At any given point, the overall contamination in a gearbox is BIG! Remember that contamination ingression is the overall amount of contaminant in the oil with: B – Built-in contamination from the unit's manufacture. I – Ingested is the “sucked in” contamination during...
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Lubrication Explained: Types, Functions, and Examples
What is Lubrication? Lubrication is the process of reducing friction, wear, and heat between moving surfaces by introducing a lubricating substance, such as oil or grease.The Purpose of Lubrication If you walk into any industrial facility, you will find lubricants....
Contamination Control: Improve Cleanliness, Prevent Failures with Particle Count
Contamination within lubricants circulating through equipment can range from air, water, or, the most damaging, particles. The most common cause of equipment failure is particle contamination in the lubricant, and, specifically, 80% of hydraulic system failures can be...
Lubricating Grease: Types, Selection, and Compatibility
In most industrial facilities, over 50% of all lubrication points are lubricated with grease instead of oil. Don't believe me? Just count the number of electric motors in your plant. Unlike most oil-lubricated assets, where OEM recommendations provide at least a...
Oil Consolidation Reimagined: The 5S Method for Smarter Lubrication Practices
When we walk into a pharmacy, there are thousands of items. Some of them do the same job but have different names and price points, while others are specialty items designed to solve a particular problem at a slightly elevated price point. Some of these may not be...
Lubrication’s Hall of Fame: Meet the Top 10 Pioneers
In 1966, at the height of the "swinging sixties" movement, the world of lubrication, friction, and wear finally received worldwide recognition as a scientific entity responsible for continued machine health and asset longevity. In retrospect, such recognition was long...
When Bearings Fail: A Fire Pump’s Hard Lesson in Reliability
In a Middle Eastern refinery, a newly commissioned fire water pump, crucial for emergency services, experienced repeated high temperatures at the non-drive end (NDE) bearing during periodic test runs. Over time, these temperature spikes eventually led to a premature...
How to Select Oil Analysis Tools That Align with High-Value KPIs
Oil analysis is critical to any reliability program, serving as an effective predictive tool for potential equipment failures. When properly deployed, oil analysis has the power to enhance maintenance practices within industrial and fleet settings. This article will...