Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1171112
ML lubricants are mixed together. is can happen in storage or appli- cation, in large quantities and in small. Diff erent oils have diff erent additives, and mixing lubricants together can cause them to work at cross purposes. Oils can become mixed from something as simple as using the same jug or fi lter cart to transfer lubricants. It can also result from poor labeling of drums and totes, so consider a unique lubricant identifi - cation system (LIS) to separate and categorize all lubricants in the plant. Having all containers and ports marked with clearly visible and discrete identification tags helps prevent accidental cross-contamina- tion. If nothing else, seeing the tag will force operators and maintainers to take a second look at the system as well as the lubricants and application tools they brought with them. The cost-benef it increase in handling has everything to do with not making things worse. As mentioned previously, cleaning your oil is relatively cheap and can help extend lubricant life. Contamination Control In most cases, dirt, debris and other unwanted contaminants even- tually will fi nd their way into your lubricant. Being prepared to remove them is the next best way to control contamination in your systems. is can be as simple as installing fi ltration on existing ports on the tanks, motors, gearboxes and other lubricated equipment. If this level of machine modifi cation is out of reach at this time, connecting a fi lter cart to your system and setting it to run once a day or even once a week can keep an oil system incredibly clean. Desiccant breathers off er a passive way of cleaning and improving your oil. ese can be installed on most system vents with minimal labor and are great visual aids for determining oil health. It's easy for any operator to spot when a breather is consumed, as the color changes usually are quite drastic, and swapping out a bad one is not a diffi cult task. More extensive equipment changes can be made as well, such as installing permanent fi ltration and sampling paths. Sight glasses, partic- ularly near the fi ll point, are excellent tools for viewing the oil without it having to leave the system. Dust protection covers can be installed on most grease fi ttings, as can purge points to allow for the expulsion of old or bad grease when new lubri- cant is added. ere's also a bevy of alarms, gauges, meters, and other bells and whistles on the market. e cost-benefi t to you will be derived from how well the machine improve- ments warn you of a lubricant-related failure or how eff ective they are in preventing or treating it. Early detec- tion gives you time to decide how to fi x the problem. Scheduled repairs are almost always cheaper than an urgent job. Global Training Calendar ICML certification testing is available for most of the courses listed. Visit www.lubecouncil.org for certification information and test dates. For updated dates and locations, visit Noria.com/train October MACHINERY LUBRICATION I (FRENCH) Montreal, Canada • October 1 – 3, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION I Aarhus, Denmark • October 9 – 11, 2019 OIL ANALYSIS II São Paulo, Brazil • October 14 – 16, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION I Mandaluyong City, Philippines • October 15 – 18, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION I Wanica, Suriname • October 16 – 18, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION Florence, Italy • October 16 – 17, 2019 WORKSHOP: RELIABILITY LEADER ENABLED BY LUBRICATION Mexico City, Mexico • October 22 – 23, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION II Quito, Ecuador • October 22 – 24, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION I Mexico City, Mexico • October 22 – 24, 2019 OIL ANALYSIS II Cairo, Egypt •October 27 – 30, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION II Sydney, Australia • October 28 – 30, 2019 LUBRICATION FOR MINING INDUSTRY Antofagasta, Colombia • October 29 – 30, 2019 LUBRICATION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT Bogota, Colombia • October 29 – 30, 2019 LUBRICATION FOR MOBILE EQUIPMENT Bogota, Colombia • October 31 – 1, 2019 November MACHINERY LUBRICATION I Cairo, Egypt • November 3 – 6, 2019 MACHINERY LUBRICATION I Johannesburg, South Africa • November 4 – 8, 2019 www . machinerylubrication.com | September - October 2019 | 51