MACHINERY LUBRICATION- INDIA NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019 | Page 21

MLI separate out in the sump. This will lead to circulating fluid having lower percentage of MWF. This is very clearly evident with MWF floating on top of sump tank. Faulty nozzles may miss out part of component and hence lead to rusting. Fish-bone diagram (Ishikawa diagram) They were adding 8 lit of MWF to a drum of water, which were about 200 lit. They should have been taking 8 lit MWF for 100 lit of water or 16 lit for a drum. Entire emphasis was on “8 lit” and not on the quantity of water to which MWF was added; so the required percentage was not achieved. The customer rectified the mistake and upon next follow-up, no rusting of components was noticed. What we had missed out in our fish- bone diagram was shelf life of MWF, though on post analysis the MWF was found to be within shelf life. Any emulsifiable product has quite short shelf life compared to general lubricants. A product which has outlived its shelf life forms poor/weak emulsion which can ultimately lead to loss of properties i.e. rust prevention, wearing of tool etc. Similarly, ratio of MWF depends slightly on water hardness but within range specified in product datasheet. Lower dosage, again, does not give full benefit of the product. There are specific MWF to be used for cast iron and different ones for aluminum etc – use of wrong MWF may or may not give all desired benefits. Adding water to concentrate gives poor emulsion stability, MWF may Now, the above incident is only an example. The important thing is to carry out a thorough analysis using any good tool (we had used fish-bone/ Ishikawa diagram). We do not claim that the above diagram is exhaustive. If fish-bone diagram is used, brain storming to get most exhaustive is highly recommended. Once the cause is identified, it is very easy to work out a solution. About the Author Manoj Srivastava graduated as Chemical Technologist. He has 32 years rich experience in strategic planning, plant operations with proven abilities in enhancing production process operations, optimizing resources, capacity utilization, escalating productivity & operational efficiency while curtailing costs and expenses in various lubricant companies in India and Africa (Tanzania). He is experienced in carrying out lube surveys/ audits & lubrication training for end customers. Contact Manoj at [email protected] www.machinerylubricationindia.com | November - December 2019 | 19