Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1356397
www . machinerylubrication.com | March - April 2021 | 35 www . machinerylubrication.com | March - April 2021 | 35 are so high on the oil analysis reports. During my investigation, I walk along the effected equipment and notice product piled high around the machinery and blowing every- where because of a compromised fan duct or a broken conveyor belt dropping product from above. ese are all things that can be fixed or prevented. Recalling the "domino effect" I mentioned previously when product or dirt is allowed to become airborne and blows around everywhere, it's likely that multiple pieces of equipment have now become contaminated. A little oversight and simple proactive repairs can prevent a small hole or busted conveyor belt turning into a catastrophic shut- down. Installing covers or proper ventilation will help prevent contaminants from building up on machine parts. Performing normal housekeeping on equipment is essential to effective contaminant exclusion. is includes making sure debris does not pile up around fill ports, breather ports and hatches. When filling or inspecting equipment, dirt and debris that are allowed to pile up around these ingression points can easily fall into the reservoir or onto a lubricated surface. Keeping these areas clear of possible contaminants greatly reduces the risk of ingression during regular maintenance and inspections. Atmospheric conditions are hard to control because they can change with the drop of a hat. You cannot predict when the next water line will bust, or fan duct will pop a hole. You can protect against these unforeseen problems by having systems in place to protect your equipment before and during these failures and by being creative and proactive when thinking about the modifications needed to protect your equipment. Contamination exclusion does not have to be hard or expen- sive. It takes pre-planning and a willingness to protect machine parts from contamination. Remember, taking the necessary steps to protect equipment from contamination will pay off in the long run and prevent that first domino from ever falling. ML About the Author David Dise is an to Asso- ciate Technical Consultant for Noria Corporation. He works closely with plant managers and reli- ability engineers to develop lubrication and reliability programs. His goal is to help plants become world class. David has been certified as a Level II Machine Lubricant Analyst and a Level I Machine Lubrication Technician by the International Council for Machinery Lubri- cation. Before joining Noria, he worked as a flowback operator at 1st Rate Energy Services, traveling to several different locations around the United States. ML ML