Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication January - February 2022

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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24 | January - February 2022 | www . machinerylubrication.com "Wow, there is so much I didn't know about lubrication!" is is the typical response after someone attends a Machinery Lubri- cation course: a several-day learning journey through all sorts of topics. is includes learning about the functions of a lubricant, how to select the right lubricant for each application, how to manage them in storage and properly apply them to machines, and of course, all about monitoring lubricant and machine conditions through inspec- tions and oil analysis. But there are two specific areas of lubrication that must be communi- cated to nearly everyone working with and around plant equipment: Contam- ination Control and Inspections. In this article, I will review a few of the benefits of contamination control training as it drives culture change and long-term sustainable growth with plant reliability. What is Contamination Control? Consider first that contamination is defined as "any foreign or unwanted substance that can have a negative effect on system operation, life or reliability." is is much more than just solid particulates from the envi- ronment; rather, it includes water, air, glycol, soot, fuel, etc. Even the wrong lubricant mixed into the current lubricant is a form of contamination referred to as cross-contamination. Contamination control in the context of lubrication includes the "planning, organizing, managing, and implementing all activities required to determine, achieve and maintain a specified contamination level." Notice that neither the word "eliminate" nor "remove" is used in this definition; more on that later. Don't Leave it to Instinct A lot of what is important with contamination control is not intui- tive, meaning that, until someone has training, they simply don't know what they don't know. Take, for example, the physical size of solid contaminants that could damage a rolling or sliding contacting compo- nent. Oil films are usually 5-20 microns for sliding contact (turbine bearings, gears, pistons, etc.), all the way down to less than one micron for rolling contact (rolling element bearing, gears, cams, etc.). Typical airborne particulates that ingress into machines are usually much smaller than 40 microns, which is the visibility limit of the unaided eye. is makes it common for there to be a misperception of the degree of cleanliness needed in and around CONTAMINATION CONTROL & LUBRICANT RECONDITIONING Factor: C4M Learn More: noria.com/ascend/ Factor: C4M – Contamination Control Training Level: Management and Training (M) Stage: Contamination Control & Lubricant Reconditioning About: Proper contamination control training allows operators to iden- tify contamination sources and establish preventative and corrective measures. More about this ASCEND ™ Factor Bennett Fitch | Noria Corporation The Benefits of Contamination Control Training

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