Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication March-April 2021

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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16 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com 16 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com The Five-Star Review for Lubricant Selection We need to look at both ends of the chain here and put metrics in place to en- sure all parties are doing their tasks to the utmost of their abilities to pin- point areas for improvement." " Condition Monitoring, Lubricant Analysis & Troubleshooting LUBRICANT SELECTION Wes Cash | Noria Corporation Factor: S2P Learn More: noria.com/ascend/ With so much emphasis put on selecting t he proper lubricant, using lubricants approved by OEMs, and ensuring our lubricants arrive on time and with the correct properties, it is shocking that most organizations have no means to measure how well they are performing in these critical areas. Most lubrication professionals understand the importance of metrics as well as the importance of getting the right lubricant from the start, but most fall woefully short in ensuring these activities are scru- tinized with any level of detail. As programs evolve and advance, they begin to track and score application, cleanliness, failure rate—the list goes on. However, these are all lagging metrics for your lubricant selection process. How can we flip this situ- ation around and start looking at leading indicators for machine and lubricant health by focusing on lubri- cant selection? Does your selection process pass the test? roughout my academic years, I was constantly measured. High test scores, timely submission of assignments and active participation are just a few examples of the unique blend of metrics and criteria I was expected to work toward. At the end of the semester, the final grade in the class was a reflection of my perfor- mance, not the performance of the instructor. When entering college, I learned of a web service that allows students to "grade" their professors. Finally, the shoe is on the other foot and I can get that feeling of karmic justice to bring to light those educators who upheld their end of the agreement to impart knowledge to the class. ese services are very much alive today and are used by most students to determine which professor's class to enroll in. is is analogous to our lubricant selection process. Our machines a nd technicia ns are "graded " against a curriculum based upon time between failure, cleanliness, safety—again, the list continues indefinitely. However, the lubricants used, the supplier of these lubricants and even the tools used to aid in selection are seldom scrutinized. We have the same scenario as the student to the teacher. e machines and technicians are the students, and the lube selection team and lubricant suppliers are the teachers. We need to look at both ends of the chain here and put metrics in place to ensure all parties are doing their tasks to

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