u t
Shop Floor
Peter A. Oglevie
l l i t o
Spe
Committing that lube
procedure to writing will
eliminate a host of problems.
Sometime we let things go when we
shouldn’t. It’s not for lack of desire; we
just don’t get around to doing them. My last
van was the victim of bad timing. I was busy
with other projects and did not grease my
front end, change the oil and do my usual
visual inspections. Instead I took it to a
shop and relied on others to do it for me.
For me, there was no glamour in it anymore.
But the shop did a poor job. I never realized
how much I depended on that van until it
broke down.
The shop floor is very similar. Perform-
ing preventive maintenance on old ma-
chines might not be glamorous, but it is
necessary. Much like I found I could not haul
my drywall, boards and tools when my van
was down, the shop floor can’t make the
parts that keep the shop floor operators
working if the machine is down.
This issue’s Sounding Board on improp-
er lube selection includes several examples
pertaining to grease. On the shop floor,
grease is not glamorous, but it certainly is
necessary. It is also one of the most abused
lubricants on the shop floor, and the reason
is lack of knowledge.
I remember walking through a shop
floor with Norm, the foreman. As we walked
past a punch press, I noticed the crown was
being taken out. I asked why. Norm said the
bearing lubricator meter plugged and
starved the bearing. My follow-up question
was why. He did not know. I asked if I could
take a look at the problem and was given his
blessing.
I checked the grease and found it was
not specified for pressurized applications
and would separate under pressure. The
grease supplier had made a mistake in
specifying the grease for the system. If I
had simply replaced the old grease with my
2 • APRIL 2012 T R I B O LO GY & LU B R I CAT I O N T EC H N O LO GY W W W. ST L E .O RG
Performing preventive maintenance on old machines might
not be glamorous, but it is a necessity.
equivalent, the problem would have oc-
curred again. So I specified grease designed
for pressurized systems. Problem solved,
and I never saw the crown of the press
again.
As a supplier, make sure the grease you
recommend is the proper grease. Do not
supply greases based on the previous
grease used. Go to the manuals and check
the specifications.
Another experience that has stuck with
me also relates to grease. I had worked with
Brad, maintaining his machines. We were
talking about failure modes in his electric
motors. I asked what he felt was the main
cause, and he said fire. I was shocked and
asked why. Brad’s answer: “too much
grease.”
I have always opposed using too much
grease. So naturally I asked how he was
handling this problem. He outlined his suc-
cessful procedure.
With their smaller horsepower motors,
Brad applied a loving squirt of grease at
Christmas. On larger horsepower motors, he
gave me a chart that spelled out how much
grease to use. He also gave me the proce-
dure his crew followed to lubricate motors.
This procedure eliminated electrical motor
fires on his shop floor.
Brad’s procedure called for locking and
tagging out the machine and then removing
and cleaning the drain plug and drain lines.
Clean the motor gaps of excess grease and
dirt. Wipe the fitting and add the required
amount of grease at a rate not to exceed 33
strokes per minute. Unlock the machine,
start the motor and run for 20 minutes. Stop
the motor, lock out the main switch and
wipe away excess grease. Replace the drain
plugs. Remove the lock and tag from the
starter switch.
Brad’s procedure spelled out exactly
how to lubricate the electrical motor. Re-
sult: no more fires.
Many of the front-end steering prob-
lems on my van related to poor greasing
procedures. I have yet to hear “zerks
cleaned” from the crew that worked on my
van. How much road grime was pushed into
the van’s ball joints, tie rod and pitman
arms? I would have wiped the zerks, but I
don’t know if they did. The next time I take
my van in for maintenance, I will ask to see
the grease specifications and procedure
sheet.
Pete Oglevie is president of
International Production
Technologies in Port Washington,
Wis. You can reach him at
poglevie@wi.rr.com.