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Best practices for better asset management www.PLANTSERVICES.com

SMART SOLUTIONS FOR MAINTENANCE & RELIABILITY

Lubrication best practices for

better asset management

Keep Your Gearbox

in Service Longer
p.3 [click here]

Keep Your New Oil Clean

p.5 [click here]

Extend Motor Life With

PFPE Greases
p.8 [click here]

Bearing Maintenance
p.10 [click here]

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KEEP Your Gearbox IN SERVICE LONGER

Get more life from your gearboxes and lubricants with a desiccant breather.
By: Joe Loftin, Whitmore

Imagine a device attached to your gearboxes and the lubricants inside it. line. Desiccant breathers have cap-
personal vehicle that could extend a Called a desiccant breather, the device tured the attention of manufacturers’
gallon of fuel by two or three times has proved effective in preventing reliability experts as an economical
its normal use (or more). What if that atmospheric particulate and moisture way to help their employers achieve
same imaginary device could also from entering the gearbox. those goals.
reduce wear inside your engine, and As part of a lubrication excellence Many machine failures are caused
what if you could extend the life of the program, desiccant breathers can help by contamination. A desiccant breath-
engine years beyond what you would extend the useful life of lubricants er placed on equipment and replacing
normally expect? If those were true, while eliminating the wear and tear the existing air vent can become the
the decision to use this hypothetical caused by deteriorating fluid. Replac- first line of defense in contamination
device to enhance the driving experi- ing an old-fashioned vent or breather control.
ence and lower operating costs would cap with a desiccant breather is the Particle and water ingression tests
be an easy one to make. most cost-effective method of pro- prove that ISO contamination levels
Unfortunately, no device making tecting industrial equipment from drop substantially with use of a desic-
these specific claims for our personal atmospheric contaminants. Typical cant breather, producing cleaner oils,
vehicles currently exists. But what unavoidable contamination sce- fluids, and fuels. The life of a lubricant
about other engines we use daily that narios include thermal expansion and can typically be proved to more than
drive industry, the engines that help contraction, the filling or emptying double. The return on investment
millions of companies manufacture of fluids, and temperature variations (ROI) is easily measured using these
the goods and services that create our that cause condensation inside the results. Previous maintenance expense
livelihood? What about a magic device equipment. histories can be used to determine
for gearboxes? Companies are pressured to additional savings. ROI measure-
In fact, there is a device that can improve manufacturing efficiencies, ments include reductions in fluid
extend the life and efficiency of lower costs, and improve their bottom replacement, disposal costs, and labor

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associated with handling the fluid. of breather filter did not capture air-handling capacity. The CFM
Less downtime—the result of fewer moisture and only captured particles requirement is especially important
equipment failures and replacements of 10 to 40 microns. Today’s desiccant for hydraulic reservoirs or fuel tanks
thanks to less contamination and breather filtration varies from 1 to 3 where liquid levels may rise and fall
deterioration—can mean additional
cost savings. As part of a lubrication excellence program,
Since the desiccant breather’s desiccant breathers can help extend the useful
introduction more than 25 years ago,
necessity and innovation have forced life of lubricants while eliminating the wear and
breather manufacturers to improve tear caused by deteriorating fluid.
their products. Today’s advanced des-
iccant breather technology maintains microns in size, depending upon the significantly during operations or
a small footprint yet lengthens the manufacturer. Please note that Beta filling and emptying process. Gear-
effective life of the breather courtesy of or Absolute ratings are specific only to boxes typically experience thermal
a design that isolates the desiccant— fluid filtration and are not a scientific expansion and contraction (which is
an isolation valve. Isolation valve measure of air filtration as performed usually minimal), and low-CFM-rated
technology separates the media from by the particle filters in the desiccant breathers work fine.
pressurized air exhausted from the breather. The only government-cer- Improving equipment efficiencies
gearbox and lengthens desiccant life tified air filtration available is HEPA. and a reduction in overall operational
by keeping moisture from the gearbox The HEPA stamp ensures particle cost are great places to start when con-
headspace at bay. This technology also filtration down to 0.3 microns—less sidering establishing and maintain-
protects the desiccant from oil and/or than one-third of one micron. ing a lubrication excellence program.
fume contamination typically gener- When selecting a desiccant breather These methods reduce the cost of
ated by the fluids inside the gearbox. for any application, calculating the operation while increasing net profits
In older breathers, oils and fumes were cubic-feet-per-minute (CFM) require- and earnings per share. The desiccant
capable of seeping into the desiccant ment is vital. Air exchange require- breather may be considered “a magic
media in some applications, restricting ments are stipulated by thermal device” by some, but during the past
the path of air flow and rendering the expansion or by contraction during 25 years, its effectiveness has proved
breather ineffective. the filling and emptying process. to be one of the fundamental building
In the past, most gearboxes used The demand for air flow through a blocks upon which successful lubrica-
a chrome vent cap filter. This type breather should not exceed a breather’s tion management programs work.

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 Lubrication:
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Keep your new

oil clean
By: Jarrod Potteiger, CMRP, Des-Case Corp.
Lubricant storage and
handling tips for world-class
contamination control

By Jarrod Potteiger, CMRP, Des-Case Corp.

The methods by which lubricants are stored, transferred
and applied to machines play a large role in determining the
success of a lubrication program. If you start out with contami-
nated oil, you will never achieve cleanliness targets for most
machines. Implementing a world-class lubrication program is

Source: Des-Case Corp.

a sizable undertaking, but storage and handling is one area in
which you can affect the quality of lubrication for the whole
plant in one stroke.
With few exceptions, new lubricants are unsuitably dirty
for most applications. It is therefore imperative that new oil be
properly filtered before it is installed for use. A new drum of Compact Filtration
lubricating oil will typically have a particle count of approxi- Figure 1. Portable filtration units can be used to filter oil that is
delivered in drums.
mately 19/16/13 or higher. That means that every cubic centi-
meter of oil in the drum contains between 2,500 and 5,000 par-
ticles that are at least 4 microns in diameter – about 1 billion
particles for the whole drum. Because particle contamination
is a leading cause of machine wear, then, there is a compelling
case to be made for filtering “new” oil.

Step 1: Get it clean

The first step in ensuring the cleanliness of new oil is to filter
the oil to an acceptable level. The technique used to filter the
new oil depends on the oil’s method of delivery. If it comes
Source: Des-Case Corp.

in drums, each drum can be filtered using portable compact

filtration units (Figure 1). If the volume is sufficiently large, the
oil can be filtered as it is transferred.
Another popular technique, which covers a w ider range of
storage and handling issues, involves the use of a comprehen-
sive lubricant management system (Figure 2). These systems
Comprehensive System
can be configured with a wide range of options, including Figure 2. A comprehensive lubricant management system can
separate pumps and filters for each lubricant; high-quality include separate pumps and filters for each lubricant as well as
desiccant breathers to prevent subsequent contamination to options such as desiccant breathers and flowmeters.

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 Lubrication:
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others. For large and moderate-size systems, the best method is

usually to pump oil directly into the sump from a drum or a tote
using a filter cart (Figure 4). Portable filter carts are one of the
most versatile and effective tools available for lubricant transfers
and decontamination. When using filter carts, make sure you
use the right fittings on the equipment sumps to make the fluid
transfer or decontamination efficient and effective.
Additionally, consider using units that are dedicated to
specific oil types to prevent cross-contamination of lubricants
and avoid the labor-intensive process of flushing carts to switch
products. Some manufacturers allow you to color-code your
filtration unit to help identify which cart should be used with a
particular lubricant. As a side benefit, most users find that per-
forming an oil change with a filter cart only takes about half the
time as performing the job with conventional methods.
Finally, for those applications with small
sumps, oil transfer containers are acceptable as
long as they meet certain criteria. A good oil
transfer container should be plastic, sealable,
and color-coded or marked for product type,
Source: Des-Case Corp.

and it must be cleaned on a regular basis. The

Deep Breathing container also should have an opening large
Figure 3. The best way to prevent dirt and moisture
enough to allow the inside of the container
from entering a tank or drum is to use a high-quality
desiccant breather. to be effectively cleaned. When using top-off
containers, remember to avoid funnels when-
ever possible. Many of the new containers utilize
the fluid; fittings and spigots that minimize contamina- hand-pumps that eliminate the need for funnels.
tion; and even flowmeters to measure and track the
amount of oil dispensed.
Portable & Versatile
Systems like these allow staff to easily clean new
Figure 4. Portable filter carts are one
oil, keep it clean, prevent cross-contamination, and of the most versatile and effective tools
track lubricant consumption by product type without available for lubricant transfers and
having to engineer the process from scratch. decontamination.

step 2: Get it clean

Keeping oil clean is not difficult if you use the right tools. It World-class lubrication cannot happen in the absence of good
certainly helps to have an enclosed storage area with climate lubricant handling practices. All good storage and handling pol-
control, but this setup isn’t essential. Common-sense measures icies or systems have several common elements: good filtration,
like good housekeeping, wiping fittings, and using dust covers high-quality breathers, filter carts, and a highly conspicuous
can go a long way toward keeping dirt out of stored lubricants. tagging or color coding system to avoid cross-contamination of
The best way to prevent dirt and moisture from entering a tank products. When these four items are addressed, the majority of
or drum, however, is to use a high-quality desiccant breather the work is done. The rest is just fine-tuning.
(Figure 3).
Remember, when you remove 5 gallons of oil from a drum, Jarrod Potteiger is education services manager at Des-Case Corp.
you pull in 5 gallons of air. If that air is not clean and dry, Prior to joining Des-Case, he was a director of services for
neither will the oil be. Noria Corp. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical
engineering from the University of South Alabama and is a
Step 3: transfer it cleanly certified maintenance and reliability professional
It really doesn’t matter how well you filter new oil if you (CMRP) from the Society for Maintenance and
dispense it into a dirty container. Several acceptable options Reliability Professionals (SMRP). Contact him at
exist for delivering oil to machinery, and some are better than [email protected].

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Lubrication:
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Extend Motor life with PFPE Greases

A superior electric motor bearing grease makes inroads in severe applications
By Heinz P. Bloch, Process Machinery Consulting, and Robert Aronen, Boulden Company

Until a few years ago, lifetime-sealed ASTM D 3336 – Grease Life in Ball Bearings – DuPont™ Krytox® Lubricant AUT 2E45
rolling element bearings were not used
10,000 rpm, 20/4 cycle and ~50N radical and axial loads
on larger motors because the sealed-in
100,000
grease was soon depleted or rendered At 25,036 hr, the test was
unusable after relatively few operat- stopped; grease did not fail.
ing hours. Open bearings and shielded
bearings were therefore preferred in
Test Duration, hours

10,000
larger-than-2-horsepower motors. They
could be regreased, and they generally
made economic sense.
However, grease lubrication of 1,000
electric motors can be maintenance- 552
318
intensive. Grease must be applied in 311
ways that ensure that only 30%-40% of
the free space between rolling elements 100
contains grease. Technicians must 175 185 195 205 215 225
take care to meet this need and to Temperature, ºC
understand and define the grease path AUT 2E45 Polyurea #1 Polyurea #2 Lithium Complex
through bearings. Overpressuring the
bearing grease cavity or reservoir must
be avoided for a number of reasons, and Grease Life Comparisons
a drain plug must be removed when Figure 1. PFPE-based lubricants will not oxidize or gum up like other greases, nor can they
new grease is introduced so that spent be displaced by low-pressure steam and water.
grease can be expelled.
In the early 2000s, it became possible PTFE is the thickener in this family of ed as well as double-shielded bearings.
to capitalize on another option: perfluo- mineral oil-free electric motor bearing Some of the single-shielded bearings
ropolyether (PFPE)-based “Krytox®” greases.) were oriented with the shield away from
greases. These PFPE-based lubricants In particular, plants may want to the grease reservoir while others – more
are nonflammable and offer extremely explore Krytox® greases in light of the appropriately – had the single shield po-
high tolerance of heat and chemicals. strongly positive long-term experience sitioned adjacent to the grease reservoir.
Grease life comparisons with traditional at a major pulp and paper mill located Grease relief ports were needed for the
greases are highly favorable (Figure 1): in Western Canada. Before turning to various regreasable motor bearing hous-
PFPE-based lubricants will not oxidize sealed bearings filled with PFPE grease ings, but these ports were not always
or gum up like other greases, and they of the right viscosity, the company ideally situated, nor were drain plugs in
can’t be displaced by low-pressure steam faced a major challenge with its electric these ports consistently removed before
and water. motors. With more than 3,000 motors and reinstalled after replacing or replen-
In addition to these desirable fea- on-site, it was becoming increasingly ishing grease.
tures, PFPE greases contain no volatile difficult to properly and economically Without well-understood or uni-
organic compounds (VOCs) or chlori- service each motor with customary lube formly specified bearing and housing
nated compounds. (Worth noting: PFPE planning and work procedures. configurations, relubrication routines
is the liquid base oil in the generic PFPE The motor bearings and housings at were likely to be marked by occasional
mineral oil-free family of products. this mill included cross-flow and same- overgreasing or undergreasing. Grease
PFPE is the actual lubricant, whereas side grease reservoirs and single-shield- contamination was an additional risk,

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 Lubrication:
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and the mill had decided that leaving the bearings alone was
the most prudent course of action. The company knew that
electric motors in its harsh paper mill environment usually
lasted no more than 4-6 years, with more than 60% of the
breakdowns attributed to bearing lubrication failure. When Custom REPRINts
motors would unexpectedly fail, the mill would often have to
repair them in-house. This usually required overtime pay and Use reprints to maximize your
costly downtime. marketing initiatives and strengthen
These important factors and considerations led the mill your brand’s value.
to move toward using only lifetime grease-lubricated sealed
bearings whenever an electric motor needed service. However, Custom reprint
it was understood that lifetime lubrication with mineral-oil- products of articles
based greases would still require relatively frequent preplanned and features from
bearing changeouts, and the anticipated bearing life without
Plant Services create
relubrication would stress the mill’s maintenance budget.
powerful marketing
It was at that point that the PFPE alternative became attrac-
tools that serve as
tive, and the data in Figure 1 pointed to the likely superiority
of Krytox® PFPE greases over the alternatives. Seven years later,
instantly credible
the mill had successfully converted bearings to PFPE-based endorsements.
greases in more than 100 motors. It also stocked more than
RepRints aRe ideal foR:
150 additional PFPE-based grease-filled sealed bearings and
planned to swap these into motors as the old bearings failed. n New Product Announcements
From the start of the PFPE greasing program, the mill has n Sales Aid For Your Field Force
not had to replace any electric motor that uses PFPE grease, nor n PR Materials & Media Kits
has it had a bearing failure in an electric motor that uses PFPE n Direct Mail Enclosures
lubricant. The life of the mill’s electric motors has nearly dou-
n Customer & Prospect
bled, and thanks to PFPE grease, the labor aspect of periodic Communications/Presentations
relubrication no longer exists. Each avoided motor replacement
n Trade Shows/Promotional Events
event saves the mill at least $4,000.
PFPE greases can be an optimum choice for long-life bearing n Conferences & Speaking Engagements
lubrication in severe applications. Using these greases in sealed n Recruitment & Training Packages
lifetime lubricated bearings will virtually eliminate bearing
Reprints are a simple way to put
failures attributable to lube application errors. Greased-for-life
information directly into the hands
PFPE-filled bearings (Krytox®) will also
eliminate the cost-of-labor component of periodically relubri- of your target audience. Having been
cating bearings. featured in a well-respected publication
adds the credibility of a third-party
Heinz P. Bloch, P.E., is owner of Process Machinery endorsement to your message.
Consulting (www.heinzbloch.com) in Westminster, CO, and
the author of 19 books, including “Practical Lubrication
for Industrial Facilities.” His work has been translated into five foreign For additional information, please contact
languages, and Bloch has seven machinery-related patents to his Foster Printing Service, the official reprint
credit. He is an ASME Life Fellow and was one of the original Texas provider for Plant Services.
A&M University Pump Advisory board members. Contact him
Call 866.879.9144 or
at [email protected].
[email protected]
Robert Aronen has worked with rotating equipment since
1992. He is currently the managing director for Boulden
International in Europe. He has a BSME from Rose Hulman
Institute of Technology. Contact him at [email protected].

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BACK-TO-BASICS bearing Maintenance

Store, lubricate, mount, and dismount properly for better performance

Rolling bearings as precision components play vital turers have specific shelf-life limits, based upon the
roles in rotating machinery by helping to reduce fric- greases used in their bearings.
tion, transmit loads, and locate and support shafts. Here • C leanliness is critical. All bearings should be kept
are some back-to-basics maintenance tips to promote clean because contamination and corrosion will
enhanced bearing performance and extended service shorten the life of any bearing.
life. All of these tips can help advance a bearing’s perfor-
mance, reliability, economy, and service life and, in the Follow proper mounting procedures. When a
process, reduce maintenance time, labor, and costs. bearing is mounted improperly — without using
the appropriate techniques and tools — perfor-
Properly store all bearings. Bearings should always be mance will almost certainly suffer and service
stored in a cool, clean, low-humidity environment free life will be jeopardized.
of dust, shocks, and vibrations. • W hen a bearing is ready to be mounted,
• B earings should be f lat rather than on end and be kept maintenance staff should confirm that
in their original, unopened packages until just before shaft and housing are clean, undaaged,
mounting. If kept in a standing position, the likeli-
hood of false brinelling (marking of the raceways and
rolling elements caused by residual vibration) increases Force Transmission
significantly. Figure 1. A fitting tool can be used for
• I n the cases of sealed or shielded types of bearings, mounting of bearings to minimize risk
of damage. This consists of sleeve,
operators should be cautious when storing them over
impact ring, and dead-blow hammer
long periods of time. The lubricating properties of the enabling effective transmission of
grease used to fill these types of bearings may deterio- mounting force.
rate, causing potential lubricant-related problems when
a system is up and running. Most bearing manufac-

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 Lubrication:
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and dimensionally accurate, with proper fit and tolerance; Bearings should always be stored
lubricant is clean and correctly specified; necessary tools
in a cool, clean, low-humidity
and equipment are on hand; and safety precautions are
in place. environment free of dust, shocks,
• W henever mounting a bearing, its rings, cages, and roll- and vibrations.
ing elements or seals should never receive direct blows
and the mounting force must never be directed through
the rolling elements (Figure 1).
• Select the proper mounting method for the job. The Deliver lubricant properly. The ultimate goal is to deliver
primary methods for proper mounting of a bearing are the right lubricant in the right amount at the right time.
commonly referenced as “cold” or “hot,” consistent with • Employ automatic lubricators as more practical and
their enabling technologies. Cold mounting, or mechan- effective alternatives to manual application. Manual
ical mounting, generally is recommended for small- and lubrication with a grease gun typically can present major
challenges for maintenance technicians if the appropri-
ate tools, practices, and knowledge are absent, and
Temperature Control reliability can further be affected by under- or over-
Figure 2. Use an induction heater greasing. In contrast, automatic lubrication is engi-
for pre-heating bearings before neered to provide quantities of clean lubricant on a
mounting to allow for
expansion and easier
regular basis, while increasing safety and saving time
installation. for maintenance staff.
•K eep an eye on how the lubricant is performing over
time. The lubricant in a bearing arrangement gradually
medium-sized bearings, with outside diameters up to 4 will lose its lubricating properties due to mechanical
in. Methods involving heat mounting will be appropriate work, aging, or the buildup of contamination.
for relatively larger bearings. Hydraulic techniques should •R eplenish or renew grease at regular intervals to help
be considered when mounting especially large bearings. maximize bearing service life.
Tools have been developed to accommodate each particu-
lar method (Figure 2). Properly dismount a bearing. One reason for dismount-
ing an “old” bearing is to replace it with a new one. An-
Select the suitable lubricant. Grease has traditionally other reason is for maintenance or replacement of other
served as the preferred lubricant for rolling bearings. The machine components.
practical benefits become apparent: Grease is easy to ap- •P roper methods and tools should be used, as is the case
ply, can be retained within a bearing’s housing, and offers with the mounting procedure, especially if the bearing
protective sealing capabilities. will be placed back into service. The choice of tools will
• Choose the correct type of grease to deliver the nec- depend on bearing type, size, and fit.
essary base oil viscosity in the proper amount at the •C are must be taken not to damage the shaft, which can
prevailing operating temperature. Half of all bearing result in compromising a machine’s efficiency. A dam-
failures attributed to poor lubrication are caused by aged shaft can greatly influence the service life of the
selection of an inadequate grease type for the operating new bearing.
conditions or to mixing incompatible greases with dif-
ferent properties. Daniel Juchniewicz is an applications engineer
• By varying the oil viscosities, soap, and additives, dis- at SKF USA. Contact him at (267) 436-6647 or
tinct characteristics can be achieved to suit particular [email protected].
applications and operating conditions.

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Additional Resources for more information click on the links below

Instruments based on airborne/structure borne ultrasound

technology offer many opportunities for improving asset
availability and reducing energy waste in plants. They expand
the concept of “Condition Monitoring” to include much more
than basic mechanical fault inspections. Portable ultrasound
instruments are used to trend and analyze bearing condition,
detect leaks (pressure and vacuum), test valves and steam traps,
identify electrical problems and identify potential problems in
gears, motors and pumps. This whitepaper will provide a brief
overview of the technology, its applications, and suggested
inspection techniques.
CLICK HERE

Established in 1893, Whitmore is a global leader in providing

innovative products and services that increase the reliability,
performance and lifespan of industrial assets. We manufacture
reliability products, high-performance lubricants, friction
modifiers, application and inspection equipment, lubrication
management systems, coatings and cleaners designed to
meet the specific needs of each industry and application.
Industrial customers worldwide rely on Whitmore to deliver the
performance-engineered solutions industry counts on even in
the most adverse conditions and demanding environments.

CLICK HERE

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