Up Time Magazine - February/March 2009 - (Page 30) lubrication upload Drive Savings with Lubrication Energy Conservation and Precision Machine Lubrication by Mike Johnson, CMRP, CLS, MLT2 M achine lubrication practices offer a multitude of opportunities for energy conservation. Some of those opportunities are obvious and quantifiable, and some are not. Observing from a broad to narrow perspective, the manufacturing organization uses energy from a variety of source types, including coal, natural gas, petroleum, and electricity from a generating plant. Some of these energy sources are put to direct use, and some are used to create other energy sources, including pressurized oil, pressurized air, steam and accelerating chemical reactions. nearly a trillion dollars (equivalent, adjusted for inflation and exchange rate). H. Peter Jost, and his team, offered their impression of the potential for improvements in a variety of areas, as shown in Figure 1. Following this study, Germany, Japan, China and Canada have each executed studies that have produced insight similar to that of the Jost Report. Jost’s study indicated cost reduction potential for several categories, including savings on energy purchases (7.5%) , general efficiency (1%), and lubricant purchases (20%), each of which will be expanded upon in this discussion. 43 years after this study, one could argue that the savings potentials for manufacturers are still available from most of these categories. For a few categories the potential is even greater, particularly savings from efficiency improvements and reduced repair costs. Let’s consider the arguments for some of these savings opportunities. Human energy, arguably the most important energy resource, is often left out of the discussion for energy use effectiveness. An extensive amount of human energy is expended lubricating production machinery. Opportunities for energy improvement from the machine lubrication process can be both obvious and obscure. A gallon of oil or grease has a given energy and economic value that can be measured in BTU’s and dollars. The impact from the use of a barrel of oil to float and separate interacting machine surfaces, or accomplish hydromechanical work, has an even greater economic value, but it is not always obvious. The human energy expended to place and replace the oil represents another type of energy and economic value. These three topics will be explored in the following paragraphs, beginning with a broad view. Tribology The relatively new scientific field, Tribology, began to be formally recognized following the March 9, 1966, publishing of a report by the British Ministry of State for Science. The report suggested that the economic value to be derived for British Industry from improvements in lubrication design and practice was worth Energy Savings Potential from Friction Reduction at Lubricated Parts The theoretical basis for reducing energy consumption by improving lubricant effectiveness is strong. Personal experience suggests that the 7.5% potential for energy reduction noted Steps to Economic Improvement 20.0% Saving in Lube Buys in the Jost report may be from Precision Machine attainable for some types 0.13% Labor Savings from Reduced Repairs of applications, but not for Lubrication 1.0% Savings from Utilization and Efficiency all. The challenges to the Practices 5.0% Savings on New Machine Purchases reliability engineer will be 7.5% Less Energy Use from Friction Control measuring the improvement with some degree 20.0% Savings on Maintenance and Repair Costs of repeatability, and overcoming skepticism by Figure 1 - H. Peter Jost’s Projected Economic Benefits Associated engineering and operaWith Improved Lubrication Design and Practice. tions managers. There are 30 february/march 2009
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