28
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January - February 2020
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www
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machinerylubrication.com
Do you remember the
last time you planned
for a long trip? You
likely used a mapping
program or a road atlas. You may
have chosen to take the backroads
or decided that driving such a long
distance wasn't for you and paid an
airline to do most of the travel work
for you. Regardless, when planning a
long trip, you always start by consid-
ering your current location and then
where you want to go. Without a
feel for the journey, it's impossible to
make good decisions about the trip.
e same is true when it comes to
improving your lubrication program.
Without first assessing where you are
and understanding where you are
headed, you cannot decide how best
to proceed.
Machine longevity is largely
driven by the state of the lubricants
used and thus the state of your
lubrication program. What is the
state of your lubrication program?
How sustainable is it? Anyone
can add grease to a bearing to
keep it running for a little while
longer, but what can be done to
provide sustainability to your
lubrication practices?
Set Your Starting Point
What is your current location?
Assess the current state of your lubri-
cation program, either with an internal
audit or an outside group. Where does
your program stand in comparison to
lubrication excellence standards? How
does it compare to others in your
industry, not just with how lubricants
are selected but in every way that lubri-
cation can impact uptime and overall
equipment effectiveness?
is type of assessment can be
performed in many ways. Normally,
an objective, standardized assessment
is preferred with comparisons to
lubrication trends and industry best
practices. ese trends and practices
are always evolving, so the recom-
mendations from yesteryear may not
be valid today.
The Roadmap to
Lubrication Sustainability
LESSONS IN LUBRICATION
Bennett Fitch and Daniel Rader
|
Noria Corporation
You create
sustainability
with your
lubrication
program when
you can include
the expectation
of change as
part of the
status quo."
"
