Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/359954
18 | July - August 2014 | www.machinerylubrication.com Over time, any oil analysis program can become stagnant if few or no improvements are made. This can cause the program to lose value, as it may not fully support the plant's improvement initiatives, such as achieving certain reli- ability objectives. What's worse is that the program manager may not even be aware of the decline. In order to determine whether your oil analysis program is up to date, ask yourself the following questions: • Do you review the program's objectives at least on a yearly basis? • Have you implemented new reliability objectives for machines in the oil anal- ysis program without updating the program's objectives or parameters? • Have you implemented other predictive technologies for machines in the oil analysis program without updating the program's objectives or parameters? • Has your program been in use for years without being reviewed? • Is your plant analyzing historical information to assess the program's effectiveness? • Is there at least one person in your facility who has the formal training and experience to design, implement and manage the oil analysis program? If you answered "no" to more than one of these questions, it may indicate that your program needs to be updated or reviewed. Fortunately, the solution is not overly complex. A systematic approach along with a good understanding of oil analysis will enable you to update your program. Following are several tips to help ensure the continuous improvement of your program. Reviewing Program Goals First, you must review the program's goals. Assess how the program is fulfilling the current reliability needs. When the program was implemented, there likely were goals and expectations. Now it may be time to reassess or confirm whether the objectives should change or remain the same. It's also possible that the original objectives were not specifically defined. If this is the case, you must take the time to properly define them according to the reli- ability program. For instance, the objectives may be predictive (monitor wear debris), proactive (help control contaminants in the oil) or focused on specific initiatives (verify lubri- cant life/performance). The objectives should be based on the machine's typical failure modes and the use of other predictive technologies. Be as specific as possible because this will be the reference informa- tion that will be used to update the program. A good question to ask is whether management and the program manager are satisfied with the program's capabilities o i l A n a l y s i s AleJANdro mezA NorIA CorPorAtIoN PersPeCtIVe keePINg Your oIl Analysis ProgrAm UP to dAte The benefit of staying updated is that you will develop a stronger oil analysis program that can fully support your reliability strategy. 52 P E R C E N T of lubrication professionals review the objectives of their oil analysis program at least annually, based on a recent poll at Machinery- Lubrication.com