Machinery Lubrication July August 2008

FROM THE FIELD
the quality of lubricants depend greatly on the way the products
are managed before being applied to the machinery.
3. Sampling Techniques
One key to an effective oil analysis program is to collect
valid data. It is all too common for used oil samples to be
taken in a haphazard manner, using substandard equipment
and procedures. Ineffective sampling techniques can produce
erroneous results, severely diminishing or even eliminating
their value. Worse still, invalid results can lead to poor decisions,
adding to the waste of resources. A productive oil
analysis program requires correct sampling procedures,
sampling hardware, sample point location, and properly
trained and qualified technicians.
4. Contamination Control
Contamination control is possibly the single greatest
opportunity for the average lubrication program. It is
common to see significant gains in lubricant cleanliness,
which is directly related to machinery reliability, with minimal
investment. Proper selection, installation and maintenance of
breathers, filters, gaskets and seals can curtail or eliminate
solid particle and water contamination. Methods should also
be available to remediate contaminated systems and to effectively
monitor contamination levels.
5. Education, Training and Skills Management
An educated workforce is a powerful asset to any organization.
For the lubrication program to succeed, there must be
awareness, cooperation and desire for success at every level.
Skill sets and competency levels must be defined for all who
affect the program. Employees should be encouraged to
improve their knowledge in all areas by pursuing ongoing
training with opportunities and rewards for successfully
achieving professional certifications.
6. Oil Analysis
A properly designed and managed oil analysis program is
one of the best investments that can be made for machine
reliability. Oil analysis is the perfect tool for proactively monitoring
machine condition to ensure that proper lubrication
conditions exist. Oil analysis also allows for the optimization
of drain intervals, thereby increasing the efficiency of the
lubrication program.
It is also an excellent tool for detecting incipient failures,
often in advance of other condition monitoring technologies.
To be effective, test slates must be defined for all sampled
equipment including normal and exception tests. Other items
to be evaluated are data management, test intervals,
appropriate targets and limits, quality assurance for lab
methods, and integration with other technologies.
7. Lubrication and Relubrication Practices
The methods by which lubricants are selected and applied
to machinery can be more important than the lubricants
themselves. Many organizations go out of their way to
purchase more expensive lubricants to achieve greater equipment
reliability while ignoring poor lubrication practices that
contribute more heavily to equipment failure. It is essential
that methods be established and documented, based on
accepted best practices, for applying lubricants to machinery
in a consistent manner which fosters equipment reliability.
8. Program Management
Numerous individuals and groups affect the lubrication
program. Management, operations, engineering and maintenance
personnel all play a vital role. Effective and frequent
communication between these groups is a key ingredient for the
program’s success. Clearly defined goals and objectives should
be developed and periodically reviewed to track performance
and to shift focus when necessary. It is helpful to devise a set of
metrics which can be charted and publicly displayed so that
everyone involved can see the progress and share the credit.
9. Procedures and Guidelines
It makes sense that all lubrication-related tasks be
performed in a consistent manner that conforms to best
practices. It is not enough to provide training to the technicians
responsible for performing the tasks. To ensure
adherence to best practice techniques, procedures must be
developed and documented in a step-by-step fashion so that
any individual who may be called upon to perform a task can
do so without compromising quality. Ideally, each procedure
would be the responsibility of one person.
However, due to personnel changes, vacations and other
unforeseen circumstances, it is likely that a single task may be
performed by many individuals with different backgrounds or
skill levels. Additionally, the procedures should be readily
available, preferably in an electronic format which can be
attached to work orders generated by the CMMS system.
10. Goals and Metrics
Once the goals have been established and the course laid out,
there is a need for yardsticks by which to measure the progress
of the various aspects of the program. Performance metrics
should be identified to assess the degree to which improvements
have been completed and to measure the overall effectiveness of
the lubrication program. These metrics should show the value
16 July - August 2008 machinerylubrication.com Machinery Lubrication