What is Precision Lubrication?
Precision lubrication in relation to equipment reliability of oil or grease lubricated components of rotating equipments involves using the right quality, type and quantity of lubricating agent, lubrication of the right component in the exact place and re-lubrication at the right intervals.
The most important goal of this procedure is to improve the reliability of machinery and the uptime by significantly reducing the rate of wear and tear of the components that are lubricated by the implementation of pre-calculated procedures and programs.
Precision lubrication is not a solution that’s one measure and fits all. You could have a particular bank of machines or asset class that will call for same quality, quantity and type of lubricants, but even within that bank of machines you will find subtle differences that may need change of lubricant or slightly different interval for re-lubrication. Failure to notice these differences can easily spoil the process, which would reduce the life of each component that has been inadequately lubricated.
For instance, the procedures and policy will be different for gearboxes as they will be for centrifugal pumps, electric motor and blowers. Also, when it comes to the pump asset class you may have a situation where a certain series of pumps or pump is exposed to extreme amounts of moisture and heat, because of which it would need a synthetic lubricant, hybrid desiccant breather and a more frequent lubrication interval. While on the other hand all the other pumps belonging to that family operate under normal temperatures and conditions, allowing you to use materials that are mineral based and a standard desiccant breather and a regular desiccant breather.
Applying the lubricating material at the right place is as important as applying the right amount of it. High precision cannot be achieved without Precision dispensing. Dispensed materials that do not reach the right place could potentially spoil the machinery and is certainly a waste of the material, which in the long term can raise the cost of maintenance. To achieve Precision dispensing, it is important to find the instruments (dispensing needles and dispensing nozzles) that will accurately dispense the right amount of required material to the right area. Precision lubrication is impossible to achieve without Precision dispensing.
What It Really Comes Down To
Precision lubrication is a well calculated procedure that has been designed by gathering data and evaluating every piece of equipment and its current operating demands, conditions and environments. This is usually done by a survey which is coupled with a plant wide assessment or equipment walk down. The data is then processed to get better understanding of the best procedure possible.
When this process is well designed and correctly implemented, it can drastically increase the reliability of equipments, overall profitability and significantly decrease expenses relating to maintenance by the elimination of inaccurate or unnecessary procedures and policies. Improper procedures can also increase the manual handling time of machineries due to longer downtimes and lack of reliable equipments. Precision lubrication is a must for the success of any workforce that handles rotational equipments.