12/01/2016 by Richard
As the lifeblood of every operation where mechanical equipment is used, lubricants perform several roles.
High-quality products in grease, oil and fluid formats are used to lubricate the innerworkings of machinery, ensuring that moving parts don’t connect causing friction. Effective lubrication reduces this force during operation, reducing wear and tear on components while allowing them to move more freely for enhanced performance.
A lubricant will also act as a coolant, keeping operating temperatures within safe parameters, while simultaneously cleaning mechanical systems by collecting debris and dirt, filtering them safely away. Providing a robust film, lubricants also seal parts from harmful contaminants and destructive processes like rusting.
However, regardless of how high-quality a lubricant is, its effectiveness relies on how it is selected and used by its operator. Here, we explore some of the most common lubricant problems that can occur and how they can be resolved.
Read on to discover if your issue is listed, and find the fix you need.
Using little or no lubricant
In our cost-conscious economy, it can be tempting for company decisionmakers to look for ways to lower their overheads. In some cases, maintenance is an area selected for a decrease in budget, and this can impact how much lubricant is used on site.
Attempts to operate systems dry without lubricant, or with too little oil or grease to reduce running costs, can be disastrous for firms and is always advised against.
Without sufficient lubrication, metal components will grind against each other, causing wear and excessive heat that can lead to damage. When this happens, machinery becomes inoperable while being fixed. Companies pay for the lack of productivity, replacement parts and skilled repair work at a financial loss.
In worst case scenarios, machinery may become impossible to fix after insufficient lubrication, and must be replaced entirely. Enterprises therefore suffer the loss of a significant investment and a substantial outlay to buy new equipment.
On a practical level, insufficient lubrication often also involves increased applications by operators to keep machinery running, which is a poor use of time and effort.
To avoid these issues, companies should first consult their original equipment manufacturer (OEM) guidelines regarding the correct amount of lubricant to use for optimum results. However, every site will have varying contributing factors that impact how much lubricant is needed. These can include work rates, loads and environmental conditions that impact the lifespan of oils, greases and fluids, and the important characteristics they offer, like wear resistance, rust preventions, cooling and cleaning.
Monitoring lubricant in use regularly can help operators understand when more lubricant is needed.
Using excess lubrication
Applying too much lubricant can cause problems too, albeit different ones.
Excessive lubrication can see a dramatic increase in unwanted sludge and deposits, which can have numerous negative effects. This build up can jam working components, causing them to work insufficiently, and may even lead to mechanical shutdowns that involve a loss of production and costly maintenance and repairs.
When machinery is used to create products, contaminants can transfer to them. This can lead to stock being damaged and unusable, requiring write-off at a financial loss.
If contaminated, products are inadvertently released that can result in expensive recalls and loss of reputation from angry customers.
The same rule applies to excessive lubrication as too little. Follow your OEM recommendations and adjust as necessary to answer the specific challenges of your application and operating environment.
Using the wrong lubricant
Its critical to the use the correct lubricant for any given application. Again, companies seeking to save money on maintenance may only authorise the use of lesser quality lubricants. The decision to simply order one general purpose lubricant to serve a wide variety of equipment might seem to cut costs and streamline the ordering and delivery process, but this is a false economy.
Using low quality lubricants typically means that companies need more stock to perform the same, if not less, work than a higher quality lubricant. This also means more drain intervals, costing time and money in maintenance.
Using conventional or substandard oils to lubricate machinery also means lower performance and protection levels, resulting in poorer productivity and more mechanical downtime.
Companies should adhere to their OEM advice and use the recommended lubricant listed. Using a high quality synthetic or semi-synthetic lubricant will always supply superior protection and performance than a standard solution, and firms can reap the rewards in higher output levels and well-maintained machinery that will run better and for longer, offering an excellent return on their investment.
Lubricant contamination
When lubricants become contaminated, their unique properties are lessened. Contaminants can include varnish, dirt and debris, but also elements like air and water that cause lubricants to evaporate or lose their ability to perform their multi-purpose role.
Visual monitoring and regular testing of lubricants in use can assess contamination levels. Operators can then adjust their oil change intervals to fix the issue, making them more frequent when required. Many lubricant suppliers provide a testing service and expert guidance to the companies that use their products.
If contamination is an issue for your operation, lubricants are available that contain special additives to help. These include anti-contaminants, but also additives that protect against oxidation and have water separability characteristics.
Excessive temperatures
A key quality of every lubricant is its viscosity. High viscosity lubricants are thicker and flow slower, while low viscosity lubricants are much thinner. Both have their uses, from high viscosity greases that stay in place for longer protecting parts, to low viscosity oils that can easily circulate complex systems, ensuring all components are lubricated properly.
The viscosity of lubricants is directly impacted by temperature. Under colder conditions, lubricants become more viscous, and when heated, are more liquid and flow faster. As a result, operating conditions that involve both extremely high and extremely low temperatures can cause lubricant problems.
For example, if a thick grease you need to protect machinery from rust encounters excessive heat, it won’t be able to perform its job, and equipment is left undefended. Likewise, if an oil encounters extreme cold, becomes thick and can’t flow properly, it might not reach the components that need it to move without friction resulting.
If your site involves using lubricants in extreme operating temperatures, make sure that they can remain stable when required by checking their viscosity index (VI). Selecting high-quality lubricants with a wider temperature range and viscosity stabiliser additive can also resolve issues with both excessive heat and extreme cold.
Excessive unplanned maintenance
When mechanical emergencies start to occur often that require maintenance, costs for companies can become extreme.
Unplanned maintenance can be over seven times more expensive than planned work, even before the cost of equipment downtime and the subsequent loss of productivity and profit. Incorrect lubrication is behind most sites encountering excessive unplanned maintenance, with key causes being too little or too much lubrication, use of the wrong lubricant or an inferior lubricant and unchecked contamination.
Preventative maintenance is always the best approach when it comes to lubricating systems. A proactive approach allows operators to keep adjusting and refining how machinery is lubricated, the length of drain intervals needed and keeping on top of contamination levels. Preventative processes in place allow sites to head off emergency shutdowns by fixing smaller issues before they turn into unexpected and expensive problems.
Lack of labelling system
Finally, perhaps the most overlooked lubricant issue is when no labelling system is established for products kept and used onsite. Lubricants should be stored in a secure dry area at a suitable temperature, away from ignition hazards. Each product should be clearly labelled, stating its content and its expiry date. Some companies use a colour-coding label system for quick reference, but to avoid issues of colour-blindness among operators, a complete description on containers is advised.
When no labelling system is used, it creates multiple problems. If the wrong lubricant is used in an application due to a lack of label, it can cause serious damage to equipment performance, protection and active service life. Some lubricants may be combustible, and should not be used in high heat operations, for example.
Even when containers are clearly labelled, operators should remember to also label filling pans and cans used for oil top ups to avoid cross contamination. When oils are mixed with others in pre-used filling containers, it can reduce their quality and the effectiveness of their properties.
However, some systems may be involved in food and drink processing and require food safe lubricants. When a lubricant is used that does not carry the appropriate NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) grading, it can lead to contaminated foodstuffs, expensive product recalls, fines from health and safety regulators and lawsuits.
Labels must also list the expiry date of lubricants. Over time, the sought-after characteristics of an oil, like its lubricity and ability to prevent wear, can degrade. As a result, it is important that lubricants are stored with earlier expiry dates ready for use first, so that companies get the very best from the products they buy.
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