MACHINERY LUBRICATION- INDIA MARCH-APRIL 2020 | Page 29

MLI
Taking pride in the cleanliness of your
lubrication equipment is infectious and
puts everyone on notice that you take your
job seriously and are dedicated to doing it
right.
If you purchase grease in kegs, it is critical
to keep the lid on the keg at all times when
not refilling a grease gun. Kegs should also
be stored inside a clean cabinet. When you
refill a grease gun, ensure the plunger and
outside of the gun are clean. If they are not,
you will be introducing more contaminants
into the keg.
Finally, if you buy your grease in tubes,
be sure to store them vertically with the
removable seal on top and preferably
inside the original box in which they were
delivered. Having the seal on top helps to
prevent oil leakage in the event the base oil
separates from the thickener. Grease tubes
should be stored inside a clean cabinet as
well.
Now that you know how to keep grease
clean, how can you make certain that it stays
cool and dry while in storage? The simplest
answer is to store your cabinets inside a
climate-controlled room. It is not enough
to simply maintain an air temperature of
approximately 70 degrees. You also want to
limit the amount of moisture in the room.
Two of the top oxidation accelerators are
water and heat. By controlling these two
factors, you can significantly extend the life
of your lubricants.
Just like my moving boxes, all greases are
not created equal. It is important to mark
the date when your greases were received
and when they will expire. The expiration
date will vary depending on the thickener.
For example, lithium greases have a
12-month shelf life, while calcium-complex
greases have a shelf life of just six months.
Some people may wonder whether they
need to label their greases in storage, since
the product names are already on the boxes.
The answer is yes, you should. The goal of
labeling lubricants in your plant is to have
everything and everywhere a lubricant is
stored, transported or applied be identified
with a label that is unique to that specific
lubricant. The label should at least include
the product name or lubricant identification
system (LIS) code, as well as a unique
color and shape. As technology continues
to advance, you may also add a barcode or
radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag
to prevent accidental cross-contamination.
While grease is in storage, the best way to
identify it is to label the shelf where the
grease or grease gun is to be stored. It also
is a good idea to have a picture of what the
contents of the cabinet should look like.
This will help set the expectation for all
personnel who open the cabinet.
How to Handle Grease
Guns
Grease guns should be treated with care.
Although some may be inexpensive in
comparison to other equipment, they
are still precision instruments. When
calculating how much grease to apply,
remember that the amount can be reported
in either ounces or grams. The lubrication
technician must convert the number of
pumps into volume. Just as not all greases
are created equal, the same can be said for
grease guns. This goes beyond simply the
model and manufacturer. Therefore, the
volume per pump must be determined for
each individual grease gun.
The best way to calibrate a grease gun is
to slowly pump 10 strokes of grease onto
a postal scale and then divide the total
volume by 10. This will yield the average
volume per pump of the grease gun. Each
grease gun should also be dedicated to a
single grease. This will significantly reduce
the amount of cross-​contamination. Be
sure to place a label on the grease gun with
the date it was calibrated and the average
volume dispensed per pump. Grease guns
should be calibrated before being placed
70 %
of lubrication profes-
sionals most frequently
use a manual grease gun,
according to a recent survey
at MachineryLubrication.com
into service and every 12 months after
being put into service.
There are many grease gun options on the
market. Choose the ones that will work best
for your plant and personnel. Regardless of
the model you purchase, each grease gun
should be labeled to indicate the lubricant
to which it is dedicated. If possible, it also
is recommended that the grease gun’s barrel
be clear. This will allow you to visually
check whether the correct grease tube is in
the gun before you apply lubricant to your
equipment.
How to Properly Use
a Grease Gun
Now that you know how to store and
handle your grease guns, the real work
begins. How do you get the grease from
the grease gun into your equipment?
This will require attention to detail. If
you skip one step in the process, you risk
introducing contaminants and overgreasing
or undergreasing your equipment.
First, verify that you are at the correct lube
point, have the correct grease and grease
gun in hand, and that the equipment is in
the proper operating state (running or shut
down) to safely perform the procedure.
Next, calculate the maximum number of
pumps to apply by dividing the regreasing
volume by the average volume per pump
of the grease gun. After confirming that
you are at the right place with the right
lubricant and know the right amount,
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