FEATURE LUBRICANTS & COOLANTS


LUBRICATION: L


Managing a vital maintenance activity


ubrication management can make or break production asset performance. Get it right and you have a sound foundation for asset reliability; get it wrong, or mismanage it, and you will reap the consequences. Paradoxically, some lubrication practices can often cause as many problems as they set out to solve. Frequent (often unnecessary) re- lubrication is costly in terms of materials and labour; over-lubrication poses a contamination risk, as well as ultimately damaging bearings and compromising seals, leading to spillages, contamination and slip hazards. Avoiding waste, contamination and potential risks to plant and personnel are the aims of good lubrication management. The starting point is an assessment of the production process to weigh up the costs and potential risks against the opportunities and benefits of a planned lubrication management scheme in accordance with established HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) procedures. This can be conducted in-house or by using the services of an expert in rotating equipment such as SKF, a company that can advise on strategies and appropriate technologies. For example, OEMs might choose


bearings that are ‘greased for life’ and which require no re-lubrication, and opt for high-efficiency seals that keep lubricants in and contaminants out. It may be appropriate to consider using an automated or centralised lubrication system - and supporting the lubrication strategy by deploying a condition monitoring system that will detect the effects of poor lubrication before it results in any damage to critical production assets.


MANUAL VERSUS AUTOMATIC While manual lubrication is still commonplace – and unlikely ever to be fully replaced by some of the more sophisticated automated processes available today – it is frequently applied in an arbitrary way, often dictated by ad- hoc maintenance scheduling or even guided by lubricant availability. While periodic manual lubrication is likely to remain the best option in the


22 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT


majority of cases, companies can save time and improve results by using better designed tools for this task, like the cordless Lincoln PowerLuber rechargeable battery-powered grease gun range from SKF. This delivers precisely metered quantities of lubricant at the touch of a button, reducing waste and the risk of over- or under-lubrication. But what about those critical assets that may be difficult to access, or require lubrication at a frequency that does not match planned shutdown or maintenance intervals, or which might be subject to lubrication requests as the result of a condition monitoring system prompt? It may be appropriate to consider automating the lubrication process with permanently installed, centralised systems that deliver lubricant in precise quantities, as and when required. These systems are available to suit any


size of application, from a single bearing receiving small quantities of a suitable lubricant from a local reservoir at pre-set intervals, to an entire plant with hundreds of separate lubrication points. The most advanced modern lubrication systems have a high degree of built-in intelligence, adjusting lubrication rates according to machine utilisation, monitoring their own performance and alerting operators if there is a problem with lubricant supply. Centralised systems work on the ‘little and often’ principle, delivering measured amounts of lubricant to single points or, via dual-line systems such as the SKF DuoFlex or Lincoln Helios metering pumps, to hundreds of lubrication points over long distances. Controllers, such as the SKF LMC 301, can operate three separate lubricant pumps, controlling up to three zones, and is appropriate for systems with lubrication points that


Lubrication is a fundamental maintenance activity, yet poor or non-existent lubrication is the root cause of up to three quarters of breakdowns of industrial equipment. But while it may be fundamental, lubrication is in no way a trivial task. Matt Preston, lubrication systems application engineer at SKF, describes how lubrication can be effectively managed and offers some guidance on how best to achieve a well managed lubrication regime


Above: Production line seals and bearings need to be properly maintained using lubrication technologies


Below: The SKF Lincoln Power Luber


Below left: The SKF LCM 301 control panel


require either different lubrication intervals or varying types of grease. In industries where lubricant


contamination is a major issue (food processing, for example) increasingly tight regulations to ensure product safety are demanding different ways of managing lubrication. In these cases a lubrication management review will form an essential part of the food producer’s HACCP certification process. Potential negative impacts of poor


lubrication practice on HACCP have seen industries such as food processing adopt different approaches to managing lubrication – using re-lubrication-free bearings, effective sealing arrangements and centralised, automated lubrication systems as discussed here – in order to avoid disastrous product recalls. Many technologies are available to


improve an operator’s lubrication practices but there is no one right answer for every production line or equipment type. There are many other factors at play. Operators must choose which is best suited to their particular operational needs because picking the right lubrication strategy will ultimately pay dividends, reducing incidences


of unplanned downtime and prolonging the service life of valuable assets.


www.skf.com T: 01582 490049 / FACTORYEQUIPMENT


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