Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1356397
26 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com 26 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com LUBRICANT HANDLING AND APPLICATION • task setup • line by line task execution instruction • area for recording information • detail regarding clean up Additional information relevant to task procedures should include • task type • task name • operation state • estimated time of completion • location of lubrication points • frequency of occurrence • volume Addressing this level of procedural documentation within the lubri- cation program works to ensure that these practices are harmonized and carried out the same way from individual to individual, shift to shift and department to department, every single time they are performed. Tasks Standardization to Applications Once procedures are in place for specific lubrication tasks, the next area within Lubricant Handling and Application to focus on is standardization from the tasks to the specific application types. As mentioned earlier, there are several types of lubrication-related proce- dures that need to be developed into clearly identified tasks. ese tasks can then be grouped by application type, with separate groups for categories such as lubrication replenishment, re-greasing and oil top ups, or equipment inspections, filtration and sampling. Most underdeveloped lubrication programs group these specific application types into assorted overall lubrication PMs or even part of other PMs not related to lubrication and instead associated with various other plant activities. It is during this process that sites lose sight of the importance of details, resulting in diminished value of the task at hand, compounding the variance in task performance. Once all standardized procedural tasks have been properly developed, they must be grouped in specific application-based lubrication PMs like the ones noted above. is should add precision to tasks at hand and maintain a level of definition within each group of tasks carried out. Application Standardization to Assets Finally, after developing standardized documentation processes for procedural tasks and application types, we begin to look at normalizing these application types in the form of PMs on equipment types in the field. Once again, it is all about minimizing variance in order to achieve lubrication excellence. For equipment already present on the plant floor, a guideline should be developed for application types based on categories of components such as pumps, motors and gearboxes. While criticality and size can vary for each component type, the levels of execution can be put in place for small, medium and large assets alike. is information is often organized during the development of a corporate lubrication standards manual but can also be useful during Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Management of Change (MOC) documentation. Similarly, there needs to be an established guideline for incoming future equipment as well. While the steps mentioned above can be utilized, an additional form of control with regards to employing application task types to inbound equipment should be implemented. One way this can be managed is with TPM measures in the form of Early Equipment Maintenance (EMM). Applying these documents and processes can aid in application type deployment of onsite assets and drive standardization of task execution. Wrapping Things Up In summary, when reviewing your site's lubrication activities, there may be numerous opportunities for variance during the Lubricant Application Tasks (H1P) processes. Identifying an improvement, formalizing these processes and acting on them with administrative measures will directly lead to minimizing overlooked downfalls in your program. Finally, do not forget to consider the fact that these techniques directly influence both standardization and process improvement, as well as deliver enhanced long-term site cultural development. ML References • https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/257/lube-procedures • https://w w w.machiner ylubrication.com/Read/2302/lubrica- tion-pm-procedures • https://w w w.machinerylubrication.com/Read/31435/lubrica- tion-task-procedures • https://www.process.st/process-standardization/ About the Author Matt Adams is a technical consultant for Noria Corporation, concentrating in the field of predic- tive maintenance. He has experience in multiple condition-based maintenance technologies and focuses the majority of his attention on lubrication program development, training and general consulting. Matt holds Machinery Lubrication Engineer certification (MLE) a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level III certification and a Machinery Lubrication Technician (MLT) Level I certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Matt at madams@noria.com to find out how Noria can help you maintain the compressors at your facility. Time Standard High-quality consciousness Quality Wheel of improvement