Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/902206
www . machinerylubrication.com | November - December 2017 | 25 A year ago, the lube room at the Owens Corning plant was quite dirty and unorganized. The area has since been cleaned and painted along with the addition of better lighting and tagging of oils and equipment. Oil storage at the Sheboygan Wastewater Treatment Facility had been messy with dirty drums and oil rags scattered around the area. Owens Corning Just a year ago, the Owens Corning composites plant in Aiken, South Carolina, realized its lubricant storage and handling practices had become a problem. is resulted in the site's lube room being cleaned and painted. Better lighting was installed, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). Oils and equipment were tagged to prevent misap- plication of lubricants. Policies and procedures were developed for the lube room along with safety and emergency instructions. e room is now explosion-proof with its own fire- suppression system. An automated system noti- fies the staff when oil sampling is needed. Each week, personnel are also required to clean the lube room, inspect for leaks, filter the oil in storage and restock the inventory. Of course, the upgraded lube room only marks the beginning of the facility's journey to excellence. e improvement process continues one machine at a time. e plant still has a long way to go, but the employees are learning a lot and have already seen measurable gains on the company's bottom line. Sheboygan Wastewater Treatment Facility e Sheboygan Regional Wastewater Treat- ment Facility in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, cleans the wastewater for more than 68,000 residents in seven local communities. When a construction project reduced its oil storage room by 58 percent to only 315 square feet, the facility had to find a way to consolidate its lubricant inventory and locate a proper in-plant storage area. e site's oil storage was also messy, with dirty drums and oil rags lying around, as well as leaking and outdated drum pumps. A new lube storage and dispensing system was purchased, which included color-coded labels, quick filter assemblies, spill containment and sight gauges for inventory control. By stan- dardizing its oil type and getting rid of obsolete oil, the plant was also able to eliminate seven 50-gallon drums. e new lube room is now clean and well-lit. e walls have been painted, and an epoxy coating has been applied to the floor. e facility not only was able to save valuable space, but its oil storage is now neat and organized. e result has been a cleaner and safer environment for the plant's lubricants and employees. ML The oil room is now clean and well-lit, with painted walls, an epoxy coating on the floor, and a new lube storage and dispensing system. After After Before Before