Those who have worked in or around maintenance and reliability have probably heard about the hidden plant. This term refers to that portion of the productivity of any industry that, for some reason, is wasted and goes completely unnoticed in the eyes of the...
What are Base Oils? Base oils are the starting material for producing lubricants, and their properties greatly influence the performance and characteristics of the finished lubricant. They are typically derived from crude oil but can also be made from synthetic or...
I have been living in Houston, Texas, for a little over three years, and to this day, when I talk to a friend, the first sentence I hear is, “Houston, we have a problem.” It’s a trendy phrase that has become an icon for the Texan city. However, as often happens, there...
Pennzoil-Quaker State Company d/b/a SOPUS Products, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell USA, Inc. (“Shell”) that comprises Shell’s US lubricants business, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of TFH Reliability Group, LLC, the parent company of Allied Reliability...
With all that maintenance personnel must do daily in their industrial, manufacturing, and mining environments, why should management task their engineering resources to invest time, energy, and money into a ‘Precision Lubrication’ work plan? Because the industrial...
If you’re like many maintenance and reliability professionals, oil analysis is a simple routine: Take oil samples from your machines periodically. Take action if the results are flagged yellow or red. Continue to use the lubricant if the results are green. While this...
Oil analysis has a strong history of being incorporated into maintenance strategies to optimize lubricant life and protect oil-lubricated assets from wear and damage. Grease-lubricated components, which are much more widely present, are often neglected from...
Many of us use kidney loop filtration to clean our oil and extend the life of our equipment. Don't overlook small gearbox oil filtration! Neglecting to filter small reservoirs may keep you from reaching your machine reliability goals. Whether to use kidney loop...
If you understand the importance of keeping contaminants out of new industrial lubricants during storage, and you’ve worked to keep them clean, cool, and dry – great work! You are almost to the finish line and have one more task to get right before these oils begin...
We often get questions during our training courses about lubricant selection. I was recently asked how bearing bore size impact grease selection. Let’s start with defining the type of bearing. There are element bearings that come with a variety of element shapes,...
