Slippery When Wet

Do you change your automobile’s oil every 3,000 miles?  When was the last time you lubricated your garage door tracks and opener?  Research has revealed that a lack of, or wrong type of lubrication can shorten the life of any mechanical device.  Although there are some situations where too much lubricant can cause problems, we can conclude that:

Lubrication does prolong the life of all mechanical devices!
This may not seem profound or enlightening but forget to put oil in your car’s engine or let the gearbox in one of your pieces of equipment run dry and see who gets lit up!

Following a prescribed program of preventive maintenance is the “ideal method” of lubricating and maintaining equipment.  Routine maintenance on each piece of equipment should be addressed once a month with a log listing lubrication type and frequency as well as what was done and when.  A file should be dedicated to maintaining these records, with regular reviews being recommended.  Lubricating “schedule” are also used by many maintenance departments but we have found that over a period of time they begin to be ignored.  Schedules can be worthless if they are not strictly adhered to and documented.  But the question keeps coming up - When should you lubricate that piece of equipment?

The “everyday” method - usually too oftenThe “once a week” method - usually forgottenThe “once a month” method - usually satisfactoryThe “squeaky wheel” method - usually too late
Again, we recommend that the maintenance personnel keep a dedicated file listing what was done and when.
Aside from a full blown preventive maintenance program, there are other effective ways of keeping things properly lubricated.  However, they require the assistance of the operator.  Keep your operators aware of the importance of lubrication.  Each operator should constantly be watching for lube failure!  Teach your operators to look for signs like a lack of oil film on ways or other sliding surfaces, empty sight glasses or oilers, broken wipers, damaged grease fittings, etc.

Utilization of these various devices, coupled with operator awareness can be most helpful:Gravity Feed Glass OilersAutomatic Timed Lube BoxesReplacement of Dirty Sight GlassesColor Coded Grease Caps
Although it is important to use the recommended lubricant, it is of the utmost priority to keep the equipment lubricated.  On rare occasions, it is possible to run out of the proper oil or grease.  Even though it would be better to wait for the correct lubricant to arrive, sometimes production schedules will not permit this.  It may be feasible to temporarily use a different viscosity lubricant that you or your supplier has in stock, (check with your supplier for recommended substitutions).  Remember: it’s “Slippery When Wet” and if it’s slipping, chances are the it is not wearing out prematurely.

When you have parts that are beginning to show wear, contact Cy or Jerry for ideas!  If you have a wear problem caused by insufficient lubrication, call Machine Worx for recommendations and repairs.  Whether you need:
a complete design and buildparts repairedmachiningreplacement partsfabricatingadvice
For over 135 years, Machine Worx has been serving the needs of industry.  We are dedicated to the quality minded professional who wants to fix it right.