July - AMMJ

AMMJ
Lubrication Reliability 16
An added bonus is energy management - experts having found improper lubrication to be a major contributor to
industrial energy consumption. Applying the right lubricant in the right amount consistently reduces friction with the
net result of using less energy. With proper lubrication practices they now report a 20% gain in energy efficiency.
Reality And Results
By addressing the number one cause of equipment failure, reactive maintenance work decreases and overall plant
reliability increases. Plants gain a focused and efficient lubrication reliability program including footstep reducing
lubrication routes. Each route directs personnel from point to point, showing needed information, including detailed
procedures. This eliminates the need for numerous PMs and the ongoing array of printed work-orders. All of which
result in an incredible increase in reliability and productivity.
In short, a lubrication reliability software solution will do the following:
• Reduce Costly Downtime and Failures
• Maintain Mission-Critical Knowledge Assets
• Mitigate Human Factors
• Maximize Employee Effectiveness
• Cut Soaring Energy Costs by up to 20%
Best of all, any one of these will quickly save more than the costs of the lubrication reliability solution. With these
benefits, and the rapid ROI, it is difficult to understand why corporations continue to ignore this profound opportunity
for increased competitiveness and profit year after year.
Top reasons for having a dedicated lubrication plan
It is generally accepted in the lubrication community that 60% of all mechanical failures are due
to inadequate or improper lubrication practices.
-- Kenneth Bannister, Lubrication for industry
Proactive maintenance has now received worldwide attention as the single most important
means of achieving savings unsurpassed by conventional maintenance techniques. A proper
lubrication plan is proactive maintenance.
-- James C. Fitch. P.E.
Over 50% of all bearings failures are due to inadequate lubrication practices.
-- Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
6-7% of the gross national product (240 billion) is required just to repair the damage caused by
mechanical wear. Wear occurs as a result of poor lubrication practices.
-- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Much of the maintenance in most plants is performed in accordance to guesswork based on an
owners manual as opposed to the machine’s true condition and need.
-- A Forbes Magazine study
It is almost certain that equipment is either being over-lubricated or under lubricated, and with
most sites, management doesn’t know which.
-- Lubrication Engineer, UNOCAL Corp.
A lubrication/contamination control program was implemented plant wide that reduced the cumulative
frequency of all tribological failures (from wear & contamination) by 90%.
-- Nippon Steel
A study was done that concluded lubrication system cleanliness extended time between repairs
by 20-50 times depending on level of cleanliness.
-- The British Hydromechanics Research Assn.
International Paper reported a 90% reduction in bearing failures in just six months after they implemented
a lubrication/contamination control program in their Pine Bluff Paper Mill.
-- International Paper Company
Vol 24 No 3