Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1356397
www . machinerylubrication.com | March - April 2021 | 19 www . machinerylubrication.com | March - April 2021 | 19 ML engineering chemistry crossed with materials science. Other times, people revert to what- ever the OEM recommends and have over sixty different lubricants on-hand. e sweet spot is somewhere in-between. Ultimately, the committee needs to ensure the performance characteristics of the lubricant meet or exceed the demands of the equipment and are being purchased at the most reasonable rate. e above mentioned "drift" occurs when there isn't a periodic, formal review of the lubricants in use or there isn't anyone responsible for selection. is leads to complacency, resulting in frustrated technicians and failing machines. Measuring the lubricants on-hand against the needs of the machines should be performed annually at a minimum. Training It will be nearly impossible for the committee to do their job properly if there isn't a plan on how they should increase their knowledge in the field of lubrication. Base oils, additives and greases are all evolving at a rapid pace, with new technology in their chemistry and performance changing the rules of how they traditionally have been used and selected. Without focusing on keeping our knowledge abreast of the changes, we will slip further away from the use of an optimum lubricant to something that might not give us the best performance for our dollar. A great way to track this is to measure the number of staff certified or, at minimum, trained in lubrication-specific curriculum. is should be reviewed to keep the knowledge current and applicable for all involved in the lubri- cation program. Labeling While we typically think about lubricant selec- tion relating mostly to purchases, it's important to remember that the technicians must select the proper lubricant from the lube room to apply to the equipment as well. erefore, it is critical that the committee develop and implement a robust lubricant labeling program. Every lube point should be labeled, and the corresponding label should be found on the appropriate tools or product in the lube storage area. is helps ensure the correct lubricant is applied to the equipment, reducing accidental cross contamination in the field. e implementation of the labeling program should be measured and reviewed to make sure there is progress in this area. A peri- odic walk-down of the plant should be done to audit the labeling on the equipment and ensure any areas of deficiency are addressed. Provided that our committee performs well in these three areas, the five-star review is virtually guaranteed. Measurement and metrics go a long way to showcase areas of improvement and help us understand where we need to focus our efforts. Once we have a great supplier and a great selection committee, our technicians and equip- ment will reap the benefits resulting in less downtime, more engagement and improved culture throughout. ML About the Author Wes Cash is the Vice Pres- ident of Services for Noria Corporation. He serves as a senior technical consultant for Lubrica- tion Program Development projects and as a senior instructor for Noria's Oil Analysis I and Machinery Lubrication I and II training courses. He holds a Machinery Lubrication Engineer (MLE) Machine Lubrication Tech- nician (MLT) Level II certification and a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level III certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Wes at wcash@noria.com.