Do you have an old lube room that is dirty, dusty and wet? Widespread cross-contamination, the absence of desiccant breathers, and the same pumps removing oil from all the drums are serious situations that demand drastic improvements. An ill-organized lube room not only presents safety hazards to workers but also makes it difficult to achieve plant reliability.

Contamination in oil or lubricated systems is a common phenomenon in the industrial world from power generation and mining to pulp and paper. There are two different challenging tasks when it comes to improving lubrication processes. First, understanding the cleanliness requirements while focusing on the most critical wear components.

Having an effective lubrication strategy is imperative whether you run a food processing unit or a power plant. From the reception of new oils to dispensing, lubrication strategy should deal with each and every process. When dealing with lubricants, industries face many recurring problems that make it difficult for them to ensure equipment reliability and optimum performance.

Any lubricant in service or storage degrades over time. Fluid degradation can lead to many types of equipment failure. When in service, the fluid is subjected to a variety of conditions which can degrade its additive system or base oil. Contamination, moisture, heat, incompatible gases, and radiation are some of the elements that accelerate the degradation process.

The term oil analysis refers to the laboratory analysis of lubricant’s properties which provides a detailed view of what’s happening within your machine components during operation. It is a condition monitoring process where approximately 100 milliliters of an oil sample is taken from a machine while it is in use and subject to all kinds of internal elements such as a variety of chemicals. Examining used oils is a great way to understand contamination issues and current health of your equipment.

A key part of achieving dependable plant operations is to ensure a well-funded and well-organized lubrication program. What can you do to ensure plant reliability and safety? How can you overcome problems that lead to poor plant performance and downtime? Using the best lubrication and maintenance practices across the board is the only way to ensure plant reliability.

Many companies use stationary and mobile filtration systems to enhance the reliability and performance of their machines and equipment. Reliability professionals must think beyond oil cleanliness and focus on developing a culture where priority is to achieve lubrication excellence. In order to develop a comprehensive reliability program, companies need to put together serious efforts starting from lubricants handling, storage, filtration and dispensing.

Every industry in the world, from manufacturing and mining to power generation and paper, has to experience oil contamination and its consequences. It’s one of the most pressing issues for many maintenance experts around the globe. To make industrial life easier, it’s critical to first understand the cleanliness requirements and then to establish the right strategies to deal with oil contamination using the right filtration systems.

The term shelf life refers to the time period during which you can store lubricants, grease, or oil and continue to use these products without going through a quality-control process. Lubricant manufacturers provide shelf life recommendations to guide the distributors or customers. However, these recommendations only work when you observe strict adherence to conditions.

Manufacturing and engineering is a fast-moving and competitive world where companies attach higher expectations to their equipment. Production machines are getting smaller, while the market demands and challenges are becoming bigger. From developing an effective maintenance program to selecting the most efficient and appropriate lubricants, companies shouldn’t make mistakes when specifying components for their maintenance processes.