Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/957021
52 | March - April 2018 | www . machinerylubrication.com ally no corrosion) to 4C (severe corrosion). If you have soft metal alloys in your equipment (worm gears, some hydraulic valve spools, etc.), select a lubricant with a 1A rating. If the machine doesn't have softer metals, you can choose a more aggressive lubricant and still have less risk of extreme chemical polishing. It is possible to catch polishing wear before it becomes a problem. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to determine if polishing is taking place is to perform a visual inspection of the machine parts. ese inspections can be done with a borescope. Check the mating surfaces for light reflec- tion, which is typically the telltale sign of polishing wear. In the event you can't visually inspect the machine surfaces, study your oil analysis reports. Examine the wear debris and determine whether the trends are linear, supporting a normal wear pattern, or if the machine is beginning to produce more debris than in the past. Although it may be difficult to conclude from the reports whether the wear mechanism is polishing wear, this will give you some indication of a potential problem before it creates the need for equipment replacement or a rebuild. Fortunately, this wear mode can be prevented by ensuring that your lubricant is clean. Filtering the oil will reduce the number of particles that lead to polishing and mitigate or delay polishing wear from occurring. To impede chemical polishing, choose the proper lubricant and additive package. If you don't know which lubricant to select, contact the equipment manufacturer, a lube supplier or a consultant to assist you in this process. Using the wrong lubricant can have disastrous results, while the correct one can provide years of uninterrupted service life. Finally, keep in mind that although polishing wear can have both good and bad consequences, it usually is best to avoid any wear mode, as this will help your equipment last longer and ensure less downtime. ML About the Author Wes Cash is the director of technical services for Noria Corporation. He serves as a senior technical consultant for Lubrication Program Development projects and as a senior instructor for Noria's Oil Analysis II and Machinery Lubrication I and II training courses. Wes holds a Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT) Level II certification and a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level III certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubri- cation (ICML). Contact Wes at wcash@noria.com to learn how Noria can help you choose the right lubricants and additive packages for your machinery . BACK PAGE BASICS