Industries face immense challenges while formulating and implementing effective lubrication programs. According to numerous case studies, 70 percent of machine failures are related to lubrication failures in one way or another. It is important to keep in mind that these failures are not only associated with a lubricant’s quality but also depend on its lubrication systems, practices, and programs.
A successfully implemented lubrication program can mean many wins for your factory. An effective lubrication program leads to reduced machinery downtime, decreased maintenance cost, and increased factory-wide efficiency.
Lower Grease Consumption
A decrease in the quantity of lubricant consumed by your machinery is a sure sign that your lubrication program is on the right track and is working successfully.
Bad lubrication practices can lead to your bearings receiving more lubricant than they are designed to handle. The excess lubricant can lead to lubrication churning and ultimately lubricant starvation which can destroy the machine. Over-lubrication can also happen when re-greasing intervals are scheduled based on time rather than on the lubricant’s condition.
Most organizations end up over lubricating their machinery due to these reasons. To keep this in check, you can ask your maintenance department to track your machines’ grease consumption. This can help you monitor and control your lubrications cost as well as develop an effective lubrication strategy. By following an efficient lubrication program, you can reduce your factory’s overall grease consumption needs.
Fewer Lubrication-Related Failures
Optimized lubrication programs experience few lubricant-related failures as compared to unoptimized programs. This is because if you’re following a set program, you will be:
- Aware of the effective lubricants storage and handling techniques
- Won’t over-grease, under-grease, or forget to drain the oil
- Be vigilant to decontaminate and replace the lubricant as soon as it is needed
These practices lead to better machine care and hence fewer lubrication-related failures. Moreover, since you’ll spend less time fixing your broken machines, you’ll have extra time on your hands to take care of your other equipment. To optimize your lubrication program, make sure your organization tracks failures and performs root cause analysis regularly.
Increased Number Of Machines Monitored
If your organization follows an effective lubrication program for all your equipment, you’ll notice that your workers have more time to monitor your machines and accurately assess their lubrication needs. A failing lubrication system will mean less time to do these things, as your employees will be busy fixing and maintaining the broken machines.
Take, for instance, the criticality assessment. In this process, workers prioritize the maintenance of the machines based on their potential risk of failure. Although it does somewhat increase the factory’s overall performance, to achieve 100% efficiency, you must optimize all of your factory’s equipment.
With a successful lubrication program, you’ll have more time to plan, organize, and schedule your maintenance steps. This will allow you to bring more machines under the right lubrication program.
Improved Machine Reliability
Lubrication directly affects your machines reliability and plant uptime, making it one of the most common signs of a successful lubrication program. Machines that are properly lubricated require less energy to run. A decrease in energy consumption will prevent your machines from overheating and enjoy a longer life cycle.
Here are the five lubrication practices that increase machine reliability:
- Completing all lubrication tasks at the right time.
- Adding the right lubricant to the right piece of equipment.
- Properly storing and handling the lubricant and keeping it free from contamination.
- Having the right lubricant tools that are efficient and practical
- Regularly analyzing the oil and other chemicals.
Minimal Lubricants
When a
lubrication program is perfectly designed, it will lead to a minimum number of lubricants on hand. Having fewer lubricants in a storage area will also mean a decrease in the probability of cross-contamination, which will further improve the company’s purchasing power.
These are a few of the signs of a successful lubrication program. With an effective lubrication program, you should see an increase in uptime, a decrease in lubrication consumption and a decline in the number of lubricants stored on site. These conditions enable an organization to operate more efficiently. For more information on machine lubrication, visit our
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