Lubrication Program Management

6 Keys to Maintenance and Lubrication Planning

Maintenance and lubrication, when done correctly, can have a large impact on productivity. To ensure your machinery is operating at the highest quality-standard possible and avoiding costly shutdowns or delays, maintenance and lubrication planning is crucial. In this article, we’ll dissect the six principles of having a quality maintenance and lubrication plan.

close up example of gear oil

Contamination Exclusion for Turbines and Other Applications

It is significantly more difficult and costly to remove contaminants from machinery than it is to modify and protect equipment against contaminant ingression. Especially in turbine applications with a large volume of oil, keeping possible contamination sources away from lubricated equipment and performing routine flushings are your best lines of defense. Contaminant exclusion revolves around modifying equipment to protect against solid particles, water, and other contaminants that are trying to enter your machines, thereby avoiding costly repairs and machine downtime.

A columnar level gauge showing the oil level in a sump.

Keeping Contaminants Out of Small Sumps and Reservoirs

Amidst all the various components in a plant, small reservoirs often go neglected. Larger equipment tends to be deemed critical due to being high-dollar items. Smaller equipment only gets noticed when it holds up production. Reliability goals with larger equipment is usually pretty straight forward; prevent outages and increase production. Longevity of the equipment is a byproduct of our ultimate production goal, so why is this so often forgotten when it comes to the smaller stuff?