Did you know that an oil leak of one drop per second
amounts to approximately $1000 of oil per year that
must be replaced? If you estimate the cost of replacement,
including purchasing, handling application, waste
clean-up and disposal at three times the cost of
the initial purchase, then each one-drop-per-second
leak costs your company $2,956 based on 14,000 drops
per pint and $3.50 per gallon for oil).
From the book "Lubricating Grease Guide"
Contaminants can deteriorate greases. Unless containers are tightly sealed, prolonged storage increases the possibility that contaminants will enter stored product. The most prevalent contaminant is moisture, which can enter apparently sealed containers of grease, rusting the containers and changing the product. Some greases, such as soda soap greases, tend to soften when contaminated with water. On the other hand, traces of moisture have been known to cause clay greases and calcium complex greases to become firmer.
Appearance changes in storage are not a common problem but can become evident if oxidation causes the surface to darken, if air slowly leaves the product improving clarity, or if water causes the grease to become hazy.
| Q & A: Advice for Reducing Wrong Oil Mistakes |
"Is there any way to tell if an improper lubricant is being used without performing an oil analysis, or without a part or system failure? We currently have an oil analysis program in place, but I still find that wrong oils and fluids are being used from time to time, in between the oil analysis."
The most effective way to determine if wrong oil has been used is by oil analysis, by looking at either a change in viscosity and/or a change in additive concentration etc. Unless there is a significant difference in oil type (viscosity, base oil type, additives etc.) or any dye that may be used in the oil or grease, it is unlikely that a sensory inspection is sufficient.
However, your problem in my opinion has little do to with oil analysis, but is more of a procedural issue. Bottom line, we need to make those who are empowered with adding/changing oil understand why adding the wrong oil is bad.
The first stage is understanding through education, whether it be formal training or simply internal training sessions. Secondly, we need to make the process of adding oil as foolproof as possible. The best way to achieve this is to practice lube tagging. In this approach, new oils are tagged with a designated color and shape. For example, ISO VG 220 gear oil is given a red circle, AW 46 hydraulic fluid a green square, etc.
The next step is to similarly label dedicated oil transfer equipment such as oil top-off containers, funnels, filter carts, etc.
Finally, label the gearboxes etc., with the same red circle, green square etc. The strategy is simple: red-circle oil gets added to red-circle components using red-circle hardware. This can be applied to all components and hardware, including greases, grease guns, etc.
For more info on lube tagging, refer to the following article: GM Invests in Lube Program Updates
Mark Barnes, Noria Corporation
