Underfilling a gearbox sump obviously can cause lack of lubrication. But overfilling may be equally destructive. It can cause the oil to overheat, produce foam and air entrainment, and the fluid may overflow. Eventually higher temperatures and increased exposure to air can cause the oil to oxidize, which causes sludge, varnish and corrosive by-products.

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From "The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication"

Cost cutting by machine design engineers, incomplete commissioning and plant start up procedures and inadequate equipment condition monitoring and maintenance practices, are the major reasons for initial seal failure and fluid leakage.

Once a seal has failed and fluid leakage results, the problem is perpetuated by bad purchasing department policies of purchasing and restocking low quality (read less expensive), or incorrect seals, or by careless installation practices used during replacement procedures.

The subsequent leaks, while not considered excessive, go on and on and soon, plant operating and maintenance personnel accept the leakage as normal.

The lack of attention to a few basic details cost millions of dollars annually in external fluid wastage, unnecessary maintenance downtime and environmental damage.

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To those in the maintenance department, precision lubrication is a no-brainer. It stands to reason that lubrication excellence is a good investment. Put simply, machines run better when they are properly lubricated.

However, for those in other parts of the organization who don't understand the nuances of elastohydrodynamic lubrication, lithium complex grease thickeners or filtration beta ratios (or perhaps don't care!), spending money on lubrication upgrades and improvements is simply another overhead cost. From this viewpoint, lubrication, like every other cost, should be minimized to help the organization survive in today's ultracompetitive global marketplace.

So how do we convince management that spending money on lubrication and other reliability-based maintenance improvement initiatives is a good idea? After all, we in maintenance understand that such improvements must make a difference. Surely management should be able to see the value that improved lubrication can have on equipment and productivity. Click to continue reading article ...

FEBRUARY 2009

Machinery Lubrication I
17-19 Louisville, KY

Lubricación de Maquinaria – I
24-26 Guadalajara, Jal.

MARCH 2009

Oil Analysis I
3-5 Austin, TX

Machinery Lubrication II
3-5 Austin, TX

Lean Plant Reliability Advantage
10-11 Austin, TX

Análise de Óleo Proativa
11-13 São Paulo, Brazil

Control Efectivo de la Contaminación
24-26 México, D.F.

Tudo Sobre a Lubrificação de Máquinas
12-15 São Paulo, Brazil