It has long been known that contamination is the leading cause of failure in rotating and reciprocating equipment. For this reason, most circulating oil systems contain some form of filtration on the supply line and occasionally, in the case of hydraulics, on the...
Despite their complexity, hydraulic systems are forgiving in nature. In most cases, they can perform well for a long time before any significant or catastrophic failure occurs. Unfortunately, this "creep to failure" quality can promote apathy in production and...
Lubricants keep the world turning. Once something moves, a lubricant should be present to reduce friction or wear between the surfaces. But what makes lubricants so unique in our industry? Is it just the base oil? No, this is where the power of lubricant additives...
Onsite oil analysis is an effective tool to analyze samples and optimize maintenance activities quickly. As part of a comprehensive condition-based maintenance program (CBM), oil analysis effectively complements other diagnostic technologies like vibration analysis,...
If a machine is to provide service life past its warranty stage, its designer must envision and consider all operating conditions under which it will operate in the field. For example, to mitigate the effects of severe and semi-severe conditions, the design must be...
Making sense of any production or maintenance workflow, process, or procedure requires a textual map in the form of a diagram, visual representation, or an ordered text list that shows or describes the relative position of the parts of something. Maintenance teams...
As the name suggests, antiwear additives help to prevent wear in one way or another. However, what makes them unique compared to other additives in lubricants? Why are they used more predominantly in specific applications than other applications? This article explores...
In most industrial facilities, many lubricant application tasks are performed manually using either a grease gun, an oil can, an oil top-off container, or an aerosol spray. Done correctly, manual lubrication can be an efficient and effective way to keep smaller...
At an industrial level, bearings are, without a doubt, the most widely used assets in all sectors and allow a lot of critical and non-critical equipment to remain in service. Depending on the source consulted, the first wooden bearings that were discovered date back...
Fluid analysis is a powerful tool in the preventive maintenance toolbox of many equipment and maintenance managers in industries ranging from construction to aggregates to mining to marine. Efficiently managed programs provide considerable benefits that translate...
