Machinery Lubrication

56 Reliable Plant | www . reliableplant.com Machinery Lubrication | www . machinerylubrication.com 2025 Annual LUBRICANT HANDLING & RECEPTION "Since the changes, I really look forward to going to work because I know I'm part of an effective maintenance team that allows my facility to be profitable and to be around for the future," said Woodgrain Lead Lubrication Technician Kevin Ingerson. Additionally, the company reported 3,500 downtime minutes in its bearing equipment class in 2021. In comparison, only 495 downtime minutes were reported in 2023. Recognizing the success of these initiatives, Woodgrain management is now 100% committed to supporting the company's lubrication team as they complete their remaining reliability initiatives. "Training helped improve the understanding of 'why' we need to change our practices and create buy-in," said Jacob Johnston, Maintenance Planner and Scheduler at Woodgrain and Noria Lubrication Champion. "We have procured and installed the proper tools and technology. is includes adding filtration systems, as well as bolstering our headspace protection on many of our large hydraulic systems." Additionally, Johnston commented he has seen a notable and positive culture shift among the maintenance staff since improving these processes. How It All Began After working with Noria to develop an initial ASCEND™assessment in 2018, Woodgrain identified the gaps in their lubrication program and concluded that for every hour of downtime, the plant was losing $9,000. A few years later in 2021, Woodgrain found themselves at a critical juncture – their seasoned staff was retiring, taking their knowledge right out the door with them. Recognizing that a lack of documented procedures and a chronic contamination problem weren't sustainable, the team chose to act. ey turned their focus to reducing this downtime and improving the return on investment (ROI) of their program. A New Lube Room Woodgrain understood that a clean, well-organized, and high- tech lube room had the potential to positively impact both equipment reliability and team culture. With a lube room update at the top of their list, Noria and Jacob Johnston began addressing critical lubrication challenges, including lubricant selection, consolidation, and written procedures. e team also collected inventory data and space specifications. eir decisions resulted in a custom-built, modular lube room that met the needs of the lubrication program, along with a few perks for the team. e final design boasts a climate-controlled space with OilSafe fireproof cabinets, 55-gallon drumwork station, an oil analysis station, and a workstation for route management. "e redesigned lubrication room has made a positive impact on our daily tasks by making everything more organized, cleaner, and efficient," said Ingerson. Selecting the Lubricants Reducing the number of on-site lubricants can feel like an overwhelming process when a plant has thousands of lube points, as is the case with Woodgrain's facility. e team leaned on their partnership with Noria, which provided consolidation recommendations to optimize their list without negatively impacting facility operations or compromising the equipment's lubrication effectiveness. e Woodgrain team now labels, tracks, and filters all oils, stores supplies properly in a clean environment, and has new written procedures. ese detailed procedures outline all application and relubrication activities and are organized by equipment type, environment, and component accessibility. Johnston indicated that this improved process has become the new norm, stating, "is is just the way we do things now, so the conversations and success have been great." Safety has also seen considerable progress, a welcome by-product of the new lubrication program implementation. Johnston explains that where the team used to haul 55-gallon barrels across the plant with a hand truck, they now use an OilSafe transfer skid, which has not only increased team member safety, but boosted morale. "ey just jump on their cart, hook up to the tank, pump it in there, and they're done," said Johnston. "Plus... It's all filtered in and out." e reduction in lubrication-related failures has also contributed to safety. According to Johnston, reducing failures also reduced the unplanned activities associated with them, which is where most injuries usually occur. Scan to Watch Scan this QR code with your smartphone to view a short video walk-through of the new lubrication storage room at a Woodgrain facility. shorturl.at/7waFB

• Cover