Lubrication Audit

Sabita Mishra
Figure 2 Ref. AIMAN (Italian Association of Maintenance Engineers)
and IRI (International Research Institute) in conjunction with SKF
 Factors that Enable Lubrication
Excellence
• People Preparedness. People are trained to modern lubrication skill
standards and have certified competencies.
• Machine Preparedness. Machines have the necessary design and
accouterments for quality inspection, lubrication, contamination
control, oil sampling, etc.
• Precision Lubricants. Lubricants are correctly selected across key
physical, chemical and performance properties, including base oil,
viscosity, additives, film strength, oxidation stability, etc.
• Precision Lubrication. Lubrication procedures, frequencies,
amounts, locations, etc., are precisely designed to achieve the
reliability objectives.
• Oil Analysis. This includes optimal selection of the oil analysis lab,
test slate, sampling frequency, alarm limits, troubleshooting
rationale, etc.
 Advantages of an Audit
 Identify duplication of lubricants
 Learn about your hidden lubrication costs
 Learn of potential safety and environmental issues
 Cost out the R.O.I. of automating some of your
critical production equipment
 Up-dated manuals as required for your current
automated lubrication system
 A customized plan to reduce cost, improve
productivity and safety, listing the opportunities in
priority sequence
 Equipment Survey Overview
 Develop an equipment list
 Routine inspection, equipment survey and visual inspection
 Identify and label equipments with equipment number and
description
 Equipment pictures
 Machine criticality assessment and operating parameters
 Identify lubricant sections from the OEM manual
 Technical data sheet for the selected lubricant for the equipment
 Selected lubricant MSDS
 Leakage reports
 Equipment temperature environment
 Oil sampling as required
 Lubrication inspection, top offs
 Reliability, mean time between failure data on the equipments
 Safety and operational hazards
Equipment Assessment
 Lubricant Survey Overview
 Lubricant technical selection practices
 Lubricant application practices
 Oil analysis program practices
 Condition control practices
 Lubrication practices standardization (SOPs)
 Long term lubricant stability
 Lubrication survey and lubricant vendor selection
 Consolidate lubricants
 Set lubrication preventive maintenance (PM) frequency
 Root cause mapping and correction
 Program effectiveness reporting
 Program management and personal development
 Lubricant Survey Overview (Cont’d)
 Eliminate unnecessary oil changes
 Eliminate premature aging of lubricants
 Verifying, defining lubrication practices
 Verifying, defining re-lubrication activities like volumes,
frequencies, route sequences, machine upgrades etc.
 Purchase necessary lubrication equipment and tools
 Perform financial analysis review and establish a cost basis
 Reduce the number of lubricants in use and thereby reduce the
chances for mis-application and cross contamination
 Contamination control practices
 Upgrading knowledge level
 Develop a lubrication manual
Lubricant Selection Chart
Storage and Handling Survey Overview
 Lubricant delivery, storage and handling practices should be
followed
 Wasteful practices of products, duplication and excess inventory
should be eliminated
 Storage room temperature extremes should be avoided
 Fluctuating temperatures should be avoided
 Containers should not be stored in a humid environment
 First in first out (FIFO) system should be maintained such that
stocks are rotated properly
 All new drums should be filtered to an appropriate level. Use a
ß3=200 filters for lubricants below 150 cSt @ 40⁰C. Use ß6=100
filters for lubricants above 150 cSt @ 40⁰C
 All drums and containers should be labeled and color coded and
filtered drums should be labeled as such with the date of
filtration.
Storage and Handling Survey Overview
 Filtered drums should be fit with an appropriate air filter to offer
air flow a path of least resistance allowing moisture and solid
particulate to be captured prior to entering the drum.
 When new oil is transferred to the top-up container, it should be
transferred through a filter.
 Oils should be stored in fluid storage racks
 Fluid storage racks should have oil and air filtration
 Proper dispensing containers should be used and stored in an
explosion proof cabinet
 Drums should be stored horizontally and covered to keep excess
moisture and dirt from settling on them. The openings (bungs)
should be at 3 and 9 o’clock positions to minimize the amount of
breathing in the drums
 Drums should be fitted with dispensing taps with covers
Storage and Handling Practices
Storage and Handling Practices
Storage and Handling Practices
 Safety Survey Overview
 MSDS are available and are reviewed
 Lock out procedures are followed
 Leakage control
 Spill response is in place
 Handling practices maintain a safe environment
 Lubrication equipment use is understood
 Sampling procedures are followed
 Training to ensure effectiveness and consistency
 Proper documentation and reports and manuals
 Proper fire hazard precautions are taken
Typical Checklist for an Audit
 Typical Audit
Oil storage and dispensing:-
Oils stored in fluid storage racks
Fluid storage racks have oil filtration
Fluid storage racks have air filtration
Use of proper dispensing containers
Lubricant stocks properly rotated
Bulk oil changes performed using a filter carts
 Typical Audit
Oil sampling techniques:-
Oil sampling procedures are documented
New oil deliveries are sampled
Oil sampling ports are properly located
Proper oil sampling hardware is installed
Sample ports are properly labeled
Automatic monthly scheduled oil change in place
 Typical Audit
Contaminant ingression control:-
Proper air breathers are installed on equipment
Additional offline filtration is installed on critical
equipment
Lubrication ports are installed
Off line filter carts are available and employed
regularly
Water stripping equipment is available
Offline filtration and oil filter changes are
performed on condition
 Typical Audit
Oil analysis program:-
Proper sampling frequencies are defined
Oil analysis test slates are well defined
Proper limits and targets are employed by
machine type
Oil analysis data is effectively communicated
through the company
A process exists for troubleshooting exception
conditions
 Typical Audit
Program Management:-
Equipment criticality assessed and determined
Regular and condition based PMs in place
Oil changes are based on condition
Qualified and trained technicians dispense
lubricants
PM schedules are tracked in a database
Trend charts showing sample/analysis
performance are publicly displayed
Continuous Improvement