Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication July - August 2022

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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www.machinerylubrication.com | July - August 2022 | 15 ML ML ML We optimize a lube list by assigning specific greases and oils based on the machine data and operational and environmental parameters. is could mean that now the facility only utilizes four greases instead of eight greases; one for high-speed, one for low-speed, one for couplings and one for electric motors, for example. However, that is not always the case. Some lubricants fit the viscosity and additive parameters for multiple machine types, but some lubricants will only meet the parameters of one specific machine. We consolidate and optimize lubricants in order to reach extend machinery life and optimize machinery performance. at is the ulti- mate goal of machinery reliability. ML About the Autor Paul Farless is an Associate Technical Consultant for Noria Corporation. His duties include collecting data and preparing reports for the engineering team. Prior to joining Noria, Paul worked as an automotive maintenance technician for an auto-re- pair service company. He also served four years in the U.S. Navy as a gunner's mate third-class petty officer and as a seaman deckhand, where he was responsible for the troubleshooting and maintenance of electromechanical and hydraulic systems. A detail-oriented team player, Paul works well in fast-paced environments and uses his military background to excel and maximize efficiency. Next, we take all of that data back to our home base and study each machine and component to outfit it with hardware, recommended lubricant, sampling, inspec- tions, etc. We then consider all of the collected information and come to a recommenda- tion for all of the greased components and all of the oiled components. We advise the company to properly dispose of all the lubricants that are not in use. This has two benefits: it opens up space in the lube room for current and recommended lubricants and ensures that the incor- rect lubricants randomly found throughout the plant are not accidentally used. Now that we have eliminated the unused and outdated lubricants on-site, it is time to optimize the lubricants that are on-site. We often tell the end-users that "consolidation" isn't neces- sarily the right word to use. Instead, "optimization" is much more accurate. This means that not only do you "sometimes" have fewer lubricants on-site, but you now have the correct lubricants on-site. I put "sometimes" in quotations because sometimes the lubricant consol- idation process will end with the same number of lubricants or near the same amount as before. Some may have been removed, and some might have been added, but the result is an optimized selection of lubricants, ensuring the right lubricant is selected for each machine. T H E F I N A L S T E P : O P T I M I Z AT I O N Once the recommenda- tions are formulated, they are sent to the facility fo r a p p rov a l by t h e s t a ke h o l d e r s i nvo lve d . Explanations are provided, and a review is done for this approval process. Once the lubricants are approved, we are also left with a list of lubricants that are no longer utilized but still remain in the plant. We align our recommended lubricants with the current lubricants in use and all of the lubricants on site. We re com m e n d lub ri- cants based on a codified approach called a Lubricant Identification System (LIS) Code. This allows us to recommend viscosity, addi- tive package, base oil type and application without being brand-specific — Noria is a vendor-neutral company. For this step, we must take into account the compati- bility of the current lubricant and the recommended lubricant. For example, you don't want to purge a bearing with an aluminum complex thickened grease if there is a calcium thickener in the current grease.

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