Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1480588
16 | September - October 2022 | www . machinerylubrication.com Lagging Indicators Lagging indicators track what just happened, meaning that they result from the action we are hoping to achieve. Using the same weight loss analogy, the number on the scale after you step on it is a lagging indicator. So is your waist size. If we are selecting the proper lubricant for the appli- cation, a few of the key metrics we might hope to track are: Checks and Balances Simply setting metrics to track the process isn't enough — action has to be taken to achieve the desired results. For some organizations, the responsibility of lubricant selection doesn't fall to one person; rather, a committee is tasked with the process. While the goal is not to create bureaucracy for the sake of it, there needs to be a system of checks and balances to ensure lubri- cants aren't needlessly added or dropped from the inventory. It is common for industrial facilities to add equipment or update lines periodically, so the lubricant properties needed tend to change as well. Without keen oversight, your lubricant inventory can get out of hand. e goal is to create a process that is sustainable and that consistently gives us the desired result, which is to provide the proper lubricant to a piece of equipment that meets the needs of the equipment, has adequate life at an appropriate cost and can be delivered in a proper manner. ML About the Author Wes Cash is the Vice President of Services for Noria Corporation. He serves as a senior technical consultant for Lubrication Program Development projects and as a senior instructor for Noria's Oil Analysis I and Machinery Lubri- cation I and II training courses. He holds a Machinery Lubrication Engineer (MLE) Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT) Level II certification and a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level III certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Wes at wcash@noria.com. LUBRICANT SELECTION Energy consumption Lubricant selection has a direct impact on the energy consumption of a piece of equipment. Think about viscosity (which is only one of many properties that can impact this); if it is too high or too low, there will be an impact on energy. By tracking amp draw or kW hours of lubricated equipment, we can help dial in the selection and also recoup some money based on the lube program. Operating temperature The hotter something runs, the faster it breaks down. If the machine is working harder to churn through a lubricant, the temperature will rise. Some lubricants have lower internal friction and can help lower operating temperature. Similar to energy conservation, this metric can help with selection and serve as a leading indicator of equipment/lubricant failure. Change intervals Lubricants should be changed before they reach the end of their life. If lubricant properties are matched to the machine's needs, we should expect to see an increase in the change interval. It could also be a result of our lubricant analysis program to help set ideal change intervals. Lubricant disposal Looking at either the volume of lubricant disposed of or the cost of disposal provides a lagging metric of how well we are doing with lubricant change intervals, leaks, and subsequently, selection. Proper lubricants can help with all of these factors, and again, this cost can be directly affected by lubricant selection. Know someone who needs to read this magazine? Let them know it's free!