Lubrication

Presented by: Cleveland Predictive

Maintenance
 Why all the fuss...

• Lubrication is widely misunderstood, and we need

to fix that
• We need to ensure that our lubricants are properly
and consistently applied

We can make significant improvements in the

reliability of our equipment by returning to solid
fundamentals.
 Lubrication Fundamentals...

• Lubricants provide three main functions

– Reduce frictional wear
– Carry away heat
– Keep out contaminants

• There are three critical things involved in effective

lubrication
– Specify the proper lubricant, application method, amount, and
relubrication interval
– Apply the specified lubricant correctly
– Apply the right amount, at the right time
 Lubricant Basics...

• Three basic types

– Oils…base oil + additives (optional)
– Greases…base oil + additives + thickener
– Solid lubricants…solid material + carrier (optional)
 Lubricant Basics...

• Lubrication terms
– Viscosity, weight, apparent viscosity
• Defined as the resistance to shear
• varies greatly with temperature
– Base oil
• Component that provides the lubrication
• can be mineral oil or synthetic
– Thickener
• Component of grease that provides the “body” or consistency
• Typically composed of clays or metal soaps
 Lubricant Basics...

• Lubrication terms (cont)

– Additives
• chemicals that modify the service properties of the oil or grease
– anti-foam, tackifiers, VI improvers, detergents, EP additives,
– Consistency (greases)
• Typically NLGI graded

RUNNY SOFT HARD

000 00 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Common
 Lubricant Basics...
A lubricant works differently under different conditions, but is
essentially there to separate surfaces to reduce wear. The details
of how it keeps the surfaces separated depend on the type of
relative motion between the surfaces and the speed of that
motion.
 In the field, it’s important to...
• Follow specifications for:
– type of lubricant
– amount applied
– interval of application
• Do all you can to prevent contaminants from entering the lubrication
point
– keep storage containers closed
– wipe all fittings thoroughly before connecting grease gun
– clean all lids, caps, doors, etc. prior to opening
• Label all lubricant containers and dispensers with the lubricant they
contain
• Never mix greases unless you have checked for compatibility,
preferably by bench testing
 In the field, it’s important to...
• Keep an eye out for
– lubrication points which need
• a different lubricant
• a revised interval
• an adjusted amount
– difficulty properly applying the lubricant
• access is difficult
• cleanliness is difficult to achieve
– something that doesn’t seem right
• component wear
• metal particles
• higher than usual temperatures