Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1480588
www.machinerylubrication.com | September - October 2022 | 19 ML ML lubricant selection, procedures and machine modifications for contamination control, sampling, inspections, filtration and more. As a lubrication tech- nician, keeping track of lubricant type, volume a nd f re quenc y of application can be over- whelming across countless lubrication points. A connected lubrication mobile application can walk you through these details on-the-fly while tracking completions, usage and inspection conditions. Moreover, as turnover occurs in the workforce, there must be a streamlined soft- ware solution to integrate historical knowledge with modern best practices. Why Lubrication Needs a Dedicated Management Tool Proper lubrication is critical to mini- mizing friction in industria l rotating equipment. us, it's an essential activity in maintenance to keep lubrication in check with routine activities, such as inspections and oil changes. However, common mistakes often go unnoticed or inaccurately diagnosed, for example, when bearings are relubricated with the wrong grease or when contaminants enter an oil reservoir through an open port. ese lubrication issues are like the case of the boiling frog — an apologue that places a frog in a gradually heated pot of water where, lacking any sense of danger, the amphibian will contently remain until it is boiled alive. When common lubrication issues happen, failure is often not immediate. Instead, the consequences tend to be initially silent as they slowly snowball into more significant problems without an obvious connection to the root cause. Or worse, they gradually decrease equipment productivity or increase preventive maintenance, i.e., more frequent bearing replacements or oil changes. Why is that worse? Not only are these costly, but much like the boiled frog, the lack of a sudden failure event creates complacency, down- playing urgency and negatively impacting the perceived need for action. For a lubrication technician, the need for procedures and guidance can be more apparent for tasks such as flushing a circulating system before switching incompatible lubricants. But as mentioned, even daily activities need careful management to ensure they are done correctly. For example, it's important to consistently know which lubricant to use, how much, how often, and where to apply it, what to inspect for, and so on. Yet, managing lubrication activities requires more than that: • Planners and schedulers require tools to develop efficient plans and routes. • Maintenance managers need tools to track lubricant usage and consider consolidation efforts to minimize costs and risks of cross-contamination. • Reliability engineers need dependable data to make decisions based on lubricant condition monitoring and analyze oppor- tunities for equipment modifications. For a plant manager today, these key lubri- cation activities are essential to long-term plant operations and reliability. But without the right strategy and tools, lubrication will continue to hinder these necessary improvements. Integrating Lubrication Management Tools into your CMMS or EAM For many, managing maintenance activi- ties is done with a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) software or platform. Managing the overall lifecycle of your assets is done with an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software. e benefits of streamlining maintenance activities or maxi- mizing the value of your assets are essential for most industrial facilities. Yet even in 2022, some activities, like lubrication, are often subtly influenced by everyday challenges. EA Ms and CMMSs are often viewed with many overlapping features and intended applications. For example, many common features of a CMMS, such as managing work orders and predictive maintenance, are also features of an EAM. In general, an EAM is designed to be more holistic than a CMMS by managing assets at a higher level. Choosing an EAM is often a decision when an organization reaches a certain personnel size or when there exists a need for a more diverse set of features. Yet, these added features usually come with a tradeoff. For example, a CMMS is often preferred for maintenance personnel who value a program designed and dedicated to more everyday maintenance objectives. Similarly, while lubrication can be run through a CMMS, it is not designed for the unique aspects of everyday lubrication, espe- cially when prioritizing best practice lubricant ma nagement ef forts a nd tra nsitioning through machine modifications to improve reliability. At various organizational levels, different software solutions become more relevant and beneficial. At the plant f loor and maintenance management levels, a dedicated management solution targets these lubrication objectives to control contamination, minimize lubricant cross-contamination, optimize the dynamic routing of various intervals, monitor lubri- cant use and compliance of tasks and more. Moreover, these can then communicate the CMMS management aspects such as work order activity and inventory. Lubrication as a Reliability Strategy ose who have been challenged with frequent unpla nned downtime due to improper lubrication f ind diff icult y in Lubrication Management Platform CMMS EAM