MACHINERY LUBRICATION- INDIA NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019 | Page 12

COVER STORY
had several international plants adopt lubrication best
practices with exceptional results. These initial successes,
in addition to influence from other Ingredion plants
and reliability champions, led to corporate leadership
setting a strategy for lubrication and improved asset
management at nine North American plants.
“It wasn’t just this plant that made the decision,” Mohn
said. “Ingredion made the decision to move this way.
Then we started bringing in people to assess what our
needs were and help make the lubrication program
better. From there, we were able to grow and start
making changes in our lubrication program at that
time.”
Mohn, who has been with Ingredion for almost
two years, believes his arrival at the facility came
at the perfect time.
‘You have one – kind of.’ So, two years ago, I worked with
the engineer manager. He asked me if there were any special
projects I needed. I made the strategic recommendation for
the lubrication building, and it was approved.”
The facility took information from the initial assessment
and findings and began building and upgrading its
lubricants storage room with a bulk filtration system. The
plant also bought a thermal camera and ultrasonic grease
guns.
“Back in the day, I wanted things lubricated, but it really
wasn’t a concern,” Warwick said. “So, time went by, and
when the opportunity came for me to be a supervisor, it
was time to change.”
Prior to the shift, when there was a problem with a machine,
it was relayed over the radios, but the maintenance
department was not always the first responders on the scene
to investigate the issue.
“The lubricator we had would get there before we did,”
Warwick said. “We’d arrive and see it was a bearing failure.
We’d break the machine apart and find fresh grease. We
were lubricating just to say we were lubricating. We had no
defined routes; it was just this guy taught this guy – this
is where you walk, this is what you do and that’s how we
lived. For me, that created a problem because I didn’t know
where he was walking and what he was doing.”
A few years after the facility’s initial assessment, Ingredion
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“It couldn’t have been a better time,” he said.
“The reality is, when I came in, the company
itself had made the decision to focus on
reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), and
when you look at the foundations for RCM,
one of those foundations is a lubrication
program.”
With corporate backing, the Winston-
Salem facility had Noria conduct
another assessment in 2016. According
to Mohn, the plant, including Ingredion
employees and contractors, underwent
an effort to change the culture through
outside training, standardizing
processes, knowledge-sharing and
hands-on applications to promote
reliability excellence.
Working with Noria, the facility
implemented a rigorous training
program for both employees and
contractors, resulting in five
certifications in planning and
scheduling; two employees
becoming certified in vibration
and infrared analysis; inception
of a Certified Maintenance
and Reliability Professional
(CMR P) program; the
creation of a reliability
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