Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication May-June 2021

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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ML www.machinerylubrication.com | May - June 2021 | 33 ML up components easier for the lubrication tech- nician or operator, this is poor practice due to the level of contaminants adhering to the funnel while not in use. e first simple step to improve this action is introducing the use of plastic bags to store the funnels and dedicating the funnels to specific oil types. ese actions minimize the concern for debris accumulation and, through dedication, minimize the potential for cross-contamination of other lubricants. e next step while inhibiting an increase in consumables is the consideration of paper one-time use funnels. Paper funnels have improved greatly over the years and provide a means to address the repetitive use of plastic funnels onsite for different oil transfer appli- cations and lubricants. With any sound, lean improvement development, the goal is always to minimize and simplify steps. With this being the case, if dedicated sealable top-up containers have correctly sized spouts for most applications, the obligation of a funnel is no longer a neces - sity. Several sites have begun to implement these sealable containers, but we must note it is imperative that when purchasing, an audit of fill port sizes needs to be completed to properly identify and minimize the use of funnels in the future. The final step to consider during oil transfer is the addition of quick disconnects to the sealable containers and mating compo- nents in the field. e implementation of this practice essentially eliminates any potential for foreign contaminants to gain access to the system. Mobile Filter Cart Development One final but important example that will be discussed within the Lubricant Handling and Application Devices — H3P arena for staircase development is the deployment of mobile filter carts. Portable filtration units are a lubrication swiss army knife of sorts. ey provide the ability to transfer lubricant, act as flushing and draining devices and provide online and offline filtration — depending on the system designs across an array of equip- ment in the plant. ese carts are becoming more of a standard at sites daily, but prior to acquiring these units, it is important to understand the site's current lubricants (i.e., a lubricant list), the total charge volume of the lubricants, the usage by asset or component and what budget is available to better outline a game plan for portable filtration. Below is an example of step-by-step advancements: 1. No filter cart utilization 2. One filter cart for all site lubricant uses 3. Dedicated filter carts for each lubricant type/family 4. Dedicated filtration for each site lubri- cant As one would expect, the bottom step, or worst-case option, regarding mobile filter cart development would be the absence of filter carts onsite. While some sites may not merit the use of filter carts (i.e., all site sumps or reservoirs less than a few gallons), smaller mobile handheld filter options are another avenue to consider. Beyond this advancement, it is often seen where sites utilize one filter cart for all portable filtration across the site. While there is improvement with this step, it is highly recommended to flush the line between uses of the same lubricant and filters between types/ families. is step is commonly overlooked and, as such, can create the potential for cross-contamination. Transitioning forward, the next advance- ment to consider is often the most practical, and that is dedicating filter carts for each site based on the lubricant type and family. An example of this practice is dedicating all family gear oils to one cart, all family turbine oils to another, and so on. While this process reduces the concern for noteworthy cross-contamination of other lubricants, some unease is still present within the families since cross-contamination within families can still impair viscosity. e last significant step to mention is the dedication of filter carts to each lubricant type merited based on use, volume and criticality. Although the upfront cost of acquiring these carts may provide a hit against capital, there can be significant returns on investment. Other prominent areas of improvement within mobile filter carts are tagging and labeling — allowing for stronger visual change management — and the advancement of filtra- tion options between micron rating, beta ratios and filter types. Wrapping Things Up It is universally understood that most sites genuinely have the desire to improve their lubrication programs. While this task can be somewhat daunting, identif ying and understanding the developmental steps of each lubrication-related task will greatly aid in how much time, money and effort should be provided to each one. e practice of walking through these simple steps in each of your lubrication areas may seem pedantic, but doing the little things right systematically aids in addressing overlooked or underempha- sized aspects of a site's program. Hopefully, a review of a few examples inside the Ascend Chart's Lubricant Handling and Applica- tion Devices — H3P section on exactly what this practice looks like regarding grease gun development, oil transfer and bulk oil filtration will encourage and support you in all of your future machinery lubrication endeavors. ML About the Author Matt Adams is a technical consultant for Noria Corpo- ration, concentrating in the field of predictive maintenance. He has experi- ence 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 certi- fication 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.

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