Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/325287
18 | May - June 2014 | www.machinerylubrication.com L u b r i c a t i o n P r o g r a m s ALejAndro MezA norIA CorPorATIon Many organizations struggle when implementing a lubrica- tion program because they have a partial vision of the program's scope or because they have no formal change-manage- ment plan. However, an effective program administration with a systematic view and an appropriate change-management strategy can help you achieve the goal of lubrication excellence. Successful implementations of lubrication best practices consider several technical, organizational and human factors related to a lubrication project. These principles are not only suitable for lubrica- tion programs but also for other maintenance strategies. A Holistic Approach The fundamentals of lubrication excellence are well-known: use the right lubricant in the right amount at the right time and keep your lubricants clean, cool and dry. Your lubrication strategy should be implemented in a way that ensures all of these requirements are fulfilled on a continuous basis. This implies not only knowing the content and importance of each individual requirement but also the value of coordinating the actions in a methodical manner. Thus, to be successful, it is necessary to understand lubrication excel- lence from a holistic or systemic standpoint. Otherwise, there is a risk of implementing isolated actions that may improve lubrication reliability but not necessarily to the optimum level. For example, a manager may have detected the need to improve the lubrication practices at his plant and decided to send his lube technicians or mechanics for training. Upon their return, the partici- pants should have a good understanding of the best practices for handling, storing and applying lubricants. They may also be able to identify opportunities to improve and be ready to change. The chal- lenge is that they do not have the tools or hardware to work under the new vision of excellence. There also is not a proper lube room to organize their equipment or formal procedures aligned with the training. Frustration may occur in this scenario, and the effectiveness of the implementation likely will be very poor. A holistic vision of lubrication excellence has several categories. The first is the technical scope, which includes three factors: training and qualification, infrastructure and tools, and methodology. Training and qualification will be fundamental to ensure appropriate attitudes, behaviors and reli- able work. The infrastructure and tools involve the physical resources that will provide the environment and suitable hard- ware to execute the job in a consistent, safe, effective and ergonomic manner. The meth- odology refers to the systems, policies, procedures, instructions and records that guide the work to be performed following the best available practices. If only one of these three elements is implemented, some improvements may occur, but the chances of overall program success are low. For instance, new proce- dures may be written and distributed, but if poor or no training is made available to involved personnel and no new tools or hardware are provided, the result will be a less than desirable outcome. PerSPeCTIVe Managing ChAnge For a SuCCeSSFuL Lubrication Program 4 Phases of Lubrication Program Development