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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It seems counterintuitive that lubricants selected to optimize wear control may not be optimum when it comes to energy conservation. In fact, in view of today’s growing pressure to reduce demand on nonrenewable energy resources and increase operating profits, we are definitely facing a shift of emphases from past lubrication objectives. Energy-conserving lubrication offers motivation on several fronts.

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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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In Fitch’s experience, such sustainability assessments hinge on manufacturers being committed co sustainability, not on consumer demand. “In general, I don’t think consumers are clamoring for more sustainable products,” he said, noting that price is a more prevalent concern. “It’s up to the manufacturers and distributors to explain the long-term value in sustainable lubricants, which are premium products,” and may not be a customer’s first choice due to cost. “I don’t think the public is aware in the way they need co be [regarding sustainability] . As an industry, we can do a better job of educating the consumer co understand everything that goes imo producing an effective and safe lubricant and how much is involved in recycling, reusing or safely disposing of chat lubricant,” Fitch added. When it comes to the state of regulations and compliance regarding sustainability, Fitch acknowledged the impact of the Environmental Protection Agency on engine design and fuel consumption, which has led to lower-viscosity oils with lower polluting emissions. Yet he has seen little industrial regulation directly tied co sustainability and the environment, with the exception of disposal regulations, which vary from state to state and have no overarching federal standard. In the absence of a federal vision, some in the industry have taken proactive measures that focus on advances in lubricant reuse, recycling and reconditioning. “For example,” Fitch said, “SKF RecondOil is marketed as a service that offers the capability co continuously regenerate oil, restoring i c co a healthy state. “Some oil customers have machines holding, in some cases, tens of thousands of gallons of oil,” he explained. “The cost of changing that oil is enormous. And sometimes the only deficiencies in that oil are that a particular additive has been consumed and contaminants need to be removed.

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