Machinery Lubrication I

Course Description

Machinery Lubrication I (MLI) is a 3 days course that provides the foundational skillset for applying best lubrication practices and product knowledge. Through MLI, students can move away from the “old school” methods of vague, non-specific lubrication procedures and implement an excellent lubrication program in any industrial workplace.

MLI students gain much more than pointers on lubricating a machine – they learn proven industry methods for selecting, storing, filtering and testing lubricants to boost reliability and generate lasting results in machine efficiency/maintenance. They also gain better understanding of oil analysis, so they can align their efforts with those of maintenance professionals or oil analysis experts.

Level I Course Outline

How Lubrication Affects Machine Reliability

• Financial benefits from achieving lubrication excellence
• Four equipment maintenance strategies, and when each applies
• Important implementation steps to lubrication excellence

Lubrication Fundamentals

• Six important functions of lubricating oils
• How oils and greases are formulated and why it is important
• How friction is generated in lubricated machinery
• The importance of oil film thickness and critical clearances

Understanding Additives, Base Oils and Grease Thickeners

• How lubricant properties irreparably change
• Seven important physical properties of a base oil
• The importance of API’s five base oil categories
• What causes grease to dry out and 18 ways to prevent it
• How to detect the root causes of lubricant oxidation
• When to select one of the six most commonly used synthetic base oils
• How to use temperature to determine the right base oil for your machine
• How to select grease thickeners for your application

Lubricant Performance Properties

• Key additives that enhance lubricant performance
• Viscosity grades, measurement, and reporting
• Why Viscosity Index is important
• What causes oil viscosity to change and how to set monitoring limits
• Lubricant performance tests and reporting – what you need to know
• How water contamination generates other contaminants
• How to control and eliminate aeration problems

Food-grade and Environmentally-friendly Lubricants

• Important USDA requirements and government regulations for food-grade lubricants
• What you need to know about food-grade additives, base oils and grease thickeners
• Guidelines for food-grade lubricants

Lubricating Grease Application Methods

• How to protect against incompatible grease mixtures
• Advantages and disadvantages of centralized lubrication systems
• Best practices for greasing motor bearings
• How to control pressure when greasing bearings
• The unique problems caused by over-greasing – specific steps to eliminate
• 3 critical instructions to give your electric motor rebuild shop
• Comparing single- and multi-point lubrication options
• How to calculate greasing intervals and quantity
• Best practices for ultrasonic/sonic-based greasing

Lubricating Oil Application Methods

• Overview of oil lubrication methods and devices
• How to use oil mist and other automatic lubrication methods
• Using pressure spray methods for gearboxes
• Best practices for the maintenance of grease guns and fittings
• How to protect against problems caused by constant-level oilers
• Overview of single-point direct lubrication systems

 Journal Bearing Lubricants

• The 8 most common journal bearing lubrication problems
• How to select journal bearing viscosity based on speed

Rolling-element Bearing Lubricants

• The nine critical factors affecting rolling-element bearing lubricant selection
• How to convert required operating temperature viscosity to ISO viscosity grades

Gear Lubricants

• 5 key requirements for gear oil
• How to select the best viscosity for a gear lubricant
• Best practice guidelines for storing spare gearboxes – lubrication matters!
• 10 conditions that may require synthetic gear lubricants
• Lubrication best practices for enclosed gears – a 12 point checklist
• Mastering the challenges of open gear lubrication

Automotive and Mobile Equipment Drive-line Lubricants

• How to read a motor oil label: what really matters
• The 6 critical objectives a motor oil must accomplish
• Understanding API service classifications for engine and gear oils
• The #1 reason automatic transmission fluids fail and how to protect against it
• Service classifications for automotive greases – how to select
• Extending engine life – surprising engine oil filter study results

Compressor Lubricants

• Steps you can take right now to combat compressor lubricant failure
• The most common compressor lubricant stressors
• When to use synthetic compressor lubricants and why

Steam and Gas Turbine Lubricants

• Why turbine/generator lubricants are the #1 contributor to forced outages
• Comparing steam and gas turbine oils – how they differ
• Checklist for best practice steam turbine lubrication

Hydraulic Fluids

• How to select the ideal hydraulic fluid viscosity for gear, vane and piston pumps
• Nine key hydraulic fluid requirements and why they matter
• Specific conditions that may require a synthetic hydraulic fluid
• Fire-resistant hydraulic fluids – what you need to know
• Hydraulic system maintenance best practices – 21 point checklist

Contamination Control

• Strategies for building reliability through contamination control
• The seven most destructive contaminants and how to control them
• Specific steps for managing a proactive lubricant maintenance program
• The ISO Solid Contaminant Code – understand it, track it
• 10 ways to get more mileage out of portable filter carts
• How dirt, metal particles and soot mechanically destroy machine surfaces
• Guidelines for controlling machine surface fatigue and extending machine life
• The #1 cause of machine wear and how to manage it
• How to set realistic cleanliness levels for lubricants
• Effective lubricant contamination control strategies for extending machine life
• 4 ways water contamination attacks lubricant additives
• How to set limits for water-in-oil contamination
• Managing the root causes of foam and aeration
• Best practices for excluding and removing contaminants
• The right way to control contamination in tanks and sumps
• How oil filters are rated
• Calculating the clean-up rate for portable filters
• Best practices for removing water contamination from oil
• The unique problems created by varnish – how to remove and stop it

Oil Drains, Flushing, and Reservoir Management

• How to optimize and extend oil change intervals
• Interval vs. condition-based oil changes – pros and cons
• Metrics for monitoring lubricant consumption
• Best practices for oil changes
• Know how and when to perform a flush
• The best procedures for oil draining and refilling
• How and when to use the bleed-and-feed strategy for extending oil drains
• Selecting the right cleaning and flushing procedures

Storing, Handling, and Managing Lubricants

• How to set up a world-class lube room
• How to know when to reject a new oil delivery
• How to optimize your lubricant selection and procurement process
• How to implement a lubricant consolidation program and select suppliers
• Used lubricant storage, handling, and disposal best practices
• Bulk lubricant storage do’s and don’ts
• Guidelines for storing and handling drums
• Lubricant dispensing options and what you must avoid
• Lubricant coding and identification systems – what works and what doesn’t
• Portable oil transfer and filter carts selection advice
• How and where to store oil transfer and filter carts
• Understanding and managing lubricant storage life
• Keeping grease fresh – best practices for storage

Design and Inspect for Lube Excellence

• World-class strategies for accessorizing equipment for lubrication excellence
• Seven critical accessories for lubricant inspection and sampling
• The right machine accessories for effective contamination control

Lubricant Failure

• Know the factors which contribute to lubricant failure
• Understand the thermal and oxidation process, its effects on lubricants and additives
• Identify common wear mechanism caused by debris.
• Recognize what causes lubricant degradation
• Recognize the byproducts of lubricant failure and wear debris
• Distinguish the specific test that measures the forms of lubricant degradation and wear debris monitoring
• Interpret data to set alarms and limits based upon test results

Used Oil Sampling and Analysis Fundamentals

• What oil analysis can tell you
• Types and categories of oil analysis
• Applications for oil analysis
• Overview of oil analysis tests
• Elements of a successful oil analysis program
• How clean should oil sample bottles be?
• How to find the best sampling locations
• Oil sampling valve and hardware recommendations
• A quick method for optimizing sampling intervals
• An oil sampling technique that ruins trending
• The importance of primary and secondary sampling points
• Advice for sampling hard-to-reach machines
• How to properly sample circulating systems
• Safe, effective high-pressure sampling from hydraulic systems

Essential Field Inspections

• 12 questions your oil filter will answer about your machine
• Visual inspections you can get big results from right now
• Quick tips for using scent, sound, and touch to inspect lubricants