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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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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Analysis of hydraulic fluids, if done properly, can suggest maintenance procedures to improve hydraulic equipment reliability and extend system life. Significant cost savings can result. Where to take a sample There are two types of fluid sampling: static and dynamic. Static sampling involves extracting a fluid sample from a reservoir or a dead zone, where there is slight fluid movement. Little useful information is gained from static sampling because: • contaminant concentration gradients exist within static fluids. Water and particles tend to segregate and settle due to gravity. Therefore, samples taken from different sections within the static container yield completely different results, and • particles from reservoirs may describe system histories, but provide little information on what is happening now. Large reservoir volumes dampen out dynamic changes and conditions within the system.

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The lubricant Optimum Reference State (ORS) is a critical concept in the journey to world-class lubrication and enhanced machine reliability. In short, it is the prescribed state of machine configuration, operating conditions and maintenance activities required to achieve and sustain specific reliability objectives. Lubrication excellence is achieved when the current state of lubrication approaches that of the Optimum Reference State. If you don’t understand the ORS, you probably don’t understand the most fundamental concepts in machine reliability.

Lubrication attributes of the ORS are not widely known by equipment builders, lubricant suppliers and maintenance organizations. Many user organizations falsely conclude that their machines are already fitted with the necessary accessories and components that enable reliability to be achieved. Sadly, of the hundreds of machine service manuals I’ve seen in recent years, it is rare to find practices described close to the ORS. In a typical plant, it is equally rare to see machines fitted with ORS-compliant lubrication components and technicians performing ORS-compliant lubrication.

There are many different attributes of the Optimum Reference State. These attributes relate to people preparedness, machine preparedness, precision lubricants, precision lubrication and oil analysis. Achieving the ORS almost always involves change or modifications. For instance, you can’t get optimum filtration unless you install the optimum filter. You can’t have optimum oil samples unless you install ORS-compliant sample valves in the optimum location. Then, of course, you need to pull the sample using ORS-compliant procedures at ORS-compliant frequencies.

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Lubricant users are increasingly inquiring about the cleanliness and lubricant quality of new oil deliveries.

This trend is logical and probably unending as the maintenance field becomes more aware of the linkage between contamination and machine reliability. Yet there has been legitimate concerns raised by some lubricant suppliers regarding this trend.

These concerns center on the common disregard for proper storage and handling by distributors, transport companies and, in particular, the end user.

After all, how practical is it to go to the extra expense to deliver a clean, high-quality lubricant when this integrity is subsequently adulterated by careless handling and storage practices. Yet it is also not logical to be less vigilant in delivering clean lubricants of dependable high quality.

From my experience, the answer to this dilemma lies in managing the chain of custody from the lubricant supplier to the end user.

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For any plant seeking lubrication excellence, there needs to be a visual starting point that sets the stage for what’s to come elsewhere in the facility. There is no better place for that than the lube room. In fact, I’ve never heard of a plant exhibiting excellence in machinery lubrication that doesn’t also exude excellence in the lube room. The lube room serves as the centerpiece and reference state for lubrication excellence. You have to get it right.

This is important because transformation can take a while for large plants. Rome wasn’t built in a day. To succeed, you must have a solid foundation and a constant reminder of what quality and success should look like. It effectively punctuates that this standard of excellence should be replicated at each machine where lubricants are in use. There’s a huge and very important psychological element here.

If you cut corners in the design and quality of your lube room, more critical corners will be cut elsewhere in the plant as well. Mediocracy becomes the norm and will be imbedded in the culture. When this occurs, the lube room transforms into a pigpen of tools, pumps, hoses, grease guns, bottles, totes and drums. Don’t let that happen. Be fussy and demanding, and set a high standard that encourages reliability excellence throughout the rest of the plant.

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Plainly stated, the burgeoning cost of maintenance is a serious business problem. According to DuPont, “maintenance is the largest single controllable expenditure in a plant: in many companies it often exceeds annual net profit.” One major U.S. automotive manufacturer has a maintenance staff of between 15,000 and 18,000, all plants combined. They say “85% to 90% is crisis work” (breakdown).

While preventive maintenance, when well implemented, has been shown to produce savings in excess of 25 percent, beyond that its benefit quickly approaches a point of diminishing return. According to a Forbes Magazine study, one out of every three dollars spent on preventive maintenance is wasted. A major overhaul facility reports that “60 percent of hydraulic pumps sent in for rebuild had nothing wrong with them.” These inefficiencies are the result of maintenance performed in accordance with a schedule (guess work) as opposed to the machine’s true condition and need.

Most recently, predictive maintenance (also known as condition monitoring) has been leading the way to additional savings over preventive maintenance. The use of real time or portable instruments such as vibration monitors, thermography, ferrography, etc. has been effective at recognizing the symptoms of impending machine failure. The major benefit is the availability of an earlier warning, from a few hours to a few days, which reduces the number of breakdown “catastrophic” failures. Predictive maintenance is usually implemented concurrently with preventive maintenance and targets both the warning signs of impending failure and the recognition of small failures that begin the chain reaction that leads to big failures (i.e., damage control).

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You cannot monitor your way to a healthy machine just like frequent tests for cholesterol and blood pressure do not make their readings lower. Or do they? Monitoring physical conditions brings vision and awareness to health. It is continuous feedback about how we’re doing. In a similar manner, from measured readings we can report and categorize machine conditions as being safe, cautionary or at alarm levels (critical).

Bad news needs a rapid and strong delivery. And it needs an equally spontaneous response. Indifference and procrastination to nonconforming conditions becomes habit forming. It is true that no one likes a negative report, but it doesn’t make it go away; just like we cannot ignore-away the trauma of sudden-death machine failure. It is better to have to deal with 20 minor health inconveniences than the jolt of one terminal case of cancer.

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Optical particle counters (OPC’s) have a long history of use in industrial hydraulic applications. Traditionally, their success has been limited to scientific laboratories and other highly controlled environments. However, in recent years, attempts have been made to apply the use of OPC’s to the particle counting of used hydraulic fluids and industrial lubricants. As a result, serious concerns have been raised regarding the accuracy and reliability of OPC’s in such applications. The objective of this bulletin is to present important facts from reliable and documented sources for the general benefit of existing or prospective users of OPC’s. As particle counting moves into the mainstream of machine condition monitoring, users must have reliable information to identify and select appropriate technologies.

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The advent of unattended sensor technologies has placed a particular challenge on data communication for machine surveillance monitoring. This challenge is magnified when mobile equipment and large geographic territories are involved. The use of satellite communications has recently been applied in an extensive condition-based maintenance program for a large fleet of railroad maintenance equipment. The satellite communications. are a part of an integrated system of sensor, software and communications technologies.

This paper describes the selection and application of sensors for the real-time monitoring of contamination in hydraulic fluid and engine oil. Also discussed will be onboard data collection electronics, onboard satellite transmission hardware and knowledge-based data analysis and exception reporting. The paper will be presented as a case study, and is believed to be the first of its kind for condition-based maintenance employing satellite communications technology.

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The oil can was in need of a major redo years ago. It was grossly outdated in terms of modern views and needs relating to lubrication and machinery reliability. Fortunately, new products sporting highly advanced features have emerged on the market. For clarification, I’ll refer to the historic products as “oil cans” and their modern replacements as S&R containers. S&R is short for “sealable and reusable”.

Despite the obsolescence, the oil can still seems to prevail undeterred in many user organizations like a bad rash. You think it’s finally gone and then it just comes right back. Either these companies that use such archaic products are Neanderthals or they simply do not understand the business case for ditching the old in favor of the new.

This column was written to provide a gentle nudge to those who seem to have trouble getting or understanding this important message. In the world of machine reliability, this message is not trivial but rather a foundational underpinning of a well-engineered reliability program.

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It has been extensively documented and widely stated that particle contamination is the number one cause of wear and failure of hydraulic components. The problem is generally more pronounced than in other types of machinery incorporating circulating systems that use sirnjlar types of oils. This heightened contaminant sensitivity is due to the high pressures and tight tolerances which are characteristic of modern hydraulic machines. Pressure is known to have a disproportionate effect on contaminant sensitivity.

Much has been learned in the past three decades about contamination control at both a laboratory research level as well as the real-world deployment of this knowledge in machinery-intensive industries. Case studies have flourished on the practical and economic benefits of maintaining hydraulic systems and fluids at extreme levels of cleanliness. Hence, the speculation is gone relating to the business case and strategies that produce savings and benefits to user organizations. For many owners of hydraulic systems the opportunities of planned cleanleness are like low-hanging fruit that is ripe for picking. This chapter summarizes this body of knowledge and the value-producing strategies needed to control particle contamination in hydraulic fluids.

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These days an increasing number of companies are trying to achieve a state of lubrication called “lubrication excellence.” Others might call this “world-class” lubrication. Most understand the reliability benefit gained when excellence in lubrication is attained, yet even those who are professionals in reliability and maintenance too often have vague ideas of what defines lubrication excellence.

We all know that machines used in plant production processes are designed and built to engineering specifications intended to achieve a desired level of performance, efficiency and productivity. Using this same concept, it is reasonable to write an engineering specification for machine reliability and lubrication excellence. In the specification would be an itemized list of critical attributes needed to achieve the desired state of reliability. It should be noted that only part of the specification relates to the design and modification of the machine.

In the past, these critical attributes have sometimes been called “best practice” or the “rights of lubrication,” but what exactly defines best practice and these so-called rights? A true engineering specification must be precisely defined and purposeful. It needs to not only permit the desired level of reliability to be achieved but also be within reach of most reliability and lubrication teams.

I would like to introduce a new term called the Optimum Reference State related to the integrated and collective use of these critical attributes. Let me define this important term:

“The Optimum Reference State (ORS) is the prescribed state of machine configuration, operating conditions and maintenance activities required to achieve and sustain specific reliability objectives.”

Note the definition for the ORS does not state a requirement to “maximize” reliability. This is because a point can be reached where the incremental cost of reliability exceeds the incremental benefit (point of diminishing return). Such overspending on lubrication is seen, for example, when synthetics are used in marginal applications or when lubricants are changed too frequently. Like many things in engineering and reliability, there is a “precision” component to good decisions.

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Try this simple experiment. With notepad in hand, go out into your plant and walk around a sampling of your most critical machines. These are the ones that have high probability of failure and/or the greatest consequences of failure. They are also known as show-stoppers and, as such, generally merit a disproportionate allocation of reliability and maintenance resources.

Next, on your notepad make a list of all the lubrication-related enhancements that have been implemented on these same machines since they were commissioned. Take special note of those that have been applied in the past five years. Solicit any amount of help (from old-timers, for instance) you need to flesh out your list.

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For years Noria has been saying, “The cost of excluding a gram of dirt is probably only about 10 percent of what it will cost you once it gets into your oil.” Recently, a Noria training client asked us to document proof of this statement.

It reminds me of a widely used quote from Benjamin Franklin: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Or another familiar one: “Pay me now or a whole lot more later.” Proactively investing in reliability and machine wellness is very often challenged by the need to justify. Management is always asking for financial analysis and to “make the business case.”

Conversely, a financial study rarely is produced to obtain funds to repair a failed machine, especially when plant production has stalled. Sadly, I’ve heard maintenance folks say that they’ve quit trying to propose proactive measures to management. They claim it’s easier to just let the machines fail.

This is like saying it’s easier to just wait until you have a heart attack than to proactively make the lifestyle changes needed to avoid heart disease (diet, fitness, quit smoking, etc.). These differences are often deeply ingrained in management and business culture. Does your organization have the “here and now” folks or those who “plan and prepare?”

On the bright side, an increasing number of companies are led by managers who do “get it.” Much of this has been driven by the growing base of documented success stories from organizations and program leaders who have championed change and happily reported their results. They didn’t need to be beaten over the head but rather took the initiative and captured the benefit.

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Lubrication is an unmistakably integral part of machine reliability. Rotating machines are dependent on lubrication decisions made, such as which lubricant to use, how the lubricant needs to be applied to the tribological zones, and what is done during operations to monitor and control the integrity of these frictional zones.

At the same time, lubrication is too often not top of mind when considering the critical aspects of rotating machines, partly because there is a lack of general understanding of the crucial role the lubricant plays in reliability. But even for those who may understand this, it still is not intuitive to manage these factors carefully. Rather, there are incorrect assumptions that lubrication is straight forward; in other words, simply “just having oil or grease in the machine is largely all that is necessary” is a perspective of many. This, coupled with the fact that lubrication is messy and not as exciting as the many other maintenance tasks, often challenge workforce culture.

As a result, the industry suffers from stagnant practices and lethargic attitudes. Although, the dismal state of an old and generally unexciting field is a huge opportunity in disguise. For plant maintenance personnel that see this opportunity, improvements in lubrication not only help avoid unnecessary costs in repairs and downtime, but also have a huge impact in improving the maintenance culture and creating a foundation for sustainable growth. But what should be the focus for improvement and achieving lubrication excellence?

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The monitoring of particle contamination in lubricating fluids is a critical indicator of incipient and impending failures. Recent research, under both laboratory and field conditions of the contaminant sensitivity of bearings, reveals a well defined cause and effect relationship between contaminant levels and relative machine life.

This paper discusses the contaminant sensitivity of bearings as well as turbines, diesel engines, gear systems, and hydraulic systems. Also discussed is the benefit of applying contaminant monitoring to both proactive and predictive maintenance programs. Proactive maintenance is the process of monitoring root causes (pre-degradation conditions) as opposed to predictive maintenance which focuses on impending failure conditions.

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It has been proven that almost all mechanical failures are caused by contamination; hard particle contamination to be ·specific. Once the root cause of machine failure has been defined, a program to correct these failures, extend machine life, and reduce maintenance costs must be developed. Such a program has been developed; it is called Proactive Maintenance.

Proactive maintenance is a three-step program that begins with the individual mechanical equipment and setting target cleanliness levels (benchmarks). The second phase deals with the system design, adequate filtration, and contamination exclusion techniques. The final step involves system monitoring. This process of continual monitoring is to ensure fluid and system cleanliness.

This paper is directed toward companies and manufacturers that have an interest in an efficient, cost effective maintenance program. To achieve total maintenance excellence, one must start at the beginning by taking an aggressive approach to maintenance technology.

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Users of hydraulic equipment need to know how clean their fluid should be. The information and procedure for determining this has not been readily available in the past. This has been largely due to the many factors· that impinge on the decision. This paper introduces a new· system called the Contaminant Life Index (figure 1) which deals with this question head on. The Contaminant Life Index addresses each of the many issues involved in determining required system cleanliness. These factors are presented in a simple, easy to follow format. The CLI delineates only the most salient criteria with the objective to span the numerous diverse types of hydraulic equipment in use.

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Contamination control encompasses the subject of machine life and maintenance costs. This paper discusses the Life Extension Method (LEM), a program to extend the meantime between failures based on improved fluid cleanliness levels. The LEM provides a fluid cleanliness target as the first of three steps to implement a contamination control program. The complete implementation strategy is presented and discussed.

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