Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1356397
46 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com 46 | March - April 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com ENERGY CONSERVATION, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT phase of LPD, an assessment is performed and aligned to the 40 Factors of the Ascend™ methodology (see noria.com/ascend). One of these factors is Leakage Management (E3M). After a plant undergoes an Ascend Assessment, there is often the need to bring awareness to the abnormal state of leaks that exist. e reality of what is considered "normal" is not what should be allowable. Most leaks are manage- able, and if not, the result can be excessive costs, or worse, a hazardous work environment. The Cause of Leaks It's easy to blame a machine that is considered "a leaker" on some error in manufacturing or on actions taken during a rebuild. Sometimes this may be true. If there is not enough attention given to the type of material used or to component assembly, then any hope of controlling leaks may be doomed from the start. Other times, a leak is blamed on a symptom rather than root causes, like when housing corrosion or worn seals produce a leak. While these symptoms may be the source of the leak, they only failed because of something else: the root of the problem. If you're going to have any chance of preventing a leak from recurring, the root cause must be uncovered. Targeting the root cause helps make the most of the reactive nature of a leak fix by creating a more proactive and sustainable solu- tion. In most cases, the root cause of a leak stems from either a selection decision, negligence with mainte- nance or improper operations. • Selection – If the machine is not selected (and sized) appro- priately for the desired operating function, then leaks and other early failure modes can occur. Proper selection also includes ancillary decisions, such as choosing the right lubricants, seal materials and leak-stop agents based on physical or chemical composition. Exposing these materials to incompatible substances within the system could create leaks. • Maintenance – Of all the maintenance activities, one of the most important is inspec- tions. If conditions of the machine are not properly moni- tored, the root cause of leaks can prevail. is leads to the reactively fighting leaks instead of proactively preventing them. As the sayings goes, "If you don't schedule time for [proper] maintenance, your equipment will schedule it for you." is can be done with quality routine inspections and oil analysis, as well as other condition moni- toring technologies that target the root causes of leaks. • Operation – When machines are forced to perform work beyond their intended design, severe, unexpected leaks can occur. is certainly includes scenarios when equipment is over-pressurized, over-loaded or at higher speeds. With that being said, it can also occur when suspect conditions such as high conta mination, high temperature, and abnormal vibration are ignored. The Effect of Leaks and Overall Risk Concerns Some leaks start small and stay small. In a perfect scenario, this would give maintenance ample time to discover the leak during routine inspections and follow up with corrective action. Other times, leaks are more significant and it's critical to act quickly. Don't be fooled by the size of the leak, as this doesn't always identify the level of risk or urgency of action. In fact, small leakers are often the biggest risk, simply because they are more likely to go unnoticed or without much concern afforded to them. Take for example a leak with a rate of about one drop per second; it would take less than a day for a gallon of oil to leak out. at means Images Courtesy of Brian Ramatally (CASL)