I work with a variety of greases and sometimes the grease guns sit on the shelf for a while, allowing oil to separate. For the guns used less frequently, I relieve the tension off the follower rod by pulling it out and locking it in the groove of the follower rod and cylinder cap. (Peter Hammond, Lubrication Technician, Sappi Fine Paper)

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Lubrication requires constant attention. Vigilance is perhaps a better word. It's easy to forget the things we are not motivated to do. Yet, rarely do we forget those activities we are passionate about and desire to do. We are all driven by animal instincts to seek out the things that we enjoy or which give us a gratifying reward.

Because it's hard to find happiness in performing most routine maintenance tasks, it's not uncommon for many of them to become periodically forgotten or perpetually postponed. Much of this is actually "conscious forgetfulness", similar to procrastinating. Why does this happen? It is most likely due to a lack of rigor which is due to a lack of structure, measurement and incentive.

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"Many of the available side-stream (portable) filter systems have low flow rates (> 4 gallons per minute), and I am concerned that it might not be circulating enough oil to get ahead of the contaminant level. What is considered to be a good target flow rate for side-stream filtration?"

There is no single answer for this question. Filter system selection must follow a thorough analysis of the system constraints and a clear definition of the task objectives. There are a handful of questions to ask about the targeted systems before selecting elements and hardware, including the following:

1. What is the relative cleanliness of the fluid in its initial state?

2. What is the new cleanliness target level?

3. How long can the portable filtration system run once it is put into operation?

4. What will the fluid viscosity be during filtration?

5. What is the sump volume?

The selection of filter elements and hardware can be a sliding scale based on the answers to these questions. A couple key principles to consider are:

1. If the flow is constant, as the operating viscosity increases, the element size should also increase.

2. As the flow increases, element effectiveness may decrease. What does this mean in practical terms? Higher flow does not necessarily lead to improved filtration effectiveness.

Assume the following conditions: A) The facility is going to purchase a unit with a 5 GPM throughput, and B) will choose between a 5-inch spin-on, an 8.2-inch coreless element or the 16.9-inch coreless element, and C) all the elements have the same Beta rating (B10=100), and D) the facility has 2 each 1,000-gallon sumps to filter, and E) machine sump #1 has an operating viscosity of 180 cSt (circulating oil), and machine sump #2 has an operating viscosity of 55 cSt (hydraulic).

In this situation, any of the element options for sump #2 (hydraulic) may work, but the facility would be better off to select the 16.9-inch media for sump #1. The larger filter element will help maintain the 5 GPM rate (even positive-displacement pumps don't have 100% volumetric efficiciency) regardless of fluid temperature, which correlates to the length of time the technician will have to leave the filter in place to reach the cleanliness target. Additionally, large filters translate to lower element flow density which typically translates to better filter economy (cost to take out a gram of dirt) and more stable capture efficiency throughout the filter's life.

The point of this exercise is to show that there are many factors that should be considered prior to making this decision. It is not a complicated decision if the objectives and the constraints are clearly defined. Start by evaluating the constraints and setting the cleanliness objectives. From there, it is a simple engineering exercise that can be rooted in known criteria. Read more about this topic.

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