ABSTRACT

LUBRICATION - CONDITION-BASED. WHERE ARE WE NOW, WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO, AND HOW?

Short reality check on how the bearing lubrication looks like in a high percentage of Maintenance & Reliability practices. Most of the published horror stories come from the bearing lubrication. Sad fact. Who is, in a huge percentage of cases, a "grease guy”, a person who greases bearings? Lowest trained, or not trained at all, manpower in the facility. Sad fact.
Yet, a "grease guy” has the most intimate relationship with a machine, and can practically destroy it. Condition Monitoring, usually heavily invested in, basically observes the condition, while greasing creates that condition. Is it time to change this historical mistake made long ago? We use high-level technology and experts in Condition Monitoring while leaving lubrication (the usual root cause) in a time-based/assumption-based mode. Quite a paradox.
Furthermore, none of the jobs in maintenance are done without knowing the condition before and after the intervention. Still, there is a task in industry that is done without knowing a condition before and after the intervention, done daily. Lubrication. A simple question reveals the reality: Just ask a lube technician/grease guy a shocking question after performing greasing the entire shift: "Are bearings better now?” The silence is deafening. We do not know the outcome of one of the most important tasks.
Another paradox. Numerous studies end up with colourful charts showing that lubrication issues are the root cause of 40-80 % of the rotating machines' failures. Being shocking by itself is not enough, the real problem is that those numbers are with us for 30-40 years!! So, the problem is known but continuously ignored. Who wants to push a strong improvement program that is based on a "grease guy”, the same person that companies place at the end of the food chain? Unfortunately, besides the engineering problem, there is a bigger one - culture. Although there is no real confidence and scientific foundation to support Time-based lubrication, it is very convenient and comfortable to simply follow the calendar and someone else for resulting problems. It is an excellent excuse. Reality-check done... that is where are today, in too many cases.
Condition-based, Ultrasound supported lubrication has been with us for quite some time, and now being one of the "must-have” tools in the Reliability toolbox. Those who already implemented a mature, high-technology, strategy (not a "listen and grease” one), are witnessing enormous benefits, approaching the target - zero lubrication- related failures. Intelligent technology makes the technician’s job easy and provides a huge pool of data to strategists, including deep involvement in Condition Monitoring. That is where we need to move to, but it is not the final point. An autonomous, smart, and condition-based online lubrication system is completing the picture. It greases when the grease is needed, as much as it is needed, based on continuous measurements - real data instead of assumptions. It was much needed to support the next step into Industry 4.0, and now it is here.
Does it make people or the lube department obsolete? NO, in no sense. Mature Condition-based lubrication strategy includes ODR (Operator driven Reliability), technicians with hand-held technology, and online. All three play important roles and equally contribute to success: No lubrication-related failures.
That is where we need to go.

BIO

Haris Trobradovic
Born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia, I spent 20 years in wood processing and manufacturing before joining the Ultrasound, Condition Monitoring, and Reliability journey as a member of the SDT
International team. Focused on the improvement of Reliability performance through all its aspects, still particularly focused on Ultrasound technology, Condition Monitoring, and, as a strong passion, Condition-Based Lubrication. Deeply involved in Reliability Culture improvement and proactive mindset through Lubrication excellence.
Author of the training programs and trainer, writing, publishing, and presenting, but most of all learning. Proud member of SDT Ultrasound Solutions team where continuous improvement is a way of life.