Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
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ML ML GROUP PUBLISHER Brett O'Kelley - bokelley@noria.com SENIOR EDITOR Jim Fitch - jfitch@noria.com EDITOR Nick Holder - nholder@noria.com TECHNICAL WRITERS Wes Cash - wcash@noria.com Bennett Fitch - bfitch@noria.com Matthew Adams - madams@noria.com Devin Jarrett - djarrett@noria.com Travis Richardson - trichardson@noria.com Paul Farless - pfarless@noria.com GRAPHIC ARTISTS Patrick Clark - pclark@noria.com Josh Couch - jcouch@noria.com Matt Berkenbile - mberkenbile@noria.com ADVERTISING SALES Brett O'Kelley - bokelley@noria.com MEDIA PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Sheryl Adekoya - sadekoya@noria.com CORRESPONDENCE You may address articles, case studies, special requests and other correspondence to: Editor-in-Chief MACHINERY LUBRICATION Noria Corporation 1328 E. 43rd Court • Tulsa, Oklahoma 74105 Phone: 918-749-1400 Fax: 918-746-0925 Email address: editor@noria.com MACHINERY LUBRICATION Volume 23 - Issue 1 January - February 2021 ( USPS 021-695) is published bimonthly by Noria Corporation, 1328 E. 43rd Court, Tulsa, OK 74105-4124. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes and form 3579 to MACHINERY LUBRICATION, 1328 E. 43rd Court, Tulsa, OK 74105-4124. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any subscription. Send subscription orders, change of address and all subscription-related correspondence to: : Noria Corporation, 1328 E. 43rd Court, Tulsa OK 74105-4124. 918-749- 1400 or Fax: 918-746-0925 Copyright © 2021 Noria Corporation. Noria, Machinery Lubrica - tion and associated logos are trademarks of Noria Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Noria Corpo- ration is prohibited. Machinery Lubrication is an independently produced publication of Noria Corporation. Noria Corporation reserves the right, with respect to submissions, to revise, republish and authorize its readers to use the tips and articles submitted for personal and commercial use. The opinions of those interviewed and those who write articles for this magazine are not necessarily shared by Noria Corporation. CONTENT NOTICE: The recommendations and information provided in Machinery Lubrication and its related information properties do not purport to address all of the safety concerns that may exist. It is the responsibility of the user to follow appro - priate safety and health practices. Further, Noria does not make any representations, warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information or recommendations provided herewith. Noria shall not be liable for any injuries, loss of profits, business, goodwill, data, interruption of business, nor for incidental or consequential merchantability or fitness of purpose, or damages related to the use of information or recommendations provided. deferring corrective actions. After all, there is a devil within these dust cakes. So Why Do We Care? Answering this question is the theme of my column. It's time to give dust cakes serious atten- tion. Of course, work environments differ, and for many industries this problem is nonexistent. For others, it's like a bad rash that keeps coming back, especially in plants where machines are outside and in contact with dry blowing air. For some, like cement plants, the cause of the dust comes from work materials and stock. What follows are the potential consequences of leaving dust cakes unresolved. Impaired Sound and Vision Operators and inspectors need to be able to see the machine and its components—all of it. Dust cakes can mask the line-of-sight and dampen audible clues of machine condition. Someone should always be thinking, "What is underneath that layer of caky-grimy mass that we need to see?" Here are some examples of what your dust cakes could be hiding: • Seals: All seals will fail eventually. Early detection of issues with seals and packings is necessary to avoid expensive bearing fail- ures due to lubricant starvation and dirt ingression. • Sight Glasses: Level gauges, BS&W bowls, inline sights, etc. all need to be seen and examined clearly for oil condition and level. • Shaft Movement: Abnormal shaft and coupling movement must be detected early. • Frame or Bolt Movement: Fasteners such as jack bolts, anchors, studs, etc. need to be easily examined for movement and loose- ness. • Instruments and Gauges: ese have no practical use if they can't be frequently and clearly inspected. If dial faces are obstructed by dust cakes, readings aren't taken. • Oiler Sumps: Total-loss oiler sumps, bottles and reservoirs need to be inspected to deter- mine adequate reserve lubricant supply. • Inspection Windows: ese are used for different purposes including checking part movement, oil ring rotation, lubricant nozzle spray, etc. Dust cakes restrict their view. Figure 4. Large gearbox (4 reduction stages) used in a steel mill. Leakage around oil pump went unnoticed, ignored or just deferred for later repair. Little by little the gearbox drained of oil result- ing in a thick dust cake. Oil pressure gauge was obstructed by the cake. Ref. Ronald van Druten