Machinery Lubrication

ML_Jan_Feb_2020_Digital_Edition

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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www . machinerylubrication.com | January - February 2020 | 31 the next few years to improve lubricant selection, condition monitoring, analysis techniques, etc. Each of these goals may have different challenges, such as high costs, personnel buy-in or imple- mentation difficulties. For example, an obstacle that could arise during lubricant consolidation is the unwill- ingness by some to change the lubricant in certain equipment even if the proposed lubricant is equivalent. is is understand- able since there's an element of risk when changing something and breaking the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality. One way to overcome this mentality is to leverage the success of other plants using the proposed lubricant on the same or similar equipment. You should also offer lubrication training for those uneasy about the change. Of course, it will be more diffi- cult to create alignment on best practices when those involved have a different knowledge base and experience level. Creating sustainable lubri- cation practices takes time. Initiatives to improve a lube program should not be tackled all at once. When pushback occurs, it sometimes is a good idea to wait on a certain project and focus instead on another change that might be better received by the team members involved. Be sure to have alternatives when one route doesn't work. No significant journey is completed without its fair share of route recalculations. The Sustainable Journey As the saying goes, life is about the journey, not the destination. A journey is a collection of expe- riences filled with obstacles and course corrections that continually challenge you to live life better. A journey is also where you experi- ence satisfaction and a sense of success. Attaining success and sustainability with your lubrication program is about learning how to make those course corrections and knowing when the status quo is ready for an upgrade. You create sustainability with your lubrication program when you can include the expectation of change as part of that status quo. The methods you used to achieve success in the past may not be the same ones needed in the years to come. ere must be a continuous thirst for new perspec- tives and new answers, even if it requires a detour or brief pitstop. However, always be sure to get back on course and be moving in the right direction. Finally, remember what it took to get there. Tracking your progress will be the fuel and motivation to keep things going. ML About the Authors Bennett Fitch is the director of product development and Lubri- cation Program Development (LPD) services for Noria Corpora- tion. He is a mechanical engineer who holds a Level III Machine Lubricant Analyst (ML A III) certification, a Level II Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT II) certification and a Machinery Lubrication Engineer (MLE) certi- fication through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Daniel Rader is a business development manager for Noria Corporation. A Certified Mainte- nance and Reliability Professional (CMR P) through the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP), he holds MLT I and MLA I certifications through ICML. Contact Bennett at bfitch@noria.com or Daniel at drader@noria.com to learn how Noria can help your organization achieve lubrication sustainability. ML

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