Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication March-April 2021

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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20 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com 20 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com " LUBRICANT RECEPTION & STORAGE Travis Richardson | Noria Corporation Assuming every lubricant that arrives on the dock meets those expecta- tions would not be reasonable— in fact, it would be downright dangerous." How to Implement a Lubrication Quality Control Process Factor: R1P Learn More: noria.com/ascend/ With the high price of quality lubricants and the demand placed on machines to run harder and faster, there is a great need for high-performance lubricants. We expect lubricants to arrive on-site as they were advertised at the time of purchase: having the proper viscosity, base oil, performance characteristics, and last but certainly not least, the ability to meet certain contamina- tion cleanliness targets. However, assuming every lubricant that arrives on the dock meets those expectations would not be reasonable—in fact, it would be downright dangerous. Why a Quality Control Process is Important The process of refining base stocks, blending these base stocks with additives at a blend plant, and delivering finished lubricants to a customer is quite lengthy and has significant potential for error. e base stock, being the main portion of the lubricant, can pose one of the biggest problems from the start as not all base oils are compatible with each other. Most lubricants are formulated from two to three different base stocks—a simple mix up of base oils in the blend plant could result in catastrophe right from the start. If the wrong additives are mixed in along the way, it only makes things worse. Many different lubricants may also be mixed at the blend plant using the same pump or hoses, and failure to flush the used equipment can result in cross-con- tamination. By now, you should have an idea of the many issues that can occur before you ever receive the lubricant on your dock. is is only magnified when the point-of-fill into drums occurs further down the supply chain. What's Involved? A quality control process can help prevent bad lubricants from making their way into machines. e process should include a flow path that establishes where lubricants are to be delivered onsite, who oversees the quality process and what actions should be taken if a product is wrong or fails certain tests. A key objective of this process is inspecting the lubri- cant package and properties. is can begin even before a lubricant arrives on the receiving dock by requesting quality certificates from your lubricant supplier. ese certificates generally come in the form of an oil analysis report that shows the approval of the batch by the manufacturer's QA/QC department. e report will usually look different from that of an in-ser- vice lubricant as these are very specific to the lubricant's composition.

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