We reduced the contamination during refilling of oil top-up containers by adding male quick-disconnects to the lids and female quick-disconnects to the hose coming from all the bulk oil drums. It also helps with the housekeeping since you don't have to take the lid off the top-up container to refill and there is no oil dripping from the lid or pump. We don't have the problem of figuring out where to lay the lid and pump down while refilling.

The container pictured is for hydraulic units. I installed a smaller female quick-disconnect on the top-up container hose that matches a male quick-disconnect on the reservoirs, so I don't have to open the reservoir to refill it. I am in the process of adding different size quick-disconnects to equipment that require different type oils to help prevent cross contamination with the wrong oil. (Randy Hall, predictive maintenance technician, Temple-Inland)

Note from Editor: Consider adding filtration to the hoses for improved oil cleanliness.

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From "Machinery Oil Analysis"

Two of the most critical maintenance activities that impact oil data are oil makeup and change-out. All fluid and machine failure indicators are "concentration measurements". This means the "value" of parameter reported is a function of the volume in the reservoir at the time the sample is taken. Allow the volume to "fluctuate" by infrequent large makeup additions and the test data fluctuate inversely ca using interpretation difficulties. Always maintain the reservoirs of operating machinery at the OEM recommended level. If the machine is a heavy oil consumer, add small volumes of makeup oil on a frequent basis. Never wait until the reservoir or sump falls to less than 90% full.

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APRIL 2009

Fundamentos de la Lubricación
22-23 Buenos Aires

Machinery Lubrication I
14-16 Houston, TX

Machinery Lubrication I & II
20-23 Selangor, Kuala Lumpur

Técnicas de Lubricación
3 Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico

Técnico en Lubricación de Maquinaria
21-23 Villahermosa, Tab.

MAY 2009

Oil Analysis I
19-21  Minneapolis,  MN

Análisis de Aceite – I
19-21  México,  D.F.

Aplicaciones de Lubricantes
13-14  Buenos Aires

Lubricación de Equipo Móvil
6-7  Leon,  Gto.

Lubricación de Maquinara I
12-14  Santo Domingo,  Puerto Rico
26-29  Heredia,  Costa Rica

Oil Analysis I and II
19-22 Bangkok

Técnicas de Lubricación
15  Santo Domingo,  Puerto Rico

Machinery Lubrication and Oil Analysis
18-21  Nagoya, Japan