Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1433576
38 | November - December 2021 | www . machinerylubrication.com saved, there will be a clear indication of the reduced energy consumption. What You Need to Do Making changes to your lubrication program will help move you and your company towards a more sustainable future. To start, you need to invest in good lubricants. More and more people are becoming aware that often the advantages of synthetic oils greatly outweigh the initial added cost. Remember to check and double-check with the manufacturer and your lubricants distributor to ensure that the right oil is in the right machine. en, you need to invest in a good oil analysis program. An oil analysis program with condition-based maintenance is one of the best strategies that can be used to maintain lubricated equipment. Through oil analysis, companies can monitor oil health, contamination and machine wear. When abnormal conditions are identified, immediate action can be taken to correct or negate a developing failure. Oil analysis labs can provide a tremendous staff resource with the expertise to uncover changing equipment health along with the expertise to suggest the appropriate corrective actions. Your oil analysis result will only be as good as the sample you submit. is is why the importance of oil sampling cannot be underestimated. Labs often report that over 20% of the samples submitted are not repre- sentative of the system. Dedicated oil sampling valves make it possible to take reliable oil samples safely while the equipment is running. is ensures that the sample is a direct representation of the equipment's condition. e location of the sampling valves guarantees that the sample pulled will contain hot, information-rich oil that can be trended against previous samples to show the condition of your equipment. Lastly, sampling valves typically can collect the sample in a faster and cleaner way compared to other sampling methods. Proper Sampling at All Stages Start right. Starting with clean new oil that meets the OEM specifications will ensure you're not introducing harmful particles to your system. At a minimum, you should ensure that the oil received is clean and is the correct viscosity. While several companies now offer their oil at a certified level of ISO cleanliness, it is still important to inspect and filter the oil as necessary before putting it into service. Drum and tote mounts like Checkflu- id's DT adapter will enable you to sample, monitor, filter and cleanly transfer your oil from a storage container. e quick-con- nect (ideally flush face style) will let you cleanly connect your drum tote mount to your filtration system. A high-flow sampling valve option allows you to continually check on your oil without opening the drum to external contamination. e optional desic- cant breather provides additional protection from moisture and particulate contami- nation without opening the system to dirt or moisture. To sample in-service oil, look at installing sampling valves. Dedicated valves can be installed on most lubricated systems, such as gearboxes, hydraulic return lines, compres- sors, engines, etc. Incorporating condition-based moni- toring tools with your oil sampling valves will only help you increase program savings. Condition-based monitoring versus time- based monitoring enables a company to complete necessary maintenance when it is needed rather than when it is scheduled. is condition-based monitoring system (CBM) is at the heart of newer international standards for asset management, such as ISO 55000. To incorporate condition monitoring tools into your oils sampling program, look at solu- tions such as Checkfluid's CORE Solution. It is comprised of a breather mount and drain mount. With the CORE Solution, you can: • Establish cleanliness requirements for all equipment • Establish guidelines for incoming lubri- cants • Get best practice oil sampling • Baseline your oil • Perform in-service filtering through a closed system when required • Complete visual oil analysis inspections • Protect your system from particles and moisture contamination • Complete clean oil top-ups • Drain your oil As always, controlling contamination is a top priority. It continues to be one of the biggest causes of component failure and productivity declines. It is estimated that it costs 10 times more to remove contamination from equipment than to exclude contamina- tion altogether. Remember, machine problems can be kept to a minimum with good oil and good oil plans. With a better lubrication program, you can be sustainable and profitable at the s ame time. ML Figure 3: Examples of Dedicated Sampling Valves START YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION www.machinerylubrication.com ENVIRONMENT