Six Steps To An Effective Lubrication Management Program

Approximately 50% of premature bearing failures are linked to problems in the bearing lubrication. As much of a problem that insufficient lubrication can create, over lubrication can create just as much havoc, so properly lubricating all grease points and machinery is crucial to the life of your equipment. 

To ensure that it protects your investments, and you get the full life from your assets, you need an effective lubrication management program in place. 

Implementing a lubrication management program isn’t the laborious task it appears. By breaking it into six steps, a lubrication management system that protects your facility and its moving parts is merely a few simple tasks from completion. 

Perform A Lubrication Audit

To determine the grease points of your equipment and machinery lubrication needs, you need to first perform a lubrication audit. This audit should be facility wide, and it needs to be performed within a set period that encapsulates the information in as close to a physical screenshot as can be obtained.

However, a lubrication audit doesn’t simply identify grease points and slap a sticker on them. It’s a much more thorough analysis of the lubricant inventory, and the application of the lubricant, possible consolidation, and identifying possible sources of contamination. 

First, numbers of lubricants that are currently being used in the facility need to be identified. All lube points must then be identified, and an inclusive list should be maintained.

A comprehensive look at the current lubricants in use should be evaluated to determine if using a synthetic, multi-use lubricant would consolidate any number of the current inventory.

By consolidating lubricants, it allows for purchases to be made in larger bulk quantities, lowering the unit cost. It also lessens the chances of misapplication by minimising numbers of products in inventory. 

Determine The Correct Lube, And Label The Grease Point

An important step in developing an effective lubrication management program is to ensure that the correct lubricant is currently in use. Just because a certain lubricant is being used at the moment, doesn’t guarantee it is the manufacturer's suggested lubricant for that machine or grease point.

Take the time to verify that the correct lubricant is in use at the moment, and label the grease points with the asset identification number, and the lubricant information. 

Following Manufacturers Guidelines When Writing Procedures

As with all the plant machinery and materials, follow the manufacturers' usage guidelines when writing the lubrication management program procedures.

There should be no variance between the manufacturer's instructions, and the instructions for use that are documented in the lubrication management program guidelines. 

This is especially important when establishing a lubrication management program, due to the many synthetic/multi-use lubricants on the market.

Although a lubrication manufacturer may state that their product is compatible with your equipment, if the equipment manufacturer specifically states the lubrication shouldn’t be substituted with another brand or viscosity, do not deviate from the manufacturer's instructions. They have developed and tested the machinery multitudes of times, and it would be best to adhere to their equipment manual.

Determine And Document Lubrication Quantity At Each Point

When writing the lubrication management program procedures; you want to leave no room for estimating or misapplication. Each grease point has a set amount and type of lubricant that is necessary for the proper operation to take place, the exact type and amount that needs to be applied, and every time the schedule states it is to be lubricated. 

Ensure that any automatic lubrication systems are calibrated, and that they are inspected daily for evidence of misapplication or overfill. Ensure that grease guns are properly calibrated so that the precise amount of lubrication is being applied at the correct grease point. 

Address Misapplication And Possible Risks

Overuse of grease and lubricant can be just as destructive to equipment and failing to grease and lubricate. Overuse of grease on an electric motor, for example, will certainly cause failure of the motor, and quickly.

Ensure misapplication doesn’t occur by properly calibrating grease guns, and ensuring that overflows to components like gearboxes are immediately reported and addressed. 

Write The Lubrication At Its Proper Frequency Into PM Program

Proper preventative maintenance revolves around timing the maintenance being provided. If you perform the preventative maintenance too early, you’re throwing parts and money down the drain.

If you perform the preventative maintenance too late, you’re dealing with machinery neglected. Resulting in a situation that is likely going to require some level of rebuilding or replacing. 

This is the reason that CMMS systems were so widely accepted to begin with. When a CMMS is serving as the preventative maintenance calendar, it automatically triggers the work order generation on the exact due date, with no reminders, alarms, or appointments needed to do so.

Once the lubrication management program has been established, the lubrication points and procedures can be loaded into the existing CMMS, so work orders will be generated automatically when the lubrication is next due at each lubrication point. 

Talmage Wagstaff.Co-Founder and CEO of REDLIST. Raised in a construction environment, Talmage has been involved in heavy equipment since he was a toddler. He has degrees and extensive experience in civil, mechanical and industrial engineering. Talmage worked for several years as a field engineer with ExxonMobil servicing many of the largest industrial production facilities in the Country.