Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1206285
30 | January - February 2020 | www . machinerylubrication.com compared to a check engine light when driving on the road. Using indicators like these can aid in scheduling main- tenance for a corrective action to avoid longer downtime periods. Above are examples of contamination control lagging indicators when correlating both the measurable cause and effect. Getting Started Knowing how far the journey is can be scary and overwhelming. Often, it's better to make headway and get some quick wins before you lay out the entire plan for your lubrication program. With most programs, there will be many opportunities for these quick wins or action items that are easy to accomplish immediately with little or no approval required. Acting on these types of work items can also provide early evidence and justification for a potentially larger investment later. Training Start your route guidance with team training. Good training always offers a sustainable return on invest- ment. W hether it's in-house training by an outside vendor, online training, public training courses or simply sharing articles a nd videos on lubrication best practices, proper instruction can help start the conversation about what is currently being done, right or wrong. Some facilities require formal training for ever yone involved in lubrication. Training multiple people together can have a powerful effect and is a must for major initiatives. LESSONS IN LUBRICATION MEASURABLE CAUSE MEASURABLE EFFECT Time on machines with known ISO contamination codes or moisture levels over the target Mean time to lubricant degradation (such as oxidation) or machine components with wear Desiccant breather installation cycle time Mean time to lubricant degradation (such as oxidation) or machine components with wear Number of machines with wear debris critical alarms Number of machines with subsequent wear modes reported by other condition monitoring technologies or machine failure Number of machines with other condition monitoring technologies reporting wear modes Number of machines with detection of misalignment, bearing failure or other wear-related failure Lube Room Make your lube room a positive example for the entire lubrication program. is room is the heart of your program. Take measures to ensure the right things are being done, such as implementing 5-S practices. is not only will enhance the room's function- ality but also make people proud of their work. Best of all, many improvements in a lube room can be done for little or no cost. Labeling Employ effective lubricant labeling. Cross-contamination is a real problem. It frequently occurs when the wrong lubri- cant is used for regreasing or oil top-ups, resulting in a mixture of lubricants. is type of human error often goes unno- ticed and unassociated with the root cause of an eventual failure down the road. e savings from preventing just one failure due to cross-contamination might very well justify the investments for larger initiatives. Oil Filtration Filter or dehydrate your lubricants instead of changing them out or consider reconditioning discarded oil. e default corrective action for machines with dirty lubricants is usually to change the oil. Depending on the oil's condition, there may just be contaminants that can be removed without significantly affecting the oil's chemistry. When done correctly, decontaminating your oil can be a real cost-saving measure. Avoid Overlubrication Per form c a lcu lations or u se smart tools to avoid overgreasing and undergreasing. Many bearings are very sensitive to the amount of grease lubrica- tion. When unchecked, improper grease volumes can lead to premature bearing failures and downtime. A simple calcula- tion or using ultrasonic greasing devices can help you determine the proper grease amount. Accountability Specify who will perform the lubri- cation tasks and what actually will be done to the machines. Will it be the operator or janitor? Is there a different person for each shif t? Stipulating who should complete these tasks can help answer several important ques- tions. For example, what lubricant is currently in the machine? When was it last changed or lubricated? Can these questions even be answered? Much of a lubrication initiative relies on first understanding what is currently occurring. Sometimes it's easier and more sustainable to get these answers by identif ying which lubricants are entering and exiting your lube room and by whom. Track Lubricant Consumption Analyze where your lubricant is going. If you can pinpoint which machine is consuming the most lubricant on a regular basis, you may be able to discover a bad-actor machine or poor practice being performed. If a specific machine is being topped off more than it should, where is that missing lubricant going? Is there an undocumented leak or is unnec- essary lubricant being added? Sustainable lubrication depends on tracking simple things like lubricant consumption. is is the pulse of a lubrication program. Is yours beating abnormally? Lubricant Consolidation Find obvious and easy consolida- tion opportunities. Create a list of all lubricants being used in the plant along with how much and where they are employed. Once this list is compiled, work with your lubricant supplier to identify where there are similar or iden- tical types of lubricants. Consolidating down to a smaller number of lubricants not only can provide cost savings when purchasing lubricants but can also help prevent cross-contamination later. Unexpected Detours and Staying on Track Incorporate changes into your lubrication program cautiously but confidently. Once the path from where you are now to where you want to be is mapped out, consider what might change along the way. Let's say you have a list of 10 things you want to accomplish over Examples of contamination control lagging indicators when correlating both the measurable cause and effect