Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1504498
6 | Machinery Lubrication Anniversary Edition | www . machinerylubrication.com it was just: 'throw some oil in it,' or 'throw some grease on it,' it didn't necessarily matter what oil or what grease, as long as it had some- thing in it." But through Noria's training courses, Matt has come a long way since those days, having successfully achieved MLT I, MLT II, MLA I, MLA II, and MLA III certifications to supplement what he learned through Noria's lubrication program development process. Today, Matt and Kevin are the lubrication experts in their plant. Maintenance techni- cians come to them for insights and advice on bearing health or related concerns, but it wasn't always that way. Early on, Kevin said there was some fric- tion in getting the lubrication program started. Maintenance technicians who had been greasing bearings themselves without the help of a lubrication technician their whole careers were unsure why a skilled position was needed for such a "simple" task: just add grease until you see it purge out the other side, right? It wasn't long before Matt and Kevin had cleared up that common misconception, and things only got better from there as the results of lubrication improvements started to become more obvious. "Since then, the maintenance guys have learned that we know what we're doing, and it's working," said Kevin. "So now they will say, 'hey, I noticed that bearing is a little warm — could you take a look at it?' " Roadmap to Success When Noria helps a plant make improve- ments to its lubrication program, they follow a three-phase approach of assessment, design and implementation. Phase one, the Ascend TM Assessment, is a three-day process in which a Noria expert walks the plant, capturing details of current lubrication practices and procedures. en they deliver a complete report, which includes a strategic plan designed to help the plant achieve both quick wins and long-term success along with an overall score. Once Blue Buffalo's assessment was complete, it became much clearer where the lube program was going and how Noria would help make it happen. "With the Noria assessment, we just follow it like a roadmap to lead us to a better place," Kevin said. By removing the trial-and-error of building a lube program from scratch, the Ascend TM Assessment helps plants quickly determine where they stand and how to pursue their most profitable opportunities first. "It pays for itself in about a year and a half," Matt added. Lubrication Equipment & Machine Modifications With the assessment complete and the roadmap in hand, it was time to start modi- fying equipment, installing breathers, sight glasses and other improvements that drive reliability. "We started looking at all the products we could use to modify our equipment to have a closed system — that was a big focal point in what I wanted to do: have visual sight glasses, quick connects, fill ports, sample ports and desiccant breathers," Matt said. "Wes and Jeremie would advise me on what products were available or answer questions about installation. ey even came out for a week and just helped me work through the installs to get it all done." e lube storage room was one of the last pieces of the program to be defined as there was uncertainty on where in the plant it would be located. Matt and Kevin ultimately agreed on a large room that would be divided in two, with one half serving as the lube room. Because proper storage is at the foundation of every successful lube program, the room was equipped with all the necessary components: • Temperature control system • Labeling system • Separation of food-grade and non-food- grade lubricants (and associated hardware) • Oil Safe systems to prefilter "new" oil • Storage cabinets Having these fixtures in place upholds the integrity of a plant's lubrication program. Without a clean and controlled space, lubricants can degrade significantly before even entering machines. Environmental contamination, temperature fluctuations or cross-contamina- tion can all play a role. "With it being organized and everything labeled, it definitely makes it faster and easier to find what you need," Matt said. "And you're sure of what you're doing too," adds Kevin. COVER STORY With the Noria Assessment, we just follow it like a roadmap to lead us to a better place." " Blue Buffalo uses LubePM, a lubrication management system (LMS), to manage their lubrication tasks and routes.