How Often Should Equipment Be Lubricated?
This can change depending on your environment and operating conditions. A machine operating in a clean environment with ambient temperatures and a typical load should be lubricated according to its schedule. However, if this same machine is in a dusty, high-temperature environment working 24/7, its change or relubrication intervals will be shorter than the regular ones.
Lubrication reduces friction in your system. Hence, you can detect when friction levels increase if you’re monitoring your assets using ultrasound. This would allow you to apply a small volume of lubricant to lower these levels. (This is specifically for greases.)
You are always advised to check with your OEM, who will have recommended lubrication schedules for your equipment in varying environments and operating conditions.
What Are the Signs of Poor Lubrication?
Poor lubrication can mean under- or over-lubricated assets or incorrect use of a lubricant in a particular application. If your lubricant is not meeting the expected intervals and the components constantly fail due to lubrication issues, these are some telltale signs of poor lubrication.
How Do I Know If I’m Using the Right Lubricant?
All lubricants are required to meet standards to prove their performance, or OEMs may approve some for their suited applications. The lubricant’s performance standards should be compared to those outlined by the OEM for a particular piece of equipment. If they don’t match or there are discrepancies, then the OEM or lubricant supplier should be contacted for verification. Sometimes, an over-qualified lubricant may be used in your application, and it can also give you the expected results, but of course, at a higher cost.
Lubricants are the lifeblood of our equipment and keep our industry moving. We need to understand them fully, their roles in our equipment, and how we can optimize them for maximum performance.
References
- Debshaw, B. (2023, February 02). Reducing Costs, Increasing Production: The Remarkable Impact of Predictive Maintenance. Retrieved from Precision Lubrication Magazine: https://precisionlubrication.com/articles/predictive-maintenance/
- Mathura, S. (2024, April 01). Lubricant Additives: A Comprehensive Guide. Retrieved from Precision Lubrication Magazine: https://precisionlubrication.com/articles/lubricant-additives/
- Mathura, S. (2023, March 26). Oil viscosity: A practical guide. Retrieved from Precision Lubrication Magazine: https://precisionlubrication.com/articles/oil-viscosity/
- Britton, R. (2023, January 26). How do Solid Lubricants work? Retrieved from Precision Lubrication Magazine: https://precisionlubrication.com/articles/solid-lubricants/
- Hamrock, B. J., Schmid, S. R., & Jacobson, B. O. (2004). Fundamentals of Fluid Film Lubrication Second Edition. New York: Marcel Dekker Inc.
- Pirro, D. M., Webster, M., & Daschner, E. (2016). Lubrication Fundamentals, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
- Pirro, D. M., Webster, M., & Daschner, E. (2016). Lubrication Fundamentals, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
- Hamrock, B. J., Schmid, S. R., & Jacobson, B. O. (2004). Fundamentals of Fluid Film Lubrication Second Edition. New York: Marcel Dekker Inc.
Find out more in the full article featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine.