Machinery Lubrication July August 2008

FROM THE FIELD
How Effective Is Your
Lubrication Program?
JARROD POTTEIGER
The path to lubrication excellence can be difficult to navigate.
It begins when individuals and organizations
become aware of the importance of their lubrication
program, its impact on productivity and its direct effect on
the bottom line. Once this enlightenment has occurred,
comprehensive training in best practices is acquired and the
organization can consider what the lubrication program
should be and where they wish to take it.
However, to get to Point B, Point A must first be determined.
Even if the goals and objectives are defined, be they broad or
narrow in scope, they can be difficult to reach. With the goals
identified, a step-wise strategy must be developed. The first step
is to assess the current situation. After all, the best map in the
world is useless if you’re not properly oriented.
To determine the current state of a lubrication program, a
rigorous assessment should be performed. This assessment
can be broken down into 12 key components which, when
properly analyzed, can identify areas of weakness and opportunity
as well as the strengths of the program. Each of the 12
categories is comprised of a series of objective criteria scored
on a scale of zero to 10.
The composite score for each category is calculated and
plotted on a two-dimensional diagram with 12 axes, called a
spider diagram. The spider diagram, so named for its weblike
appearance, can be a powerful visual tool to indicate the
overall state of the program as well as identify the individual
areas of opportunity.
The 12 Components of the Audit
1. Standards, Consolidation and Procurement
More often than not, opportunities exist to consolidate
and eliminate many of the lubricants utilized in a plant. The
benefits of safely and effectively reducing the number of
products used are many. Standards should exist not only to
consolidate lubricants, but to select them, procure them and
assure product quality.
Effective communication among management, purchasing,
maintenance and engineering is imperative for success in this
area. To identify opportunities for consolidation, all of the lubricants
used in a facility should be converted to a generic
classification, such as R&O ISO 46. If several products fit the
same generic specification, it is likely that some of the product
could be eliminated.
2. Storage and Handling
To extract the maximum value from lubricants and the
lubrication program, lubricants must be properly managed
from cradle to grave. This means adopting best practices for
receiving, storing, dispensing, maintaining and finally
disposing of used lubricants. The lube store room design,
dispensing equipment and handling procedures should be
assessed and improved where necessary. The useful life and
Program
Goals/
Metrics
Best Practice
Continuous Improvement
Safety
Practices
Procedures/
Guidelines
Program Management
Standards, Consolidation,
and Procurement
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0 00
Lubrication/Relubrication Practices
Figure 1. Spider Diagram
Typical Program
Storage/Handling
Lubricant Analysis
Sampling
Techniques
Contamination
Control
Training,
Skill Standards,
Certification
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