Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1475671
30 | July - August 2022 | www . machinerylubrication.com Maintenance is the single most control- lable expense in a facility. ese words have been quoted time and time again, vis-à-vis controlling equip- ment failures. Few areas of focus are more impactful on managing expenses tha n conta mination control. However, in the quest for the cleanest achievable oil, some questions typically form: How much filtration is too much filtra- tion? Is there such a thing as oil that is too clean? While the questions are simple and straightforward, the answers are anything but, and include a variety of variables that many don't account for when starting a fluid cleanliness program. Among the first variables that I address when helping a customer develop a contamination control program is the type of f luid in question. Most industrial facilities will employ a range of lubricants for different machine types and envi- ronments. Determining where the focus should be for filtration begins with determining which fluids actu- ally require filtration. at's right — not all lubricants may need to be filtered prior to use. Some Machines May Not Require Filtration Let's start with look ing at equipment where the results of contamination are low or where it may not be economically feasible to filter the lubricant. Typically, the first machines in this category tend to be total-loss systems or those completely exposed to the environment. Total- loss equipment (where the lubricant is applied and then drains, evapo - rates or is otherwise consumed) may not require filtration, provided the applied lubricant doesn't impact the delivery mechanism. For instance, if we are using a spray or drip system, the lubricant needs to be free of solids that would clog the nozzles or piping but not necessarily much cleaner than that. In systems that operate while freely exposed to the environ - ment (such as open gearing and drive chains), the ambient contaminants will stick to the oil-wetted surfaces, rendering any prior filtration activities useless. In these cases, most will find that filtration is too costly for any benefit that is obtained. Focus on the Machines That Require Filtration e equipment at the opposite end of this spectrum operates at CONTAMINATION CONTROL & LUBRICANT RECONDITIONING Factor: C3M Learn More: noria.com/ascend/ Factor: C3M — Contamination Control Objectives Level: Management and Training(M) Stage: Contamination Control & Lubricant Reconditioning About: Implementing contamination control objectives and goals increases machine reliability. Highly critical machines should have stringent objectives. More about this ASCEND ™ Factor Wes Cash | Noria Corporation Avoid Over-filtration: The Importance of Optimization