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March - April 2017
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www.machinerylubrication.com
CASE STUDY
Changes in gearbox cleanliness at the facility were also seen in the
first year. The average ISO cleanliness code improved steadily from
26/24/20 to 20/18/16. Gearbox life cycles and mean time between
failures increased by three to four times in most washdown areas
and as much as seven to 10 times in dry areas. The cost-avoidance
savings achieved by extending gearbox mean time between failures
(MTBF) via better lubrication management could also be added to
the plant's annual operations budget reduction along with increased
machine availability or "asset intensity."
Plant personnel were included in the improvements through
Noria's onsite training sessions and training videos. Processes were
designed to increase the lubrication skill set, and machine opera-
tors will be performing routine lubrication in the near future.
"We've done a lot toward applying the proper amount of grease
lubricant when it's needed as opposed to a time-based applica-
tion," Gonzagowski noted. "Every motor that we would open up
before, there were large amounts of grease in the winding field. We
don't see that anymore."
Moving Forward
To improve its lubricant storage and handling practices, Gerber
has invested a little more than $100,000 in physical resources, with
an additional $30,000 to $35,000 in lubrication program develop-
ment, training and training aids. The plant still hopes to add onsite
lubricant analysis and more condition-based maintenance team
members so all maintenance can be scheduled and driven by
predictive technologies and methodologies. Going forward, TPM
standards like 5-S, visual guidelines and other components have
driven more changes for the better.
"Good lubrication management impacts so many universal key
performance indicators (KPIs) that are common to all industries,
be it power generation at a nuclear facility to making the best
widget at the most competitive cost," Gonzagowski said. "It can
get expensive on the front end for sure, but not seeing gearboxes in
our recycling bins makes the expense worth it."
Gerber's reliability team
