Reliability Solutions

Reliability Solutions

Developing a World-Class Approach to Lubrication Lubrication is the cornerstone of an effective reliability-driven asset management program. A major bearing manufacturer has indicated that the two leading causes of bearing failures are inadequate lubrication such as incorrect lubricant selection, misapplication or degradation and contamination. Likewise, any world-class lubrication program needs a well-designed oil analysis program, not only as a predictive tool to warn of impending failure, but also to serve as a measure by which the success or failure of the lubrication program can be gauged. Lubrication Program Design (LPD) The LPD process is designed to address the three key areas of Lubrication Excellence - machinery lubrication practices, contamination control and oil analysis. The program takes a holistic approach to designing a world-class lubrication program, culminating in a series of documented procedures and guidelines that can be quickly and simply integrated into any plant s lubrication program. The basic process of the LPD program is outlined in Figure 1. Figure 1. Roadmap to Lubrication Excellence LPD design is a stepwise process. At each stage, the design team builds on the information and data collected in an earlier stage of development. The result is a planned approach to lubrication program design, which ensures success while minimizing associated costs and manpower resources. A more specific review of the LPD process is outlined in Figure 2.

LPD Phase I: Planning and Scoping The steps involved in a full LPD process have been combined into three phases. The first phase is the Planning and Scoping phase. During this phase, a Noria Project Manager visits the site to benchmark the facility and review the scope of the project. Figure 2. Lubrication Program Design Process Benchmark Performance The first stage of the process is to benchmark the facility. The benchmark serves as a baseline starting point against which future improvements can be measured. Benchmarking involves assessing the answers to 150 questions related to current lubrication practices. These 150 questions are combined into 13 categories covering all facets of machinery lubrication and its impact on equipment reliability. The data is presented in a spider diagram, shown in Figure 3, which is a visual representation of the current benchmark scores. In general, any area that is scored three or less should be considered an area that requires immediate attention. A score of four to six indicates that some good practices are currently deployed, but that a planned approach to improvement should be formulated. A score of seven or eight indicates close to best practices, while any areas ranked higher than eight constitute close to a world-class program. Few if any facilities ever score nine or above. Scoping The final step of Phase I is to scope Phase II of the LPD process: the Detailed Design phase. Scoping involves assessing equipment types, equipment similarities and repetition, obtaining complete asset information and estimating the total amount of time required to complete the design process. At the same time, specific lubrication issues at the plant are reviewed with maintenance management so they can be addressed during the Design phase. Often basic awareness training is provided during the Scoping phase so that those who will be involved in the Design and Implementation phases are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Sample Benchmark Category: Lubrication Storage and Handling Lubrication management, and in particular storage, handling and dispensing practices, is a key component of world-class lubrication. During the benchmark survey, lubricant storage and handling practices are reviewed (example shown in Figure 4) and specific recommendations provided to indicate which areas need immediate attention and how these can be addressed.

LPD Phase II: Detailed Design Phase II of the LPD process is the Detailed Design phase. During this phase, specific procedures and guidelines are generated based on machinery lubrication best practices. Similar to the LPD program as a whole, the Design phase is a highly structured process designed to create efficiency and minimize the time required to design the program. Figure 3. Spider Diagram Compilation of Fundamental Lubrication Information The first stage in the Design phase involves an equipment walk-down to evaluate each oil- or grease-lubricated component within the plant. The walk down is used to determine the fundamental lubrication requirements for each component, beyond the simple and generic OEM guidelines. Noria refers to these components and subcomponents as lube points. For example, a gearbox with a splash-lubricated wet-oil sump and greased seals has two lube points, the oil sump and the seals. Likewise, the motor has one lube point, the bearings and the coupling (or chain drive) have another lube point. Information for each lube point is compiled within the Noria Design Database and stored as an appropriate field value for use during the creation of specific lubrication procedures and tasks. Fields that are collected (or calculated) include: Lubricant selection Lubricant/relubrication quantity Relubrication frequency Lubrication application method Recommended oil filter efficiency Recommended air breather Oil sampling frequency Not all fields are necessarily relevant to each lube point; only those of relevance are collected and documented.

Before After Figure 4. Lubricant Store Room The principal reason to collect this information is to populate lube scheduling or CMMS software to create a permanent record of the lubrication requirements for each lube point, and to aid in the creation of lubrication procedures and lubrication routes. Modifications for Maintainability and Reliability The second stage in the Design phase is to generate detailed, component-specific guidelines that outline what modifications are required for each component to allow world-class lubrication standards to be deployed. These include hardware additions or modifications to allow for oil changes, top-offs, flushing, filtration (both on- and off-line), air breathers, routine inspections and oil sampling. The modification procedure documents serve as a job-plan for the individual charged with the task of making the recommended hardware upgrades, and are specific to the point of indicating explicit hardware requirements, port sizes and installation guidelines. Development of Lubrication Procedures The third stage in the Design phase is to use the information compiled during the equipment walk-down to develop specific procedural guidelines for performing lubrication tasks. These are compiled into two documents, a full procedure and an abridged procedure. so that a new lube tech who may not be familiar with a specific component can quickly and effectively learn how to perform the specified task. The detailed procedure is not intended as a work-plan, but rather as a reference guide (example shown in Figure 5). The abridged procedure is designed to act as a simple, yet specific job-plan, for inclusion on a specific lubrication PM work order. For example, instead of a work order simply stating grease bearing 12-2345 the abridged procedure (and hence work order) would include key steps and component specific information. As such, the work order would now read: 1. Take a grease gun filled with grease XYZ from manufacturer ABC. 2. Remove relief valve and attach grease gun to zerk fitting. 3. Dispense 18 shots (4 ounces) of grease into the bearing. 4. Wait 15 minutes for excess grease to purge from the relief valve. 5. Replace relief valve and dust cap on zerk fitting. The abridged procedure thus includes all necessary information for a knowledgeable, trained lubrication technician to accurately perform the task with the full procedure available as reference should the technician be unfamiliar or unsure about the abridged procedure or job-plan. The purpose of the full procedure is to act as a reference document or a complete and detailed how-to guide, which details step-by-step how the lubrication task should be performed according to industry best practice. This detailed procedure includes key photos and illustrations

LPD Phase III: Implementation The third and final phase of the LPD process is Implementation-the key to developing a world-class lubrication program that is both effective and sustainable. Implementation involves taking the procedures, guidelines and practices developed in Phases I and II and integrating them into the plant s lubrication program so that a permanent transition is made from the old business-as-usual of ineffective lubrication to the new business-asusual of Lubrication Excellence. As with Phases I and II, Phase III requires a stepwise approach to completion. Procedures Deployment The first stage in the Implementation process is to integrate the full and abridged procedures along with pertinent data into the plant s CMMS, EAM or lube-scheduling software. World-class organizations use these tools to plan their daily activities to optimize wrench time and create efficient work plans. Most planning and scheduling software allows for the inclusion of job plans and procedures into the planning process. As such, the Noria abridged procedure becomes the PM task description, while the full procedure is typically linked to this PM as a reference document. Similarly, pertinent field values such as lubricant type, frequency and volume are also imported into the CMMS system from the Noria Design Database. Noria s LPD data and documents are presented in an SQL-based database. The normalized format of this database allows the data and procedures to be quickly and simply mapped into any CMMS or lube-scheduling software. While the Noria Design Database is not designed as a stand-alone software solution, migration of the procedures and data ensures that our guidelines and recommendations become part of the plant s daily lubrication planning and scheduling. Data migration is typically a team effort between Noria s software team and the plant s IT department. Equipment Modifications Deployment of effective lubrication procedures requires that critical assets be designed and equipped for world-class maintainability and reliability. This includes installing appropriate oil sample valves, installing quick-connects for adding new oil and off-line filtration, and deploying appropriate contamination control measures. Included in the LPD design documents are recommended equipment modification guidelines (example shown in Figure 6). These guidelines are detailed job plans for how to retrofit, where necessary, any component for improved lubrication maintainability and reliability. While the modification procedures are detailed enough for a mechanic or millwright to easily perform the changes with minimal supervision or guidance, some plants choose to employ Noria subcontract labor to make the necessary equipment modifications. This is particularly true when many modifications must be made during scheduled outages and thus mechanic wrench time is at a premium. Figure 5. Standard Lubrication Procedure Routing and work leveling has two stages. The first is to sort all lubrication activities into convenient logical routes and assign a time estimate for each procedure. The second stage is to walk-down the routes on-site to ensure, to the best of our ability without actually performing the stated tasks, that the time allocation and task sequence are logical and make the best use of available manpower. Once created, the routes are set up with the CMMS or lube-scheduling database so that they become part of the plant s PM planning and scheduling. Lubrication Routes and Work Leveling The final stage in the Implementation phase is to take the documented procedures and guidelines and create lubrication routes to allow for efficient and effective work scheduling. Depending on the plant s practices, daily, weekly or monthly routes are created, which are based around task type (for example, regrease motor bearings), location, product type and frequency.

Phase IV: Continuous Improvement While Phases I, II and III constitute the complete LPD process, any reliability initiative needs to have a continuous improvement component. This can be considered as Phase IV of the process and has several value-added components. Replace fill cap with desiccant breather and quick-connects for offline filtration as indicated. Figure 6. Equipment Modification Guidelines Task-Based Training and On-the-Job Coaching One vitally important step to achieving sustainable change is to provide task-based training and on-the-job coaching to help plant lubrication technicians understand the importance of the newly deployed lubrication procedures. While with sufficient support and a motivated lube team, plant maintenance supervisors can ensure that the old business-as-usual is replaced with the new business-as-usual; Noria s experience has shown that effecting this cultural change can be the hardest to achieve. To support these efforts, Noria has developed a program to support ongoing continuous improvement initiatives of this kind. Noria Field Services (NFS) places a highly trained and skilled lubrication technician (Field Tech) on-site to work with the plant s maintenance team to help effect cultural change. Depending on scope, plant size and goals and expectations, one or more Field Techs are placed for a fixed term to help the plant adopt the new procedures and methods into the daily lubrication routes. Likewise, ongoing work leveling of lubrication routes and minor procedure modifications are included with the NFS program. Noria s Field Techs are supported by Noria s consulting team whenever a specific issue that requires more in-depth knowledge arises. Monitoring Program Success One key component to reaching and maintaining world-class lubrication standards is the use of oil analysis data to develop performance metrics and as a general guide to equipment health. The development of specific oil analysis recommendations, from sample valve installation guidelines to selecting test slates is included in the Design phase of the LPD. However, once samples are sent off-site to a lab, it is equally important that the data be interpreted in the context of the plant s maintenance and reliability goals so that specific recommendations and support are provided. This is an area where a disconnect often exists between commercial oil analysis labs, even high-quality labs, and the plant maintenance team. To address this gap, Noria has developed a diagnostic and prognostic service, called Noria Analytical Services (NAS), whereby oil analysis data from commercial off-site labs is exported electronically to a Noria analyst, who then carefully analyzes the data and makes very specific recommendations on how to correct or rectify a problem that may be encountered. In conjunction with in-plant engineers and the NFS Field Tech, specific changes to plant lubrication procedures can be made where necessary to ensure continuous improvement toward Lubrication Excellence.

Provide best practice guidelines for routine lubrication PM Implement LPD design Send samples to lab Provide implementation plan Submit samples for off-site analysis NRS Lubrication Program Design Lubrication Procedures, Guidelines and Documents Provide feedback on problems NFS Tech Analyze samples Off-site Lab Electronically export data NRS QA Lab Survey Interpret data and provide recommendations on required corrective actions Electronically export data Integrate on-site data with off-site data On-site Oil Analysis Apply appropriate alarms and limits Noria Analyst TEAM Software Figure 7. Proven Approach to Developing a World-Class Lubrication Program Summary With today s global economy, industry faces ever-increasing demands to cut maintenance costs while maintaining or improving equipment reliability and availability. One very significant area of opportunity for improving equipment reliability and reducing overall maintenance costs is the role that lubrication plays in equipment life-cycle cost. Through its LPD process and associated support services, Noria has developed a proven approach to designing, deploying and supporting the transition from lubrication mediocrity to Lubrication Excellence, which is illustrated in Figure 7. Reliability Solutions (NRS) Field Services (NFS) Analytical Services (NAS) 2004 by Noria Corporation