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November - December 2017
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machinerylubrication.com
Machinery Lubrication recently asked readers to participate in its annual Lube
Room Challenge by submitting exceptional lube rooms that incorporate best- practice
features. Several readers met the challenge with evidence of how their lubricant
storage and dispensing methods have been transformed. e following entries show-
case how designing a proper lube room not only is an important step in the journey
toward lubrication excellence but can also increase a company's bottom line.
Aleris
e Aleris rolling mill in Clayton, New
Jersey, supplies foil and light-gauge aluminum
coiled sheet. For its lubricant storage, the mill
had been utilizing seven different areas across
the manufacturing floor. e plant also had just
one filtration unit for all its oils, and this unit
was seldom used or maintained.
Drum pumps and makeshift hoses and
fittings were employed to transfer oil to open,
unlabeled containers. e drum pumps were
not segregated, so nothing prevented them from
being used in different oils. ere was also no
filtration of the oil during the transfer process,
including when bulk hydraulic oil was trans
-
ferred from tanker trucks into reusable totes.
After reviewing previous equipment failures
and gearbox inspection reports, the mill made
several modifications. Additive packages on
some oils were changed. A color-coding system
Getting
Bottom-line
Results
from
a Lube Room
Transformation
The Aleris mill had stored its lubricants in seven different areas across the manufacturing floor.
The new lubricant storage area has been consolidated into one climate-controlled
location with a loading dock and waste oil collection.
2017 Lube Room Challenge
After
After
After
Before
Before
