Oil Mist Lubrication is "Free"
How Oil Mist Systems Improve Reliability
Overview
Everyone is extremely cost-conscious these days. So it makes good economic sense to do whatever you can to avoid repairs and downtime of process-critical equipment—pumps, electric motors, gearboxes, etc. In the case of brand-new equipment ordered in advance and sitting exposed to outdoor elements in a laydown area, your investment can be significantly reduced by something as simple as moisture. This is why we like to say oil mist lubrication is basically a "free" solution – free from rust, free from maintenance, and free from non-productive downtime. This solution also pays for itself, on average in 18 months or less, and continues to pay for itself over and over. Now that’s what I call a great return on your investment!
As stated by a large Gulf Coast refinery, “If it’s not on oil mist, it’s not being lubricated.”
Oil Mist Lubrication Benefits
If oil mist is applied proactively, your worries are over. It’s really an easy concept, using only oil + air to produce a mist that evenly and continuously coats your equipment, on the interior surfaces and in cavities where moisture leads to corrosion (especially along the Gulf Coast).
Oil mist lubrication has been proven by best-in-class users to:
- Reduce lubrication-related bearing failures
- Reduce seal failures
- Reduce oil usage
- Increase pump and gearbox life
- Reduce “infant mortality” of machinery, by providing storage protection of standby/idle equipment
The following chart provides an example of how lubrication is a leading cause of bearing failure:
Pie chart showing common bearing failure causes, by percentage.
Source: The Most Common Causes of Bearing Failure and the Importance of Bearing Lubrication - BEARING NEWS (bearing-news.com), March 17, 2020.
Conclusion
No matter how you look at it, oil mist lubrication systems bring big returns. While there is an upfront cost to purchase a system, the actual value you get from improved equipment reliability alone is priceless! So, don’t let any new/stored equipment lose its effectiveness before it has a chance to be implemented. Act today to ensure your machinery runs smoothly, reliably, and longer.
About the Author
Keith Macaluso
In his current role with T.F. Hudgins, an Allied Reliability brand, Keith works with clients globally to implement solutions so that their factories run smoothly.
Keith has over 40 years of experience in oil & gas and other heavy industries with expertise in oil mist and compressor lubrication systems, oil analysis, oil purification, and ultrasound technologies. Keith is a Certified Reliability Leader (CRL) and holds certification for Ultrasound Level 1.
Connect with Keith on LinkedIn.
ABOUT ALLIED RELIABILITY
Allied Reliability provides asset management consulting and predictive maintenance solutions across the lifecycle of your production assets to deliver required throughput at lowest operating cost while managing asset risk. We do this by partnering with our clients, applying our proven asset management methodology, and leveraging decades of practitioner experience across more verticals than any other provider. Our asset management solutions include Consulting & Training, Condition-based Maintenance, Industrial Staffing, Electrical Services, and Machine Reliability.
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