Is a Lubrication Program Right for my Company?

To those in the maintenance department, precision lubrication is a no-brainer. It stands to reason that lubrication excellence is a good investment. Put simply, machines run better when they are properly lubricated. However, for those in other parts of the organization who don`t understand the nuances of elastohydrodynamic lubrication, lithium complex grease thickeners or filtration beta ratios (or perhaps don`t care!), spending money on lubrication upgrades and improvements is simply another overhead cost. From this viewpoint, lubrication, like every other cost, should be minimized to help the organization survive in today`s ultracompetitive global marketplace.

So how do we convince management that spending money on lubrication and other reliability-based maintenance improvement initiatives is a good idea? After all, we in maintenance understand that such improvements must make a difference. Surely management should be able to see the value that improved lubrication can have on equipment and productivity.

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Mark Barnes, Noria Corporation, "Lubrication - Maintenance Cost or Opportunity?". Machinery Lubrication Magazine. July 2005