The importance of lubrication in industrial equipment cannot be overstated – and when planning for a shutdown, there are several steps that should be considered. Especially since shutdowns present the perfect opportunity to make improvements to a plant’s lubrication scheduling and practices. Motion experts Steve Keown and Fellipe Ramos provide practical recommendations as to how a plant can ensure a smooth and effective shutdown from a lubrication and filtration perspective.
The first point to consider regarding lubrication prior to a shutdown is an oil and grease analysis. While every site and the scale of its shutdown will be different. Steve Keown, Product Manager – Lubricants & Lubrication Equipment & Systems at Motion, says its important to understand the condition of the lubricants in the plant before it is shutdown.
“This means that prior to the shutdown, we would do complete oil and grease sampling for lubricant analysis of gearboxes, drive lines, bearings, hydraulic systems and engines,” says Steve. “The results of the analysis when compared to a baseline will give us an understanding of the condition of the equipment beforehand. This can provide direction as to what needs to be targeted and will also ensure the plant or equipment can be restarted after shutdown without delay.”
If preparation is not done before a shutdown, then important lubrication maintenance may not be performed. “You may have a small window for when the plant is offline. If you don’t have all the information in advance on which equipment needs to be prioritised then you might not have the right lubricant or filter ready,” explains Steve. “And it’s critical you use the shutdown period to do proper assessments.” According to Steve, any assemblies that are being overhauled and cleaned out, should be evaluated for signs of component degradation.
This includes checking:
For contamination in the lubrication due to ingress or poor maintenance practice.
For signs of under- or over-lubrication.
For foreign debris in oil filters.
Whether the correct lubricant has been used for its application.
The desiccant filter breather and whether it needs replacing.
Fellipe Ramos, Category Manager – Fluid Control Systems at Motion, says that in addition to an oil analysis, monitoring clog indicators on filters is a recommended practice prior to shut down.
“These gauges will show whether the filter is clogged and needs replacing. Changing filters too soon can be a waste of resources, while changing them too late risks damaging the equipment. When the filter is bypassed due to clogging, it stops filtering, and contaminants can enter the system,” Fellipe explains.
Before a shutdown, it’s vital that plants perform a lube store review and stocktake. This ensures all lubricants and filters that may be required for the event are readily available.
The following should be considered prior to shutdown:
Check all lubricants required for your equipment are stocked in sufficient quantities.
Speak with a lubrication specialist to understand consolidation of products.
Action a total store product and quantity review.
Allow enough ordering lead time to replenish stock levels from your supplier.
Allow for any new equipment purchased or installed since last store review.
Uncover any old stock or product that is no longer relevant to the plant and send for disposal.
Check store spill bunding and containment perimeter are not compromised.
Restock oil spill kit and check you have enough kits to cover scope of works.
Environmentally responsible disposal of lubricants that have met shelf-life date.
What’s included in the lubrication schedule for shutdown?
Steve highlights the following points:
Engines, gearboxes and driveline lubricants should be changed prior to equipment being parked or turned off, taking into consideration any results from lube sampling or existing planned maintenance.
Any oil filtration inspections should be actioned in conjunction with oil sampling results.
Bearings assemblies should be purged of old grease and any significant degradation of the purge grease should be noted as this may require further investigation.
Seals should be inspected for any wear.
Chains and sprockets should be cleaned down and inspected for serviceability and relubricated ready for plant start up.
Automatic lubrication systems should be set to purge and all distribution blocks, delivery lines and ports checked for leakage and sufficient flow.
Importantly, Steve says that shutdowns provide a key opportunity to do a full lubrication review and action improvements.
He highlights the following points to consider during a shutdown:
Colour coding of lube store inventory, delivery equipment and plant fill points to prevent incorrect lubricants being used and contamination.
For sites with multiple greased bearing or lubricated chains, install and commission automatic lubrication delivery systems.
Convert electric motors, pumps and hard or unsafe access points to single point lubricators – this improves safety and reliability of equipment.
Add desiccant filter breathers on lube storage tanks, drums, in your lube store and on equipment to prevent contamination of lubricant from the surrounding environment.
In summary
To conclude, Steve says that shutdowns provide an opportune time way to action preventative maintenance and make improvements to the lubrication and filtration systems, including how the stock is managed.
“You may be able to action preventative maintenance now – while the plant is offline – that will save an unplanned shut down with your next production run,” he says. “Now is the time to prepare the plant for a hassle-free startup before your next production run kicks off.”