World Class Lubrication with Robert Kalwarowsky

In a previous episode with our guest speaker Heinz Bloch, we covered how certain organizations were able to achieve best-in-class reliability programs. In this podcast episode, we’ll dig into what makes for a world-class lubrication program. Truth be told, only a very few organizations achieved and are implementing world-class lubrication programs. Obviously, there are certain best practices that they do that others don’t.

These three rules may be a bit self-explanatory and just common sense applied. The first is to make sure to use the right lubricant,  at the right quantity, at the right time, and in the right equipment. The second, in view of storage and handling, is to keep your lubricants clean, cool, and dry. Lastly, in terms of taking oil samples, take the same sample each time from the same location. They should take samples on regular basis and not let anything contaminate the lubricant we are applying. They need to make sure the samples are consistent from the start to the end.

An organization that wants to have a world-class lubrication program needs to follow some rules or principles. They should know what data sample analysis to trend against which component. They can’t apply the same method to a component every time. The condition of that component may vary with time. Once, they have these principles in place, they can start seeing the benefits of having a top-notch lubrication program. These benefits vary from having an increased lifetime, increased uptime, better production, to saving millions of dollars that they have to spend doing repairs, replacements, and face downtime.

To get started on this journey, an organization needs to have a clear vision of what they are trying to achieve here. Then, they can build on that vision gradually. They will need people and leaders to run this program successfully. They can just start small by involving the purchasing staff to make sure they are buying the correct lubricant. Then, as they move forward, they can improve their KPIs to better assess the performance. When they perform the initial assessments in order to determine their game plan, it is not a very big issue. But when they mature with time, it is very important that the program matures at the same rate.

They need to know where they started from and what stage they are at now. Also, they need to be patient and consistent because the results wouldn’t be instant. When they move along, they can involve the mechanics, engineers, and vendors to help out in trending the processes. After this, they need to start training their workers and everyone needs to be pitch in at the site because all of them are affected by this program. The training should cover the basics like picking up the right samples, the filtering process, lubricant-handling, and so on.

Depending on the type and size of the organization, an organization can decide who from the lubrication program department requires training and to what extent. The main thing that makes a lubrication program sustainable and highly successful is to have a passion for it. It is a process that takes time may be too much for someone who is up to the task. You need to get in there, get dirty, make mistakes, and then learn from them. You kind of need to push people to do what needs to be done.

See related episodes:

• 71 – Issues with Lubrication Programs with David Pedden
• 115 – Ultrasound-Assisted Lubrication with Adrian Messer
• 101 – Reliability with a Best Practice Organization with Heinz Bloch, Part 1 of 2
• 102 – Reliability with a Best Practice Organization with Heinz Bloch, Part 2 of 2

Eruditio Links:

• Eruditio
• HP Reliability
• A Smarter Way of Preventative Maintenance Free eBook
• inspired Blended Learning (iBL®)
• James Kovacevic’s LinkedIn

Robert Kalwarowsky Links:

• Fluid Life
• Robert Kalwarowsky’s LinkedIn
• Rob’s Reliability Project podcast
• Conferences: IMC-2018

123 – World Class Lubrication with Robert KalwarowskyJames Kovacevic

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