A: The biggest success has been the development of the PdM
programs, including the lubrication program here at Suncoke
Energy Middletown Operations. The strides the company has
made and the full support of reliability are helping make these
programs flourish. At the rate of development, it will not be
long before Suncoke is named a world-class facility. That is the
overall goal for us all.
Q: How does your company view machinery
lubrication in terms of importance and overall
business strategy?
A: Machinery lubrication is one of the most important, if not
the most important, aspect in machine reliability. All other
proactive activities performed would be in vain if the lubrication aspect of the machinery is neglected or improperly
performed. Lubricants are the lifeblood of a machine.
Suncoke fully supports this statement and understands the
value of implementing this program to better serve our
customer, community and the environment with the reduction of unexpected failures.
Q: What do you see as some of the more important
trends taking place in the lubrication and oil
analysis field?
A: The most important trend I see is the increase in lubrication
knowledge. Industries are steering away from the "grease
monkey" persona and beginning to believe in the skilled lubrication professional. It has been proven time after time that a
fully developed lubrication program is one of the keys to success
when it comes to machine reliability. Strides in these fields are
taking the lubrication profession to a new level.
Q: What has made your company decide to put more
emphasis on machinery lubrication?
A: In the coke-producing industry, the dust from the process is
extremely harmful to our equipment. Coke is a carbon-based
product that has a hardness ranking of 10 on the Mohs scale.
Intrusion of coke dust or any foreign particle into an asset
could be detrimental to our equipment and operation. Proactive measures like the prevention of ingression by following
lubrication best practices is more economical than being in a
reactive mode and replacing machinery due to an unexpected
failure caused by improper lubrication practices.
How You Can Be Featured in the
Next 'Get to Know' Section
Would you like to be featured in the next "Get to Know"
section or know someone who should be profiled in an upcoming
issue of Machinery Lubrication magazine? Nominate yourself or
fellow lubrication professionals by emailing a photo and contact
information to editor@noria.com.
www.machinerylubrication.com
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