Efficient Plant May 2023 - 21

feature | lubrication technologies
which may be either new or reconditioned,
for delivery to their customer. Considering
this convoluted manufacturing and delivery
pathway, the complexity and, most
important, the incremental costs to fi lter
new oil down to the 3- to 6-micron range
and guarantee that this level of cleanliness
is retained through the delivery process
is more than most end users are willing
to pay, for what is still largely viewed as a
commodity item to be purchased at the
lowest price-per-gallon.
BUY SMALL
How can you ensure that the oil you put in
your critical assets is clean and dry? Th e
fi rst rule is to buy lubricants in the smallest
quantity feasible for the application. Figure
1 illustrates a common trait with new oils:
the smaller the container, typically the
cleaner the oil. While it isn't realistic to fi ll
a 200-gal. reservoir from quart containers,
oil shipped in four barrels is probably going
to be cleaner than that from a bulk or tote
supply.
Set cleanliness targets for the supplier that
are realistic and achievable. For example, if
your ultimate cleanliness target for gear oil
is 18/16/13 and less than 200 ppm of water,
set a requirement that the supplier deliver
oil that is within two ISO codes (20/18/15
or cleaner) and meets the minimum water
targets. Th e reason for the tighter targets
for moisture is because water will destroy
additives in storage and create internal
contaminants from rust and corrosion of
steel vessels.
It's also a good idea to set QA targets
and ensure eff ective QC processes are
established for new lubricants. For largequantity
supplies, such as bulk or tote
delivery, sampling each new batch of oil
received is considered a best practice.
Th e goal is not only to ensure minimum
cleanliness and dryness targets are met,
but to make sure that critical oil properMAY
2023
New-oil cleanliness study
Neither of the new, fi ltered oils in this example is fi t for purpose without additional fi ltration if the goal
is to achieve an optimum fluid cleanliness of ISO 18/16/13 or cleaner, recommended for critical gearbox
applications.
ties, such as viscosity and additive content,
are correct. Wherever possible, new bulk
oils shouldn't be used before a QA check
provides a clean bill of health. For barrels
and smaller quantities, test random samples
upon delivery and, at a minimum, yearly.
Accepting that the new oil we receive may
not always be clean, best practice calls for
each new oil to be pre-fi ltered a minimum
of fi ve to seven times prior to use. Th is
includes particulate fi ltration and water
removal, where required. If possible, do not
fi lter gear oils and engine oils below seven
microns to avoid stripping additives.
INCLUDE BREATHERS
All oil-storage vessels, whether they are a
10,000-gal. bulk tank or a 55-gal. drum,
should be equipped with a desiccant breather
to ensure that air that enters the vessels as
oil is dispensed is clean and dry. Th is critical
step is oſt en overlooked.
For example, consider hydraulic fl uid in
a barrel with a desired target cleanliness of
16/14/11. Th is level of cleanliness means
fewer than 160 particles of 6 microns and
greater in each milliliter of fl uid. Six
microns is about the same size as a human
red blood cell. Now imagine dispensing half
of the fl uid from a 55-gal. drum and
replacing it with typical plant air. How
many red-blood-cell-sized particles will be
in 25 to 30 gal. of plant air?
To avoid contamination during oil
transfers, all transfer points should use
quick connects or hard piping. Th is includes
from the barrel to any top-off containers or
from the barrel or top-off containers to the
machine.
Fluid cleanliness is a holistic process. It
requires that every step of a fl uid's journey
through the plant be carefully controlled
and it all starts with new-oil cleanliness.
Lubrication storage also speaks to an
organization's " lubrication culture. " A
messy, dark, dirty lube room indicates that
lubrication is a low-priority activity that
has little intrinsic value to the company. By
contrast, a lube room that is well lit, orderly,
and ergonomic indicates that lubrication is
a foundational pillar of a reliability-driven
asset-management strategy. EP
Mark Barnes, PhD, CMRP, is Senior Vice President,
Global Business Development, at Des-Case
Corp., Goodlettsville, TN (descase.com). He has
more than 25 years of experience in lubrication
management, and oil analysis.
EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM | 21

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Efficient Plant May 2023

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