Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication May-June 2017

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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50 | May - June 2017 | www.machinerylubrication.com The Simmons Feed Ingredients (SFI) plant in Southwest City, Missouri, has been chosen as the recipient of this year's International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML) John R. Battle Award for excellence in the application of machinery lubrication. Tim Newman, the plant's maintenance manager, and his team accepted the award during the recent Reliable Plant Conference & Exhibition in Columbus, Ohio. "I'd like to thank ICML for this award," Newman said. "It's a big honor. I'd also like to thank Simmons' management for all the support they gave us, and my crew for achieving such great results." SFI has operated the Southwest City facility since 1984, and as recently as 2012 began concentrating on lubrication and training. The following year, the plant implemented improvements to its lubrication program, applying the latest technology and techniques. Over the last several years, the Simmons team has attended many industry conferences and researched different methods, processes, materials and training resources used to increase the reliability of machines in the rendering industry. "When the program first started, we had one type of gear oil, one type of hydraulic oil and one type of grease," Newman said. "Today, SFI has seen more than a 50-percent reduction in unscheduled production down- time, and this improvement is continuing throughout the facility." Oil cleanliness was a major area of concen- tration. The Simmons team produced a lubrication standards manual including key performance indicators (KPIs). By using an overall performance tracking and metric program to measure its progress, SFI has been able to close reliability gaps and extend the operational life of machines. "We established new standards and put a training plan in place, applying best practices in machine lubricant purchase, storage and transport," Newman noted. The Simmons team also introduced lubri- cant standards and procedures into the employment and onboarding process as well as established an expectation for certifica- tion requirements. The Southwest City plant now has a team of oil analysts, vibration analysts, thermographers and other condi- tion monitoring specialists who work together to collect and monitor data from a central database. Condition-based mainte- nance technologies are employed along with a computerized maintenance management system for tracking routes and scheduling tools to ensure compliance. Other improvements included regular maintenance planning meetings, laser align- ment, basic equipment care workshops, inspections completed on regular intervals and condition-based preventive maintenance. "Simmons' leadership has been and continues to be a vital part of the improve- ments we have achieved in machine lubricants," Newman added. Battle Award Criteria The John R. Battle Award was designed to motivate companies to improve machine reliability and maintenance quality through development, implementation and manage- ment of a best-in-class machinery lubrication program. To become an award recipient, an orga- nization must demonstrate a solid lubrication program, supported by multi-disciplinary efforts and approaches, with sustainable results and continued improvements. Among other factors, the John R. Battle Award criteria will include the following: • Commitment to education and skills competencies TR AINING AND CER TIFICATION L u b r i c a t i o n P r o g r a m s Award WINS BATTLE Simmons Feed Ingredients Members of the Simmons team, including (from left to right) William Hada, Tim Newman and Kyle Rubeck, were presented with the John R. Battle Award at the recent Reliable Plant Conference & Exhibition in Columbus, Ohio. By leSlie FiSH, icml

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