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Justifying an Oil Analysis Program
David Krause, Commercial/Industrial Sales Manager,
Parman Lubricants Corporation
I would ask the maintenance manager how he knows, in the absence
of an oil analysis program, that the quality level of the in-service
lubricants is acceptable. Even assuming that the finest quality
products are being used, they can quickly degrade in service based
on their exposure to heat, moisture, particles and other contaminants
-- elements that are all commonly found in paper mills.
Even if no premature failures have occurred at all, it is a risky
proposition to operate in such a hostile environment without predictive
maintenance tools such as oil analysis. Studies show that six
to seven percent of the Gross National Product (over $600 billion)
is required just to repair the damage caused by mechanical wear.
The single largest cause of mechanical wear is adhesion, most
commonly caused by abrasive, tiny particles. Airborne particulate
is an unfortunate fact of life in a paper mill, and even if measures
are taken to reduce the amount of particulate in systems, it is
difficult, if not impossible to determine whether particle levels
are acceptable without periodic oil analysis to include particle
count.
Water is another ubiquitous factor in the manufacture of paper,
and some of this water will inevitably find its way into lubricating
systems. Water is an oxidation catalyst and can increase sludge
and corrosion. In small concentrations, water contamination may
not be visually apparent, creating another case for regular oil
analysis.
Paper machine oils are also exposed to high bearing temperatures,
another root cause of oxidation. Total acid numbers should be
monitored via oil analysis to ensure that oxidation levels are
acceptable. Otherwise, deposits will develop which can certainly
have a detrimental effect on reliability and may eventually lead
to premature failure.
Routine oil analysis will shed light on metallic wear trends
and assist in scheduling overhauls and downtime, as opposed to
employing reactive maintenance practices only when serious problems
occur.
Oil analysis can also provide confirmation that the correct products
are being applied.
In short, routine oil analysis should be a mandatory component
of an effective maintenance reliability program, especially at
a paper mill.
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