Machinery Lubrication India Jan Feb 14 10 | Page 9

The Remedy
Thorough documentation of every task
performed in the lubrication program
offers the best method for creating
procedures. You want to write a
procedure not only for the application
of lubricants (oil changes, regreasing,
etc.) but also for how lubricants are
handled in storage, decontaminated
upon arrival and even disposed of after
use.
Procedures should be developed with
best practices in mind and may not
represent what is currently being done
in your plant. For instance, if new oil is
arriving and being put into service
without any testing or decontamination,
this is far from best practice. Instead,
new oil should be sampled upon
delivery to confirm its properties and
tested for contaminants. If necessary,
the new oil should be decontaminated
before being released for service or put
into bulk storage containers.

Improper sampling points and hardware may result in samples that are full of historic data.

Many plants regard oil sampling as a
secondary function and simply take
samples from a drain port or with the
inconsistent drop-tube method. When
sampling from drain ports, you may
obtain a sample that is full of historic
data (e.g., layers of sediment and
sludge). Wear debris trends can also be
hard to establish, as these samples
often contain a high concentration of
contaminants.
In addition to being inconsistent, droptube sampling frequently requires the

Proper sampling ports can be achieved
by modifying the machine. This will
allow good samples to be taken
consistently from “live” zones or areas
inside the system where oil is
experiencing turbulent flow.

The Remedy
All machines to be included in the oil
analysis program should be evaluated
for the proper sampling hardware.
Splash-bathed components such as
bearings and gearboxes can be
equipped with minimess sampling

The same holds true for inspections,
top-ups and every small task in the
lubrication program. It is not enough to
simply document what is currently
being done. You must design procedures
in a manner that enables the program
to reach a world-class level.

2. Improper Sampling Points
and Hardware
If used correctly, oil analysis can be an
extremely valuable tool. It allows you to
monitor not only the health of the oil
but also the health of the machine, as
well as catch failures before they
become catastrophic. In order to obtain
all the benefits of oil analysis, you first
must have the correct sample points
and hardware.

Overgreasing can result in higher operating temperatures, premature bearing failure
and an increased risk of contaminant ingression.

machine to be taken out of service. This
can result in particles settling at the
bottom of the sump, which may prevent
a good, relative sample being taken
from the system.

valves with pilot tube extensions. These
extenders can be bent up into the “live”
zone next to the bearing or gear teeth.
Circulating systems should be examined
for the best possible sampling points as

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