Recently a cracked manifold on a piece of production equipment began leaking about 200 liters of hydraulic fluid per day. Getting a new manifold built would take six weeks, meaning we would have to spend nearly $17,000 in replacement fluid. With this in mind, we built what we call "The Green Bucket".

We installed three 3/4 inch coupled ports into the lid of a regular 20 liter plastic pail: one for an air breather, one for a feed, and one for suction. On the suction port we installed a down pipe to one inch from the bottom. On the down pipe we installed a sump float switch. When the pail fills and the float switch trips, a kidney pump sends filtered fluid back to the reservoir. When the pail empties, the switch trips and shuts off the pump.

The Green Bucket is not for all leaks - fluid contamination is a key factor. But in the right application, especially if you are in a pinch, this simple idea could help out your company and our environment. (Dave Maki, St. Marys Paper Corp.)

See detailed photos of this project.

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From "Operator's Guide to Centrifugal Pumps"

Activities that are more economical to perform on a calendar basis are called preventative maintenance tasks. Two centrifugal pump examples of this type of task are greasing and oil change-outs. A greasing list with frequencies and quantities should be compiled for each processing unit. Strict adherence is important so that bearings are not over-greased. Similarly, a listing of oil lubricated bearings housing with recommended change-out intervals should be compiled for those applications where periodic oil replacement makes sense.

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What's life like inside a rolling element bearing? Let's say you are a dollop of grease and you've just been pushed by a grease gun into the dark recesses of a bearing cavity. You are now in a combat zone. What are your orders? Maybe you are on a suicide mission. Your bearing has been screaming for reinforcements and you are it - the new recruit - all gooey and slimy.

Inside you see grease casualties all around. There's the stench of oil oxidation on one side and the stiff lifeless remains of a soap-based thickener on the other. In an instant, the floor and walls begin to vibrate, then you hear a low rumbling sound.
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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