Some failures are easy to prevent. What might be regarded as small steps – such as choosing the correct lubricant for your machine and its application – can extend MTBF by years.

As a service provider, we see many examples of incorrect oils, greases and synthetics used in hundreds of applications each year.

If the lubricant isn’t designed for the duty or application of the machine or its operating environment, another preventable failure is only a matter of time.

Operational Conditions

Similar machines can be used in several applications; however, they may require different lubricants due to specific site conditions relating to temperature range, speed, and function they perform.
The correct lubricant is used to reduce friction between surfaces, when they come into contact, ensuring optimal performance of the rotating asset and extending its life span.

Improper Lubrication

It is imperative when choosing the right solution, for your machine, to take into consideration various properties of the lubricants as well as several other factors. Studies have shown that up to 80% of failures are caused by incorrect lubrication. This can include contamination caused by friction, unsuitable operating temperature further impacting the properties of the substance used, product recalls if the lubricant is not approved for the industry and many more.

While this may all appear simple and common sense, it happens all too frequently costing significant sums a year in avoidable repair costs and loss of production.

The correct lubricant can not only extend maintenance intervals but also extend the longevity of the rotating asset and assist with achieving cost savings.

CASE STUDY: How the correct lubrication can minimise repetitive failures

One of our customers’ machines was failing every few months due to repeated bearing failures. Following investigation using Root Cause Failure analysis techniques, it was determined that the failures were caused using an improper lubricant on site which occurred due to site personnel changes. This discovery was possible because we worked closely with the customer to gain an understanding of the patterns of failures, taking into account the extensive knowledge and experience of their engineering team and other external factors.

By using a lubricant that suited both the machine and the environment, we prevented repetitive failures and developed a time-based maintenance schedule to minimise production interruptions and unplanned downtime.

As a result of close collaboration, the machine now undergoes periodic checks instead of being repaired frequently!

Your reliability partner

We are here to help improve the reliability of your rotating assets. By understanding your operating environment, we can provide the advice and guidance you need to eliminate or reduce failures. Find out more about our rotating asset maintenance services or book your repair.