Have you ever wondered how a launched-from-scratch vibration program can require investment ranging into the mid-six figures, pull the most talented and skilled repairmen, and disrupt other condition-based agendas? I used to wonder. The answer boils down to the most...
Examining oil analysis programs – both off-site and onsite programs across various industries- it is observed frequently that oil analysis abnormal alarm observations and recommendations are not being acted upon promptly. The ability of reliability teams to ignore the...
It is often stated that viscosity is the most important property of a lubricant, and with good reason. Film thickness—the separation between moving machine surfaces—is primarily dictated by the lubricant's viscosity under operating loads, speeds, and temperatures. For...
Grease has been used since ancient times, and new technologies and equipment design require us to improve our understanding and perception of it. These advancements enable those working with grease to recognize better its impact, effective properties, and the proper...
Years ago, I had my first encounter with one of the predictive maintenance technologies. Since then, I have seen its potential, especially when combined with other PdM tools. Airborne ultrasound for bearing inspection is probably one of the simplest, most versatile...
Pour Point Temperature – What Is It? The Pour Point Temperature is the temperature below which an oil loses its flow characteristics. It can be found in most Product Data Sheet (PDS) for an oil and in "Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties" of the Safety Data...
One of the goals of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is to identify the factors leading to an event that resulted in an undesired outcome and to develop corrective actions to prevent such results from recurring. In maintenance, recognizing patterns during analysis can...
Flash Point Temperature – What is it? The Flash Point of a substance or material is the "lowest liquid temperature at which, under certain standardized conditions, a liquid gives off vapors in a quantity such as to be capable of forming an ignitable vapor/air...
Oil testing and analysis provide vital information on the condition of the oil and the equipment and can diagnose the causes of problems. Wear particles and contamination concerns can be identified using several methods. Going beyond routine oil analysis tests such as...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded to various fields, and the industrial area is no exception. In maintenance, AI has begun to automate processes and can improve the early detection of problems that cause unavailability in critical machinery, especially in...
