt Hobbs, Petroleum Development Oman's Muhammad Naseer Uddin, OilDoc's Rüdiger Krethe and Fluitec International's Jatin Mehta.