Product category:
Lubrication - lubricants and lubrication systems
News Release from: Shell Lubricants | Subject: Lubrication management
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 August 2006
Lubrication management improves
equipment output
A predicative maintenance-led approach to lubrication management enables plant managers ensure that lubrication is effective at all times, and gain vital information about equipment 'health'.
Loss of production caused by unplanned downtime can have significant financial implications and is a serious threat to any operation For some operators there is a daily battle to address these issues and maximise profitability in the face of a competitive marketplace and ever increasing customer demands
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 10 Sep 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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However, for progressive manufacturers there is a secret weapon available in the battle against equipment failure; a predicative maintenance-led approach to lubrication management.
Explained Mark Raynes, Global Oil Condition Monitoring manager, Shell Lubricants: "Specifying the correct lubricant for an application is vital to maximising machine life and operational efficiency.
Often, simply by switching to a more suitable or higher quality product, manufacturers can experience an increase in productivity, reduction in component wear and higher quality finished product.
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However, the best way to maximise the benefit of a well-specified lubricant is to invest in associated services alongside it.
In this way, plant managers and engineers can not only ensure that their lubrication is effective at all times, they can actually use the product to provide vital information about the health of their equipment." * Assessing the need - so what are these services that will optimise lubrication effectiveness, help diagnose equipment failure and assist in scheduling downtime? Oil condition and equipment monitoring is a service that supports proactive asset management by monitoring equipment performance and predicting failures so that these can be addressed before they cause costly downtime.
By simply analysing oil samples taken at specific points in the production process at regular intervals, the team of experts from Shell Lubricants can identify component wear and predict equipment failure.
With this data and the right training, operators are able to generate predictive maintenance schedules that enable them to avoid unplanned downtime, anticipate any potential problems and replace worn or faulty components during convenient shut down periods.
In many senses the oil condition and equipment monitoring process is simple and does not impinge on the normal running of a plant.
However, the technology involved is very sophisticated and allows Shell Lubricants to design a lubrication management solution that is tailored to the needs of each business.
This process usually begins with an audit of lubrication products and lubrication practices currently in use.
Changing the suite of lubricants used in any plant is no small undertaking but ensuring the products used are the most appropriate for the application, and that they are well managed, is the first significant step towards improving operational standards.
With the correct products in place the next step is to ensure operators are trained both to maximise product benefits and conduct routine oil condition and equipment monitoring testing.
This training often encompasses areas such as optimum fill levels and product storage practices as well as the more technical skills of managing predictive maintenance schedules.
It is an important facet of the proactive approach that Shell offers, ensuring that the customer's own team is integral to the performance management of equipment and feels some ownership of the company's goals for reducing downtime.
A 'tailored' approach - all manufacturers are different and to accommodate the varying needs of production plants, or even of individual applications, Shell offers a tiered approach to oil condition monitoring testing.
Standard testing is ideal for non-mission critical equipment and when used on a regular basis can help to detect the most common types of equipment irregularities.
More complex, and highly recommended for mission critical equipment, is advance testing, which, when used on a regular basis, provides a more accurate diagnosis of equipment performance and improves the reliability of machine maintenance.
And where equipment is extremely 'mission critical' or has a history of unexplained failure, the premium testing option offers a tailor-made package of tests to address the specific issues identified.
Once the oil samples have been taken, they are dispatched to Shell's lab testing facilities for analysis.
A diagnostician then analyses the findings and produces a detailed report on the condition of the oil and equipment and any required action.
The report sits at the heart of oil condition and equipment monitoring programmes and provides a complete breakdown of all the test data, as well as a diagnosis of the findings by a team of Shell specialists, including a list of recommendations highlighting required preventative action.
This includes a full range of supporting graphs and tables highlighting any trends, which may influence future maintenance schedules.
Further insights into equipment behaviour can be gleaned from a Benchmark report.
This provides an analysis of machine performance against the data gathered from all Shell's oil condition monitoring customers, allowing the operator to assess equipment performance in the context of the competitive marketplace.
All reports provide a simple to read red, amber or green (traffic light system) indication of equipment health.
A green result is a clean bill of health for the equipment, amber indicates that a potential problem has been detected and maintenance should be scheduled, while a red result is a warning that serious equipment damage will result if no action is taken.
All reports can be provided in a format that suits the operator including secure website connection, via email, post, or fax.
* In 'peak' condition - with today's heavy production schedules operators are demanding more from their equipment than ever before.
By helping operators around the world adopt a proactive approach to lubrication, Shell Lubricants are helping them to reduce overheads, increase efficiency and ultimately build a competitive advantage into their operations. Request a free brochure from Shell Lubricants ...
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