Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication March April 2017

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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compressors, which we closely monitor. Last year, I sent out and reviewed results from more than 900 samples. Q: On what lubrication-related proj - ects are you currently working? A: Cameco has four operations in northern Saskatchewan that have operated fairly independently from each other. As this is changing, I will be working with our other sites to standardize our lubrication programs. I am continuously looking for opportunities to standardize products and reduce inventory, as well as working with our inventory review team to optimize lubri- cant stocking levels. Q: What have been some of the biggest project successes in which you've played a part? A: We were stocking multiple grades and formulations of hydraulic oil. I was able to reduce six products down to two, which allowed for more efficient ordering and storage as well as less confusion in the field. Our lube supplier was not offering our selected oil in bulk totes, only drums. With the increase in consumption, I was able to get the supplier to deliver in totes, eliminating a large number of empty drums onsite. In addition, our freeze compressors each hold 600 liters of oil. As the compressors were installed in phases by various contrac- tors, we ended up using three different types of oil, even though the compressors were the same. I standardized this to one type of oil across all units, eliminating oil mixing and maximizing our purchasing and inventory settings. Q: How does your organization view machinery lubrication in terms of importance and overall business strategy? A: It is very important. Cigar Lake has been very proactive in making the recommended improvements to the lube program. More importantly, our management team is aware of the work we do and its effect on equip - ment reliability. As we work toward becoming more condition-based rather than time-based with our maintenance work, the lubrication program will be critical. Q: What do you see as some of the more important trends taking place in the lubrication and oil analysis field? A: Technology and skilled, certified workers are becoming more important. We have trained and certified lubrication techni- cians in the field performing the tasks. A person needs to be trained and willing to learn skills like ultrasonic greasing and proper techniques for oil sampling. An "oiler" or "greaser" is no longer a valid description of this role. Q: What has made your company decide to put more emphasis on machinery lubrication? A: With Cigar Lake being a remote site, everything must be trucked to and from the site. With our lubrication program, we have been able to reduce inventory and decrease the volume of waste oil, less- ening our environmental impact. In terms of equipment reliability, lubrication is the No. 1 cause of failures. If you do lubrica- tion correctly, your assets will run reliably for a long time.

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