Right know-how: Not a part of the four
Rs, but this remains an important part of
creating a lubrication process that works
for you, says Wignall: “There’s no onesize
H ts-all approach to lubrication. You’ll
need to consider a number of variables,
from the process to the machinery, before
deciding on a strategy. You’ll also need
to be h exible and willing to change this
strategy as your organisation scales and
shifts.”
He adds: “SpeciH c guidance will vary
depending on the type of equipment
being lubricated, as well as where and
how it will be used. But the four Rs
provide a useful point of reference for any
application, by breaking down lubrication
into four key areas.”
Another company whose advice comes
in four parts is Fuchs Lubricants. Making
minor improvements in maintenance
can add up to major savings, and these
measures don’t need to be complicated
if you remember ‘four rules of thumb’, it
says.
“One good starting point is to look at
how many suppliers your company has
at present. The reason is simple: each
supplier contact takes time, and therefore
costs money, quite a lot of money, in fact.
Add together all the time for meetings,
negotiations and other administrative
tasks, such as drawing up agreements,
prices constantly being adjusted and
other practical matters. All in all, these
procedures really add up, so a review of
your suppliers could be very worthwhile in
terms of how much time and money you
could save,” Fuchs says.
“As with suppliers, so too with
products: the more you have, the more
time and energy that goes into keeping
everything organised. Once again, the
key is to perform a complexity review
and slim down your range of products to
keep things simple to save money. Having
many di erent products in circulation also
increases the risk of incorrect usage.”
Maintenance personnel should also
think ‘smarter lubrication’ when it comes
to oil changes and lubrication points, as
these cost time and money (emptying
and handling old oil, as well as fetching
and reH lling the new products). “When
it comes to oil changes and lubrication
points, the key word is ‘documentation’.
Map out the preventive maintenance
and record the results in an Excel H le,
for example. This will serve as both an
instruction manual and a follow-up tool
in the day-to-day operation,” Fuchs
explains. Lastly, “buy lubricants that pay
for themselves, such as products of a high
technical standard”. This helps to reduce
maintenance costs, for instance in the
form of lower consumption, which also
reduces the time spent on changes.
THE TWO T’S
Technological advancements, condition
monitoring equipment, and training can
also help get lubrication right, every time.
One example is the LRM2 lubrication
remote monitor from SKF. The monitor is
designed for use with lubrication systems
that cannot be checked daily. It utilises a
SIM card to send and receive messages,
such as low supply level warnings. It
can also be used to start an additional
lubrication cycle.
LUBRICATION – MAINTENANCE
Meanwhile, Fuchs Lubricants has
recently-upgraded its Fluids Live
monitoring system, which is said to be an
easy to navigate web-based recording,
tracking and reporting tool. It is designed
to provide instant access to key data,
enabling more informed decision-making
to help maximise reliability through an
e ective lubrication strategy.
Training can also aid in getting
lubrication right. Total Lubricants,
for example, has recently launched
‘LubInstitute’, a certiH ed training course
to improve the capabilities of employees
involved in lubricants (pictured, above).
The course contains a foundation module
focusing on composition, application
and issues. This is followed by tailored
modules, including common machine
lubrication, and handling.
These are just some of the wideranging
tips, technologies and training
opportunities available to industry. The
last thing any company wants is to su er
downtime due to incorrect or poor
lubrication because, as Total Lubricants’
Wood says: “Costs associated with
downtime and lost productivity can
run into the thousands, and potentially
millions of pounds.”
SKF supports turbine maintenance activities
SKF’s Windlub centralised lubrication system for wind turbines is supporting Italy’s
leading wind energy operator ERG roll out an automated lubrication programme on
more than 100 wind turbines across seven countries.
Some two years ago, the opportunity arose to introduce the company to the
concept of planned servicing. A survey demonstrated that 80% of lubrication points
installed were manually lubricated and, for ERG, these tasks were becoming more
demanding, with daily issues arising, related to standard maintenance activities.
As well as existing SKF lubrication systems, new automated lubrication solutions
were suggested – speciH cally SKF’s Windlub centralised, automated lubrication upgrade
system, which is said to deliver the exact quantity of the appropriate lubricant to the
right place, at the right time.
Subsequent presentations and training days for ERG technicians cemented
the relationship and work began in three speciH c areas: service carried out on
existing generator lubrication pump units; installation of automatic lubrication
systems for those generators not already H tted with such systems; and H nally,
the installation of automatic lubrication systems for turbine pitch bearings.
May 2019 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 15
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