For years, machine reliability practitioners have heard that outdoor lubricant storage is something to avoid, if possible. There are several reasons for this position, including: Risk of lubricant oxidation from prolonged exposure to heat from sunlight Risk of...
Many organizations struggle to manage maintenance stockrooms effectively, impacting the business's bottom line. In organizations with inefficient MRO processes, it's common to find the site with high levels of reactive breakdowns, maintenance delays due to part...
Many lubrication engineers are faced with finding the most appropriate lubricant for an application. Therefore, they are tasked with selecting the "right" lubricant; subsequently, their decision can influence several outcomes. A lot of the positive results are in the...
Turbine oils are required for some of the most complex pieces of turbomachinery equipment. Ideally, users should spend a great deal of time when selecting the right turbine oil, as an inappropriate selection could lead to significant undesired downtime. However, this...
Data, data, and more data. Our industry feeds on data to make decisions, and there's an abundance of condition monitoring tools that allow us to use data to understand the health of operating equipment and detect potential risks of failures. Utilizing core equipment...
Many years ago, I wrote a book entitled The Death of Reliability, Is it too late to resurrect the one true competitive advantage? I wrote the book because of my growing concern that we are losing the experience and skills necessary to deliver reliability. It is not...
Welcome to Precision Spotlight, our fresh Q&A series where we shine a light on industry professionals, delving into their insights and experiences in the world of lubrication. In this Precision Spotlight we interview one of our Editorial Advisory Board...
Wire ropes are surprisingly ubiquitous and are used in various industries. I see them daily in Tangier Med Port, where I work. They are visible here in handling equipment in the container terminals. They are used to lift and pull heavy containers in Ship-To-Shore...
The Acid Number of a lubricant, sometimes called the "Total Acid Number" or TAN, is a commonly reported value for oil analysis and is generally considered an indication of oil aging and degradation. But what does it mean, and how is it determined? Let's break down...
Is the lubricant circulating through your system free from damage-causing contaminants? Using contaminated lubricants can lead to irreversible equipment damage, shortened life, and unexpected downtime. Instances of contamination can be identified by inspecting the...
