Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1449093
www.machinerylubrication.com | January - February 2022 | 25 ML ML ML lubricated machines. It is not intuitive for us to understand the importance of these virtually invisible contaminants with everyday prac- tices. is is just one example of what must be learned through careful training — providing a discussion and explanation on why contam- ination control is important, rather than just telling them what to do and what not to do. Creating a Balance Between Exclusion and Removal It is often assumed that contamination control is just about filtration; this is far from the truth. While it is a big part of contam- ination control, filtration is only necessary because contamination is allowed to get into the oil (and the machine) in the first place. e actions that must be taken to control contami- nation include both exclusion (seals, breathers, clean new oil, etc.) and removal (mostly filtra- tion). In fact, it will always be much cheaper (at least one-tenth the cost) to exclude a gram of dirt from getting into a machine than it is to remove it through filtration. Nevertheless, neither exclusion nor removal is perfect — they must be considered together as a contamination control solution for critical machines. It must be learned through training that contamination control requires a balance of this two-part approach, just like our bodily caloric control, where we strive to burn more calories than we consume. For machines, we can monitor contamination levels, such as with oil analysis, to verify that this is staying in balance. If more contaminants are accu- mulating in the oil than are being removed, a contamination-induced failure can develop. It is important that those who make decisions about breathers, seals, filtration and other everyday oil sump management have learned about contamination control to ensure enough is being done to keep this in balance. Realizing the Benefits For decades, countless industry studies by OEMs and end-user groups have identified that contamination is the number one cause of wear on rolling element bearings, gears and the majority of lubricated components. Addi- tionally, it is well established that the cost of controlling contamination through optimized best practices will be considerably less than the cost savings from mechanical wear-related failures decreasing over that period. en why is this not often realized? is is where training is needed. As mechanical wear occurs from moderate levels of contamination, it propagates a gradual Failure Development Period that appears largely uneventful to the untrained person. As the wear gets worse, eventually predictive maintenance (PdM) may trigger a corrective action through vibra- tion analysis, inspections or other means. If this becomes a common occurrence, then a preventative maintenance (PM) task may get scheduled to replace these components on a fixed interval that is significantly less than the intended design life. And unfortunately, this is very common. ese PdM catches and scheduled PMs are rewarded, but these habits actually form a maintenance culture focused on reacting to failure rather than establishing proactive measures to recognize the root cause (contam- ination) and improve proactive maintenance (contamination control). If a root cause analysis were done, it would be difficult to pinpoint one single cause. Rather, the root cause is usually a collection of bad decisions and practices that impact contamination levels. Good practices include everyday activities or decisions such as: • Managing new oils by keeping them clean and dry before use. • Transferring new oils in clean, seal- able-and-refillable containers, filter carts or something similar. • Managing machines' headspaces by using quality desiccant breathers or something similar. • Monitoring contamination levels with particle counting on critical machines. • Establishing filtration needs effectively, either through continuous stationary filtration or through periodic filtration with a filter cart. • And many more daily activities like careful machine washdowns, keeping machine areas tidy and clean, walk-by inspections, etc. e actions and decisions that influence contamination control are part of a collec- tive effort involving nearly everyone working around the machines, including maintenance, operators, lube techs, reliability engineers, supervisors, etc. Similarly, when these teams go through contamination control trainings together, everyone builds a collective awareness and a better understanding of what each of their roles entails. e benefit of contamination control training multiplies as the importance is bought-in together, especially when the training takes place in-person as one group. Ultimately, contamination control is every- one's responsibility. When training is provided for those responsible, it sets the tone from the top down that lubrication is not a trivial part of maintenance but instead requires carefully made decisions, quality daily actions, and, most importantly, it impacts the bottom line. It all requires a highly trained professional. ML About the Author Bennett Fitch is the Chief Strategy Officer for Noria C or porat ion. He is a mechanical engineer who holds a Machinery Lubrication Engineer (MLE) certification, a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level III certification and a Machine Lubrication Tech- nician (MLT) Level II certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Bennett at bfitch@noria.com. START YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION www.machinerylubrication.com