Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1522439
58 Machinery Lubrication Annual Edition | www . machinerylubrication.com Three Simple Steps Proactive maintenance is a mindset change. What I'm really talking about are the "'ers" of lubrication and maintenance. Sadly, these are not generally understood and even less well-applied. For instance, we are seeking oil that is not just clean but cleaner, and oil that is not just dry but drier. We can keep going… cooler, better lubricant, better inspection practices, better maintenance practices, better relubrication intervals, etc. You get it — the 'ers of lubrication and maintenance. is may sound simple to you, but why does it seem like many organizations aren't doing it? For example, how do you get a hydraulic pump to last four-times longer? How do you double the rebuild interval of a diesel engine? How do you reduce bearing-replacement frequency by 80%? How do you reduce unscheduled downtime by 50%? All these objectives require change, persistence, and control. Proactive machine-lifestyle changes are designed to do just that. It all boils down to these three simple steps: 1. Set your target for change. e target must be measurable or verifiable, and preferably better than past practices or conditions. You're not doing proactive maintenance if your oils are not cleaner, cooler, drier, etc. Just okay is not good enough. Machine life will not be extended by "okay". 2. Next, you must implement change that attains the targeted machine-lifestyle change. You may say you're going to lose 25 pounds, reduce your blood pressure and get your cholesterol under control. But you are lying to yourself if you don't change the root causes. I assume that you know what I mean. For your machine we're talking about changes like better filtration, better lubricants, better inspection skills, better procedures, better training. If you've set a target cleanliness of ISO 16/13/9 from historic averages of 19/16/11, then the changes might include better seals, better breathers, better lubricant handling/storage practices and better contamination control. 3. is third step is critical. You must measure to verify the targets are being achieved and controlled. Celebrate successes, resolve deficiencies. If it is important enough to set a target and implement changes, it is important enough to measure. What gets measured gets done. Oil analysis can tell us about oil health, cleanliness and dryness. Inspection can tell us about oil levels and leakage, contaminant exclusion, oil temperature, aeration, etc. Machinery Lubrication has published dozens, perhaps hundreds, of real-world examples of how these three simple steps work when rigorously followed. It's not an imaginary or an abstract theoret- ical concept. To better understand the magnitude of proactive maintenance, I strongly encourage you to read this article: "e Power of 10X" at machinerylubrication.com/Read/32097. Follow the ASCEND Chart e ASCEND Chart was constructed to provide a useful framework or roadmap for the deployment of a proactive maintenance strategy in lubrication. It consists of six lifecycle stages, going clockwise beginning at from the top. Within each stage are specific "change and control" opportunities, which we refer to as "factors" e following are some examples: 1. Lubricant Selection: Matching the correct lubricant to your machine, operating environment and exposures is an engineering exercise. Don't let anyone suggest otherwise. Lubricants are not all alike. ere are tens of thousands to choose from. What is the perfect viscosity, viscosity index, base oil type, additive chemistry, treat rate, package and transport method, supplier support, etc.? Get the help you need, to do this right. 2. Lubricant Reception and Storage: is refers to your lubricant's health and protection from contamination and accidental mixing. A lubricant can lose more life during reception and storage than when it resides in the machine. 3. Lubricant Handling and Application: is covers how lubricants are added or changed, as well as, the frequency and the amount. Mostly it seeks to ensure that machines aren't under-lubricated or over-lubricated. Changing oil and grease levels, even by what seems like insignificant amounts, can have a sharp impact on machine life. Next, change the oil on time. rough routine oil analysis, oil changes can be changed "on condition," not too soon or too late. is can be applied to regreasing intervals as well. 4. Contamination Control and Lubricant Relubrication: Just as the name implies, keeping lubricants clean, dry and cool within the target level is an endless but necessary task. Controlling contaminant ingress is job one. Next is the rapid removal of contaminants once they make contact with the oil. Just because the oil looks clean and dry doesn't make it so. Use oil analysis for verification. 5. Condition Monitoring, Lubricant Analysis & Trouble- shooting: It's darn hard for a machine to be in trouble (impending failure of bearing, gear, cylinder, engine, etc.) without the lubricant knowing about it first. e lubricant is the common medium across all frictional components. Oil analysis only works when lubricants are sampled frequently, sampled properly and tested correctly. Don't pretend to save money by buying cheap oil analysis. e same holds true for inspection. Inspectors shouldn't just be looking at machines but should instead be carefully examining the machines with a keen and purposeful eye. is is just as important as oil analysis but is rarely done well. 6. Energy Conservation, Health and the Environment: Energy conservation alone presents huge cost savings opportunities for most organizations. Much of this relates to lubricant selection, as well as established lubrication practices. Reducing machine frictional losses by 10-20% has often been reported by making smart choices. ASCEND