Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1316458
8 | November - December 2020 | www . machinerylubrication.com Making Critical Decisions: Selecting the Best Lubricants for Your Program There are very few decisions that have a more direct impact on machine health, down- time and your maintenance budget than choosing what oil or grease you should be applying " " Condition Monitoring, Lubricant Analysis & Troubleshooting LUBRICANT SELECTION Wes Cash | Noria Corporation Overview Perhaps the most fundamental process in a lubrication program is selecting which lubri- cant to use. is decision is of the utmost importance. ere are very few decisions that have a more direct impact on machine health, downtime and your maintenance budget than choosing what oil or grease you should be applying to your equipment. Lubricant selection goes beyond just selecting a mineral or synthetic lubricant. You must also carefully select additive packages, thickener types, base oils and even suppliers. Each lubricated component is engineered to do a specific task. In the same way, we must be able to choose a lubricant that is engineered to protect that component to the best of our ability. Proper lubricant selection involves many steps and typically includes people in different roles. ere are things that must be done tactically at the plant level and strategically at the management level. Effective metrics must be put in place to ensure the process stays efficient and to help identify areas of improvement. As you may imagine, with so many involved, training is essential to ensure everyone understands the importance of selecting and purchasing the proper lubricant. Just one small mistake can be catastrophic when an incorrect lubricant is applied to the wrong machine. is lifecycle can be segmented into six main factors. ese factors detail the most important tasks and goals for each step in the lubricant selection process. e tactical or platform level factors are: • Lubricant selection process (S1P) • Lubricant supplier selection (S2P) • Lubricant identification system (S3P) • e management factors include: • Consolidation and optimization (S4M) • Lubricant selection training (S5M) Finally, there is a single factor for Lubricant Selection KPIs (S6K). To better understand the entire process, we must first understand the individual factors. Each factor can be broken down into a series of steps or process that must be documented and reevaluated for continuous improve- ment. We'll discuss each factor in more depth in coming articles but the information below will serve as a general overview of each. Lubricant Selection Process (S1P) Lubricant technology is constantly changing. With improvements in refining techniques, additive chemistry and metallurgy, our selection process must likewise stay up to date and evolve. To develop a robust lubricant selec- tion process, you must first understand the equipment