About 15 years ago, I added a new file to my library of technical literature – a folder into which I put a single magazine article on flushing procedures. Today the file is bulging with papers, articles, procedures and industrial standards on this single subject.

When you consider the large number of machine types in use, each with special needs and the unique problems that flushing must restore to a clean and healthy state, it is no wonder that so many different approaches and technologies have been deployed.

Both service and equipment suppliers continue to offer new answers to the age-old problem of how best to purge contaminants and lubricant degradation products from the bowels of the machine.

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It ain’t just about the oil. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear to me that applied tribology is more about training and behavioral science than about engineering and material science.

I would guess that for every bearing that failed due to a problem lubricant (wrong selection, poor quality, etc.) there are ten others that fail due to problem lubrication (neglect, procedural, timing, etc.). No amount of expertise in lubrication and machine reliability will overcome the destructive aftermath caused by rotten maintenance culture.

In fact. most companies seem to have a maintenance culture that is in urgent need of an intervention strategy. I recently wrote a column on a 12-step program for recovering addicts of lubrication neglect.

Although similar, this column discusses culture and behavioral foundation issues that seem to be at the core of lubrication neglect and other maintenance performance malfunctions. It borrows much from management science and leadership principles.

Over the years, I’ve engaged in hundreds of conversations on this topic with individuals from many companies and countries. Some come from organizations infected with culture problems, while others represent businesses that have emerged from a successful transformation.

Then there are those organizations which achieved transformation but transgressed to their bad habits and past addictive practices.

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World-class condition monitoring of hydraulic systems involves the successful integration of a number of strategic elements. While in the past, walk-around inspections and gage data were the primary means of monitoring system health, today’s modem oil analysis programs apply a host of sophisticated new tools and instruments. Reliability teams at the plant site frequently commission small laboratories. In many cases the instrumentation suite includes portable and unattended sensors. The situational context is changing too as today’s hydraulic systems are increasingly designed for higher pressures, speeds, and temperatures. This paper presents a review of strategic elements that, when well conceived and implemented, can deliver vital aiding information for achieving even the toughest condition-based maintenance goals. These include the selection of test slate, deployment of incipient failure advisories, setting of targets and limits that define nonconforming conditions, exception testing, and proactive maintenance.

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For most plants, condition monitoring consists of multiple technologies that are cobbled together in an attempt to enhance machine reliability. Clearly, these efforts are founded in good intentions, and many such programs enjoy considerable success. Still others languish due to a lack of symmetry and central focus. Money is spent and efforts expended, but results are too often disappointing.

Condition monitoring requires a proper foundation from understanding and aligning criticality and failure mode analysis. Alignment greatly helps to optimize deployment of activities and spending to minimize waste and redundancy. Alignment also keeps the maintenance and reliability professionals on the same page by providing a clear understanding of what’s being done and why.

This column is Part 3 on this topic. In Part 1 “A New Look at Criticality Analysis for Machinery Lubrication”, I discussed the concept of Overall Machine Criticality (OMC) and its importance on a wide range of decisions relating to machinery lubrication and oil analysis. When optimized, these decisions define the Optimum Reference State (ORS) needed to achieve the desired level of machine reliability. It is intuitively obvious that smart maintenance decisions require a heightened sense of both the probability and consequences of machine failure.

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Has it ever occurred to you that it was necessary to specifically ask your OEM to add modern lubrication to the bill-of-material when you purchase equipment from him?

Have you ever thought about selecting and specifying equipment based on life expectancy and life-cycle cost as opposed to just the initial cost?

Maybe this is a more familiar scenario: Your OEM includes high-performance filters, breathers and modern sampling hardware as standard items on its equipment.

However, your bargain-hunting purchasing agent perceives this as “building the ticket” and asks how much less the equipment would cost without these items. After getting a better price (his goal), the purchasing agent replies, “good, sell it to us without the premium filters, breathers and modern sampling hardware.”

Many purchasing agents earn bonuses based on their performance in driving down the cost of the equipment they purchase. However, these agents are never asked to pay back their bonuses when later this same equipment experiences high maintenance costs and frequent failures.

A better purchasing strategy for companies is to minimize the life cycle cost of ownership. When you buy cheap you often are buying problems. Compounding the issue, once a lowest price specification is in place, companies tend to buy the same problems again and again.

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Industry rides on a film of oil. The oil’s viscosity bears the load and defines the extent of clearance achieved between working surfaces. Sometimes that clearance is thick and bountiful, and other times it is deflated or extinct. Without viscosity, most machines would rapidly self-destruct with mechanical friction and wear.

There is also a well-known penalty and reliability risk from too much viscosity. Like most things, the selection of a lubricant’s viscosity must be optimized to enable needed protection and disable the danger from excessive viscosity. For instance, too much viscosity can cause churning losses and excessive heat generation from molecular friction. It can also impede lubricant movement and flow to lubricant-hungry surfaces.

One of the most famous disadvantages of too much viscosity is high energy consumption. In recent years, we’ve seen automaker-specified viscosity being lowered in crankcase service from 5W40 to 5W30, and now in some cases to 5W20. These changes are all for the sake of energy conservation.

Of course, the primary driver for energy conservation is not to save money on fuel or electricity but rather to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, which emit harmful gases (carbon dioxide, nitric oxides, hydrocarbons, etc.) into the atmosphere as a byproduct of combustion.

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The blotter spot test has been discussed numerous times in the pages of Machinery Lubrication magazine. It not only is one of the oldest oil analysis tests (mid-19th century) but endures as one of the most effective at detecting and even quantifying certain lubricant abnormalities.

However, the blotter spot test is not commonly known as a test for detecting and examining particles in oil such as wear debris and dirt.

As a practical matter, its ability to reveal normal and even slightly abnormal amounts of solid particles is limited, especially without the aid of a microscope. This generally is true with other applications of blotter spot testing.

In other words, the lack of a visible structure (rings, starbursts, pasty center, etc.) is an indication of the absence of the target condition. Because of this, the blotter spot test is less likely to produce a false negative compared to other more advanced analytical methods.

While each method has its own unique interferences and lower sensitivity limits, the ability of blotter spot testing to provide a reliable alert to abnormal particle concentrations is undisputable.

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A great deal of research and new technology have advanced the fields of oil lubrication and contamination through oil filters. If you still think (as many do), that “All oil filters do the same thing, so why pay more for a brand name?” then it may be time to reconsider. Lubrication research continues to improve how lubricants (such as oils) protect moving parts, increase fuel economy, and extend the life of your engine. The lubrication industry has continually upgraded the quality of engine crankcase oils, grease (chassis, wheel bearings), transmission fluids, hydraulic fluids, gear oils, and brake fluids.

The thought that all oils are the same implies that a piece of equipment built five years ago requires the same lubricants as the same type of equipment being built today. But fuel conservation, lower emissions, new materials, and better manufacturing (tighter equipment tolerances) all combine to require specialized oils and filters for today’s equipment that older models did not have.

As lubrication needs have evolved, trucks, plant harvesters, sprayers, trailers, and engines depend on l- e proper oil to keep internal parts operating and functioning properly within the equipment specifications. As equipment specifications change, manufacturer’s design and upgrade oil lubricants to meet the new demands. That’s why it is important to identify and select the proper oil and filter based on the equipment manufacturer rather than basing your selection on cost.

Performance and compatibility must come first; price should come second.

While lubricants and filters may look similar and be packaged alike, remember that it’s what you don’t see inside the product that allows it to perform a certain way. Separating products that perform well from those that do not perform as well can be challenging, because the technical information is conveyed in a coded language consisting of numbers and abbreviations. These numbers and abbreviations are the industry standards that lubricant manufacturers use when they build their products.

The purpose of this publication is to demystify these numbers and abbreviations so that you will be able to distinguish the differences between oils and oil filters. Understanding these terms will help you choose the best (which is not always the cheapest or even the most expensive) engine oils and oil filters for your equipment and application. In the long run, choosing the correct oil and filter will increase equipment reliability, enhance operating performance, lower maintenance costs, and extend your equipment’s service life.

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Many of the materials essential to global industrial markets have been identified as being in potential short supply. A substantial number of those materials originate from regions of the world where interrupted supply is a real and present risk. Petroleum is a finite world resource with continuing supply and economic problems, with more special concerns for fuels than for petroleum-based lubricants. It is the objective of this chapter to present specific conservation practices for lubricants and functional (hydraulics, coolants, etc.) fluids used in tribological components and for energy. The treatment will necessarily be brief, but references will point to more detail information.

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Despite the good intentions of many organizations, real improvements in contamination control often remain an elusive concept. They know that invisible particles are one of the largest single contributors to progressive wear of machinery. Yet with each passing year, no significant enhancements in maintenance practices resulting in greater fluid cleanliness are implemented. With today’s selection of IoT fluid monitoring systems and free, practical advice for contamination control practices, no plant should let contamination run rampant any longer.

After all, being “generally clean” does not result in incremental reliability improvements. Only higher levels of cleanliness accomplish this. No improvement in contamination control means no reduction in particle-induced machine wear and failure. Unlike invisible particles, a failed machine in need of repair is a tangible task with an immediate tangible result; that is, the machine returns to operation. Yet, most of us have been taught that problem solving (reactive maintenance) should always be subordinate to problem prevention (proactive maintenance). It’s amazing how knowing is often not doing.

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When working from a single sample, it is common for labs to classify wear particles according to standardized shapes such as platelets, chunks, ribbons and spheres. The task of deriving meaning from the number and size of particles in the different classifications is much more difficult. Condition monitoring is not about science – it’s about understanding and reporting what is happening, why it’s happening, where it’s happening, and how severe or threatening the condition might be. This can be a daunting task, to say the least, especially if you are not being assisted by a particle-counting technology.

The lubricant co-exists with the machine and has an active presence in its critical frictional zones. As such, the progression of wear-related machine failures does not go unnoticed by the lubricant. The byproducts of wear and surface damage become suspended in the lubricant, embedded in the filter, or stratified as sediment in nooks and crannies.

As failure advances, most wear modes produce more particles, and some also produce larger particles. In certain cases, what was thought to be an advanced failure state may suddenly appear benign or in decline. There are reasons for this, so do not be fooled. The wounds and excavations from wear do not heal over on their own.

The time has come to increase the specificity of wear particle characterization. The four basic shapes were a good start, but there is much more we can learn and apply. For those who understand vibration, imagine being limited to vibration overalls or only what is produced in the low-frequency velocity spectrum. Likewise, thermal imaging has shown us how to look far beyond discrete temperature values or trends. This analogy applies to wear debris analysis as well. The appearance of particles holds many clues that generally go unnoticed or are just not understood.

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When it comes to modern concepts in the field of lubrication and applied tribology, many users these days are far more sophisticated than those who are designing and building the machines they operate.

This lack of sophistication by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is very evident when you see what’s not included with the sale of new machinery. One could assume that what’s missing from the machine and its documentation is functionally missing from the knowledge and awareness of the engineers and builders of this equipment. Ignorance is not bliss. The same is true for complacency.

Reliability needs to have shared responsibility. It must be fixed in the DNA of the machine as well as in the minds of operators and maintainers. It’s like a reliability chain; every link in the chain must be equally strong in order for the chain’s full length to bear the load.

Machinery Lubrication magazine is primarily devoted to advanced concepts in lubrication from a user’s perspective, more specifically lubrication-enabled reliability. Users not only have a significant influence on machine reliability during operation but also by what is being done (or not done) by equipment builders to “ready” machines for optimum reliability. They want the machine’s design to have an implanted genetic code that enables reliability.

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The approach of detecting and analyzing sludge and varnish problems in machinery is not the same as used oil analysis. In many instances this is because the evidence is not always in the oil. The sludge and varnish should be analyzed directly, using a completely different set of tests and evaluation parameters. Still, used oil analysis plays an important diagnostic role to help reveal candidate causes as well as to rule-out others.

The conditions that commonly lead to sludge and varnish problems vary, which complicates the process of identifying the root cause analytically. There are at least 25 unique lubricant degradation mechanisms leading to sludge or varnish formation.

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Reliability and lubrication excellence are behavioral sciences. Bearings don’t just die; they’re murdered by people. What can change behavior? It requires awareness and know-how.

Imagine two fishermen using fly rods in a trout stream. One is a professional middle-aged man decked out with all the latest gear. He has a flashy, new high-tech rod and reel. He wears the latest fashion-forward chest waders and a fishing vest sporting pockets bulging with every gizmo and gadget on the market. His fly box is well-stocked and neatly organized with hundreds of store-bought flies. Hanging “at the ready” down his back is his landing net. While he looks good and fishes hard, he does not catch any fish.

The second fisherman is a young country boy. His fly rod is simple and worn with age. He moves through the stream wearing boots and cargo shorts. He carries limited gear in a small waist-pouch consisting mostly of an assortment of nymphs and flies he tied himself. His rod is rigged with a basic system of line, leader and tippet. He selects, ties and casts his flies with the skill of an artist. He works the runs and riffles as he stalks his prey. Although his tools are simple, his technique is masterful. He also fishes hard, but in contrast to the first fisherman, he catches many trout.

The reason I tell this story is because I was the first fisherman. I was humbled and in awe of the young country boy as he worked the stream and showed off his skill. His advantage was not his tools, his desire, his natural ability or even luck. His gift was know-how gained from years of practice. Know-how enables skillful execution. Those with know-how exude confidence and take initiative. It’s the secret sauce that can turn an ordinary company into a world-class organization.

Like fly fishing, reliability requires a keen skill. You may have all the latest technology tools and can talk a good game, but there is no substitute for knowledge and skill. Like your lubricants and machines, know-how ages over time, too. Methods and techniques become stale and need to be refreshed. Training and education are the cornerstones of a reliability culture.

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As oil analysis specialists, we had much to offer; and in the past 10 years, we’ve given hundreds of seminars and graduated thousands of students. However, we’ve also learned much from these students, especially details on the purpose for their hunger for knowledge in oil analysis.

For starters, we’re aware that people quickly accepted the logic that oil was the life blood of their machines. And, just like human medicine, they also understood that analyzing the oil equated to a pathological study of machine health and disease. We’ve all seen how human lives are spared when early alerts to threatening ailments are found, enabling corrective measures to be taken.

Since the early 1960s, oil analysis has been routinely applied to in-service lubricants of operating machinery. The field has benefited from many advances in technologies and procedures along the way. We’ve also learned that success seems to depend heavily on acquiring key skills. Imagine trying to perform the job of a pathologist without attending medical school.

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Book Chapter,
Tribology Data Handbook, an Excellent Friction, Lubrication, and wear Resource.
Edited by E. Richard Booser.

Whenever a proactive maintenance strategy is applied, three steps are necessary to insure that its benefits are achieved. Since proactive maintenance, by definition, involves continuous monitoring and controlling of machine failure root causes, the first step is simply to set a target. or standard, associated with each root cause.

In oil analysis, root causes of greatest importance relate to fluid contamination (particles. moisture, heat, coolant, etc.) and additive degradation. However, the process of defining precise and challenging targets (e.g., high cleanliness) is only the first step. Control of the fluid’s conditions within these targets must then be achieved and sustained. This is the second step and often includes an audit of how fluids become contaminated and then systematically eliminating these entry points. Often better filtration and the use of separators are required.

The third step is the vital action element of providing the feedback loop of an oil analysis program. When exceptions occur (e.g., over target results) remedial actions can then be immediately commissioned. Using the proactive maintenance strategy. contamination control becomes a disciplined activity of monitoring and controlling high fluid cleanliness, not a crude activity of trending dirt levels.

Finally, when the life extension benefits of proactive maintenance are flanked by the early warning benefits of predictive maintenance. a comprehensive condition-based maintenance program results. While proactive maintenance stresses root cause control. predictive maintenance targets the detection of incipient failure of both the fluid’s properties and machine components like bearings and gears. Following the oil sampling procedures. selection of appropriate sample testing procedures, and interpretation of test results outlined in this section. immediate corrective action can then be directed to effectively avoid failure chain reactions and further self-destruction.

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We’re told machines should not be allowed to swallow air. But what if they do?  What harm could be caused by this bubbly stuff anyway? Do we really have to make the machine burp? Will a few pats on the back do the trick?  For many of you, air contamination is no laughing matter. Why? Because air contamination is a serious condition.  There are five deadly problems associated with aerated oil. By aerated oil, I’m referring to entrained air, foam or both, which is the usual case.

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Lubricant procurement is not the largest expenditure in a typical maintenance budget. However, it is viewed as a real, tangible expense that is frequently targeted for cost reduction. When it comes to lubricants, it is unwise to pretend to save money by “buying cheap.”

Lubricants are the lifeblood of your machinery. Your machines’ life expectancy depends largely on the quality and state of these lubricants to bathe heavily loaded frictional surfaces. This also goes for investing in quality technologies and tools used in your lubrication program (such as routing software or automated lubricators) to promote efficiency. Optimum reliability and lubrication must go hand in hand.

Now that you are aware of the perils of poor-quality lubricants and lubrication, let’s take a look at the many opportunities to reduce lubricant spending without compromising reliability. Start by writing a simple lubricant specification for each machine.

Don’t rely solely on the recommendations of the equipment supplier or service manual. Instead, be bold and challenge generic or generalized statements relating to viscosity and lubricant formulation.

Once again, there is a need for caution. I’m not suggesting willy-nilly lubricant changes in an effort to enhance reliability by trial and error. There is always risk associated with changing lubricants. Smart practices, though, can quickly overcome these dangers. Risk should be respected but not feared.

The lubricant specification should be aligned with the optimum reference state for machine reliability. In constructing this specification, you should understand machine failure modes and overall machine criticality as a foundation to defining a machine’s precise lubricant needs.

There is a vast number of lubricant types available from both major and independent suppliers. Navigating the maze of options can be daunting but often very worth the effort. Find help if needed.

Reducing lubricant spending requires change and initiative. For many organizations, the low-hanging fruit is obvious. Below are five effective strategies for reducing your annual lubricant spending.

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The food processing industry presents unique challenges to lubricant formulation engineers, lubricant marketers, plant lubrication engineers, equipment designers, and builders. While it is never desirable for lubricants to be allowed to contaminate raw materials, work-in-progress. or finished product, the consequences of a lubricant contaminated product is rarely more acute than in the food processing industry. As such, lubricants used in this industry have requirements, protocols, and performance expectations that go well beyond typical industrial lubricants.

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Some contaminants are important to monitor and analyze because they are root causes of premature oil degradation and engine failure. Other contaminants are symptomatic of an active failure condition that requires a response other than just an oil change.

For instance, seal damage leading to fuel dilution or glycol contamination cannot be remedied by performing an oil change or switching to a better quality lubricant. Such symptom-based contaminants are also root causes that enable new failures to occur. The value of oil analysis in detecting problems early goes without saying.

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