Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1378657
ML www.machinerylubrication.com | May - June 2021 | 27 ML reporting standard for fluid cleanliness. We can use this standard to establish cleanliness targets, which can help create a benchmark for how clean various lubricants need to be for their applications. e same principle is used with dryness targets where the maximum amount of water is reported in parts per million (PPM). An example of this might be that all incoming gearbox oils should have an ISO 4406 Cleanliness Code under 17/14/12 and should have less than 300 PPM of water. e data that needs to be collected for a KPI is the number of lubricants delivered that meet the targets vs. those that do not. If targets are being met on a regular basis, all is well. If they are not meeting targets, a call with the supplier might be in store. A key aspect of this process is sampling incoming lubricants to ensure they are free of contaminants — a step that is often overlooked or neglected. Introducing heavily contaminated lubricants to equipment is an example of a root cause of premature equip- ment and lubricant failure. Setting a metric around this will help ensure it is tracked. Lubricant Inventory Rotation More often than not, as I am doing an assess- ment I will find at least one outdated lubricant. Lubricants, like many other items, do not last forever. A starting point for setting a lubricant's shelf-life is to use information provided by the manufacturer. It is important to remember that when the manufacturer gives suggestions, they assume that the lubricants are being stored in a clean, dry and temperature-controlled envi- ronment. Stock rotation systems such as FIFO (First in First Out) ensure that older lubricants are used before more recently delivered lubri- cants. KPIs can help a program manager know if FIFO and other inventory management systems are working correctly. Making sure that the minimum and maximum amounts of lubricants are being kept in stock is critical. If too many lubricants are being procured and not used, lubricants start to stockpile and can even "spoil" in the lube room. On the other hand, it is an issue if too few lubricants are being stored, and you constantly have to procure on-demand and wait for lubricants to arrive. To track this, you can measure the amount of a particular lubricant that is being stored vs. the amount going into machines every month. If a thousand gallons are being stored and only two hundred gallons are going out every month, the maximum amount held might need to be adjusted. ere are a few other variables to consider when determining how much lubri- cant to store, such as how long it takes the supplier to deliver lubricants or if a high-volume machine needs a change in lubricant during an upcoming shutdown. Another easy KPI to track over time is the number of lubricants that are rarely or never used. Often, when a new lubricant brand is implemented, the old brand of lubricant is shoved to the back of the lube room. ere are different reasons that old lubricants might be kept around; for instance, if a machine is under warranty and is required to use the old lubricant. Another way to achieve an optimized lubricant inventory is with consolidation effort.