Ingeniero

Does the Squeaky Wheel Get the Grease?
Case Study written by: Gary Latham,
Senior Technical Specialist, Algoma Steel Inc.
Many incorrect assumptions exist with regards to greasing of bearings. It wasn’t until the Ultra-Lube concept that a
whole new approach emerged to the age-old problem of over and under-greasing. The Ultra-Lube takes the guesswork out of
greasing. By incorporating this newtechnology and following a few important guidelines, equipment breakdowns can be
significantly reduced or eliminated. Heightened awareness on the importance of proper greasing procedures could be the
simplest vehicle for creating a positive impact on your company’s bottom line! To maximize it’s effectiveness; consistent
maintenance methods should be implemented as detailed below.
TRAININGThis is essential!! In many instances greasing is given a low priority to breakdowns and often performed by improperly
trained or inexperienced technicians. To assume that anyone can instinctively grease equipment is a recipe for disaster. The
primary concern of every supervisor should be to ensure that greasing is given top priority and carried out at the first
indication of a problem. Greasingcan be simple, but consistency can only be achieved through proper training. The
introduction of the Ultra-Lube creates the opportunity to even “teach the old dogs new tricks”. With this new tool, it is
possible to catch every technician’s attention and not insult them when they are taught the basics required.
SPECIFICATIONS
Prior to any greasing application, analyze the requirements:
1.Viscosity – Know the viscosity of each grease and the machine requirements
2. Grease base – Which greases are compatible with bearing requirements
3. Is heat a problem – Grease life is halved for every 15 degrees C over 70 deg. C
4. Question the grease supplied in new equipment – Standardize with existing equipment
5. Location of fittings – Center of pillow block for a W33 style bearing
6. Greasepath – Does the housing design allow grease to even get to the bearing
IDENTIFICATION
To avoid unnecessary errors, all grease guns should be clearly marked as to the grease it contains – and personnel trained as
to the proper use of each one. Likewise, all bearings should be tagged with the type of grease required.
DETECTION
How can lubrication deficiencies be detected? Lubrication chartsand predictive maintenance programs provide only ballpark
figures because they assume every bearing of the same size, running for an equal amount of time will use the same amount of
grease. With testing it has been determined that this is not the case. All bearings are not created equal. Each one requires
individual attention, with regard to lubrication, due to varying conditions of its use.Depending on its placement a bearing
will be subject to different levels of stress, such as: varying weight loads, different levels of contamination, condition of
bearing when installed, and temperature – to name a few. Therefore, every bearing needs to be analyzed separately to
determine the amount of grease required. To date, determining when a bearing needed grease and if, in fact, the greasereached it when applied, has been mostly guesswork correlated with the temperature rise of the bearing. Now with the
diagnostic capabilities of the Ultra-Lube unit, improved ways to interpret the current condition of a bearing and what it
requires to remain “healthy” are readily available.
SYNERGY
As our plant started along the path of improved greasing with the Ultra-Lube unit, a startlingdiscovery was made with our
vibration analysis equipment. The “acceleration envelope” reading for early bearing detection, taken on the vibration
monitoring data collector, displayed the increase in bearing noise level and thus signaled the need for grease. We could then
see in detail what the Ultra-Lube was hearing. So then, why did we still require the Ultra Lube? The original vision saw every...