Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1378657
www.machinerylubrication.com | May - June 2021 | 31 ML one topic to another. I simply draw a staircase between 2-10 steps high and note the bottom step as the worst-case practice. Next, I begin to add notable upgrades on each proceeding step until I reach the final improvement option, which is the world-class step. We then identify which step the site is currently at based on the specific, noted lubrication topic and determine how much money, time and effort the site has to reach any additional steps towards world- class practices. As there are capital and labor constraints, it is routinely improbable to plan for all topics to become world-class. Some topics may stay on the same step or only move up one or two steps, but to advance properly across the program, we need to know each step and what perfection within each specific topic looks like. Finally, it is worth noting that during implementation, these steps can be carried out progressively or in one swift action, depending on logic, cost and the specific need or desire of the site. is activity can be carried out across all lubrication topics and then finally reviewed together to see if any amendments are necessary. After these actions are illustrated over a number of topics throughout the class, the trainees will begin to have a better under- standing of each section we cover, where their sites are in the grand staircase scheme of things, what world-class practices look like and how their sites should advance accordingly. I urge trainees to continue this staircase exercise as they return to their sites and to identify the how, when and where of the current and future state of their lubrication programs. Now that this staircase practice has been reviewed, let's take a look into a couple of examples within the Ascend Chart's Lubricant Handling and Application Devices — H3P section to determine exactly what this looks like with regard to grease gun development, oil transfer, and bulk oil filtration. Grease Gun Application Development Reviewing and understanding the advance- ment of grease gun development at a site is a great example to begin with, as there are noticeable specific changes from one stage, or stair-step, to the next. As we begin to break this topic down, we can see there are about five specific steps to look at: 1. Random grease guns with no dedication 2. Standardization of grease guns 3. Standardization and dedication of grease guns 4. Standardization, dedication and coding 5. Standardization, dedication, coding and calibration Genera lly, the worst-case situation involved in grease gun ownership at a site is observing the use of a homogenous mixture of different varieties of grease guns with no rhyme or reason for how they arrived at this state. Often, the first step in development will be the standardization of grease guns; this is commonly executed by minimizing grease gun types down to a single brand/type of pistol or lever gun and a single brand/model of pneu- matic or battery-style grease gun. is step provides visual change management for the site, sets the tone for advancement and aids in the progression of normalizing the "shot" amount of grease per application. Following standardization, the dedication of grease guns often takes place. is step allows the site to stipulate certain grease guns for each type of lubricant used onsite, mini- mizing the concern for cross-contamination and providing further visual detail. Coding — the development of a color, shape and code for