ML July August 2012

Contents 4

COVER STORY The Hidden Dangers of Lubricant Starvation Lubricant star vation is an almost silent destroyer. While there are tellt ale signs, they generally aren’t recognized or understood. July - August 2012

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FROM THE FIELD Understanding Engine Oil Bypass Filtration

INDUSTRY FOCUS New Advances in Wear Debris Analysis

When combined with a full-flow filter, bypass filtration offers the benefits of lower wear generation rates, lower oil consumption, higher combustion efficiency and longer oil life.

The recent advances in wear debris particle analysis cater to the need for portable equipment that is easy to use while also addressing the level of skill and training of onsite personnel.

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CONTAMINATION CONTROL

VIEWPOINT Evaluating the Direction of Your Lubrication Program

Effective Varnish RemovalSystems from Turbine Lubrication

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Do you know where you are going with your lubrication program? Setting a realistic goal of where you want to be is the best way to increase the chances for success.

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LUBE-TIPS Our readers provide excellent advice on a host of lubrication-related issues, including a better approach for greasing bearings.

The mitigation of varnish-related problems in turbine systems requires not only cleaning up the varnish precursors from the fluid and the soluble deposits from the wetted surfaces, but also controlling their formation.

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CERTIFICATION NEWS ICML and ACIMA Sign Cooperation Agreement The International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML) recently formalized its cooperation with the Costa Rican Association of Maintenance (ACIMA), signaling a new era for Costa Rica’s lubrication practitioners.

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HYDRAULICS AT WORK Carefully Consider Isolation Valves on Hydraulic Pump Intake Lines Find out when a more expensive ball valve is mandatory, when the generally cheaper butterfly type is the only choice and when you should fit neither ball valve nor butterfly valve.

46

BACK PAGE BASICS How Rolling Element Bearings Work Understanding of how added rolling reliability element bearings work and their design canthe helpbasics you achieve at your plant.

More

Editorial Features 32 GET TO KNOW 40 NOW ON MACHINERYLUBRICATION.COM

Departments 18 PRODUCT NEWS 34 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

36 PRODUCT SUPERMARKET 38 CROSSWORD PUZZLER 41 BOOKSTORE

Oil Filters

FROM THE FIELD

JEREMY WRIGHT | NORIA CORPORATION

Understanding

ENGINE OIL Bypass F ILTRATION

Is your engine’s oil lter performing to Media Pore Size your expectation? Do you even know The media pore size is the major determithe performance of your lter? Most people nant in how ef cient and how small of a don’t, and if they did, they would be appalled. particle the lter can remove. Some of the best full- ow engine lters on When these factors are combined, a the market perform at a capture ef ciency of of lubrication professionals use problem arises. The physical size is usually 50 percent at a particle size of 10 microns and bypass filtration systems at their constrained by design. The lter can’t be too above. That’s a beta ratio of 2 for those of you plant, based on a recent poll at large because of all the other components that machinerylubrication.com keeping score, and these are considered “good” we are trying to t under the hood. The ow in terms of full- ow engine ltration. In rate must be high enough to feed all the lubricomparison, a beta ratio of 1,000 would be considered “good” in terms of industrial hydraulic ltration. Why is there such a perfor- cated components. This means you can’t make the pore size too mance difference? The following factors contribute to the variance: small or it will raise the pressure differential and the bypass valve will open, effectively rendering the lter useless. Physical Size There are a few things you can do to remedy this problem. Enter Often limited by physical size, engine oil lters are relatively bypass ltration. Bypass ltration systems take 5 to 10 percent of small when compared to their industrial counterparts. This small the ow that would have gone to feed the engine and cycle it size coincides with less lter media surface area through which to through an ultra-ef cient lter and back to the sump. pass the lubricant. With bypass ltration, the ow rate can be greatly reduced, allowing for a much smaller pore size while retaining a normal pressure differential. The result is much cleaner oil being returned to the Bypass filtration offers the sump. Smaller soot suspension and polar insolubles that are not benefits of lower wear generacontrolled by the full- ow lter can now be taken out of the system.

65%

tion rates, lower oil consumption, higher combustion efficiency and longer oil life. Pressure Differential The pressure differential is the change in pressure from the inlet to the outlet side of the lter. If the pressure differential is too high, a valve will open, allowing the oil to bypass the lter. All engine oil lters or heads are equipped with a bypass valve. This valve is needed so the engine does not become starved of oil as the lter clogs with debris.

Flow Rate In most engine designs, oil must ow through the lter before entering the engine components. Therefore, the lter must be able to handle 100 percent of the ow rate needed to feed the moving components of the engine. 2 | July - August 2012 | www.machinerylubrication.com

Machinery

Lubrication PUBLISHER

Mike Ramsey - [email protected] GROUP PUBLISHER

Brett O’Kelley - [email protected]

The Beta Ratio Test

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jason Sowards - jsowards@nor ia.com

Oil filters can be tested in a variety of ways, but one of the most common methods is the beta ratio test. This test incorporates online particle counters positioned upstream and downstream of the filter, a continuous flow of test contaminant i nto the main sy stem reservoir and oil flowing t hrough the filter. The beta ratio is calculated by dividing the number of particles larger than a certain size upstream of the filter by the number of particles of the same size downstrea m of the filter. For example, you may have a beta ratio or a beta sub 5 (meaning pa rticles larger than 5 microns) equal to 10. This means 10 particles upstream of the filter would be divided by 1 downst ream of the filter. In other words, for every 10 particles coming in, one gets th rough. If you have a higher beta ratio, say a beta ratio of 100 or a beta sub 5 equal to 100, for every 100 particles coming into the filter larger tha n 5 microns, one makes its way through. Every filter will have multiple beta ratios. There could be a beta ratio for 2 microns, 5 microns, 10 microns, 50 microns, 100 microns, etc. You can also use the beta ratio to calculate capture efficiency, which is the average performance over the fi lter’s life, with t he followin g formula : ((Beta – 1)/Beta) x 100 As an example, a beta ratio of 10 would yield a capture efficiency of 90 percent: ((10 – 1) / 10) x 100 = 90 percent Therefore, 90 percent of the part icles larger than 5 microns are removed by a filter that has a beta ratio of 10.

When combined with a full- ow lter, bypass ltration offers the bene ts of lower wear generation rates, lower oil consumption, higher combustion ef ciency and longer oil life. In a case study performed by General Motors and published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), it was determined that engine service life could be extended eight times when 5-micron ltration is implemented vs. the standard 40-micron ltration. Obviously, having cleaner oil is better for the reliability of the engine. There’s an old saying that oil doesn’t wear out; it just gets dirty. Although there is some validity to the idea that dirtier oil will “age” quicker than clean oil, the engine oil will have a nite life. It will need to be changed eventually no matter how clean you keep it. While it’s true that a system can remove the majority of suspended soot, wear debris and dirt, the oil and additives are still being decomposed by oxidation and nitration. The depletion of these additives will ultimately be the reason for the oil change. The system should slow down the rate of this depletion, but it cannot eliminate it. Acids, fuel and coolant are just a few of the contaminants that bypass ltration cannot

address. They too can shorten the life of the oil. If you are shopping for one of these systems, it is vital that you do your homework. Not all bypass systems are created equal, and there is a plethora of marketing material out there to make you feel thoroughly confused. Keep in mind that while testimonials may seem impressive, they are not scienti c proof. Make sure the manufacturer has SAE and ISO testing to back up its claims. When installed and maintained properly, a bypass system can provide great benefits. Just be sure to ask all the right questions and have a firm grasp on the concept before settling on a system.

About the Author Jeremy Wright is vice president of technical services for Noria Corporation. He serves as a senior technical consultant for Lubrication Program Development projects and as a senior instructor for Noria’s Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication and Advanced Machinery Lubrication training. He is a certi ed maintenance reliability professional through the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals, and holds Machine Lubricant Analyst Level III and Machine Lubrication Technician Level II certi cations through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication. Contact Jeremy at [email protected].

SENIOR EDITOR

Jim Fitch - j [email protected] TECHNICAL WRITERS

Jeremy Wright - [email protected] m Pete Oviedo - [email protected] Josh Pickle - jpickle@nor ia.com Wes Cash - [email protected] CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ryan Kiker - [email protected] GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Steve Kolker - [email protected] Gustavo Cervantes - [email protected] Julia Backus - [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES

Tim Davidson - [email protected] 800-597-5460, ext. 224 MEDIA PRODUCTION MANAGER

Rhonda Johnson - [email protected] CORRESPONDENCE

You may address article s, case studie s, special requests and other correspondence to: Editor-in-chief MACHINERY LUBRICATION Noria Corporation 1328 E. 43rd C ourt • Tulsa, Oklahoma 74105 Phone: 918-749-1400 Fax: 918-746-0925 E-mail address: jsowards@nor ia.com

MACHINERY LUBRICATION Volume 12 - Issue 4 July-August 2012 (USPS 021-695) is published bimonthly by Noria Corporation, 1328 E. 43rd Court, Tulsa, OK 74105-4124. Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK and additional mailing of ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes and form 3579 to MACHINERY LUBRICATION, P.O. BOX 47702, Plymouth, MN 55447-0401. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Send returns (Canada) to BleuChip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, Ontario, N6C 6B2. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any subscription. Send subscription orders, change of address and all subscription related correspondence to: Noria Corporation, P.O. Box 47702, Plymouth, MN 55447. 800-869-6882 or Fax: 866-658-6156. Copyright © 2012 Noria Corporation. Noria, Machinery Lubrication and associated logos are trademarks of Noria Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Noria Corporation is prohibited. Machinery Lubrication is an independently produced publication of Noria Corporation. Noria Corporation reserves the right, with respect to submissions, to revise, republish and authorize its readers to use the tips and articles submitted for personal and commercial use. The opinions of those interviewed and those who write articles for this magazine are not necessarily shared by Noria Corporation. CONTENT NOTICE: The recommendations and information provided in Machinery Lubrication and its related information properties do not purport to address all of the safety concerns that may exist. It is the responsibility of the user to follow appropriate safety and health practices. Further, Noria does not make any representations, warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness or suitability, of the information or recommendations provided herewith. Noria shall not be liable for any injuries, loss of pro ts, business, goodwill, data, interruption of business, nor for incidental or consequential merchantability or tness of purpose, or damages related to the use of information or recommendations provided.

July - August 2012

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COVER STORY

4 | July - August 2012 | www.machinerylubrication.com

The

Hidden Dangers of Lubricant

Starvation BY JIM FITCH, NORIA CORPORATION

81% of lubrication professionals have seen the effects of lubricant starvation in the machines at their plant, according to a recent survey at machinerylubrication.com

For those who strive for lubrication-enabled reliability (LER), more than 95 percent of the opportunity comes from paying close attention to the “Big Four.” These are critical attributes to the optimum reference state (ORS) needed to achieve lubrication excellence. The “Big Four” individually and collectively in uence the state of lubrication, and are largely controllable by machinery maintainers. They are wellknown but frequently not well-achieved. The “Big Four” are: 1. Correct lubricant selection 2.

Stabilized lubricant health

3. Contamination control 4. Adequate and sustained lubricant level/supply The rst three of the “Big Four” have bene ted from considerable industry attention, especially in recent years. Conversely, the last one has gone relatively unnoticed yet is no less important. Therefore, it will be the central focus of this article. Over the past few decades, researchers and tribologists have compiled countless listings that rank the chief causes of machine failure. We’ve published many of these in Machinery Lubrication magazine. The lists ascribe the causes of abnormal machine wear to the usual suspects: contamination, overheating, misalignment, installation error, etc. There’s typically a lubrication root-cause category that is a catch-all for one or more causes that can’t be easily speci ed or named. I’ve seen terms used like “inadequate lubrication” and “wrong lubrication.” Understandably, it is dif cult for failure investigators and analysts to trace back the exact sequence of events beginning with one or more root causes. Evidence of these causes is often destroyed in the course of failure or in a cover-up during the cleanup and repair. Having led several hundred such investigations over the years, I’ve learned that oneAlthough root cause in particular too often overlooked — lubricant most everyone isknows about this in principle and starvation. realizes the common sense of adequate lubricant supply, it is frequently ignored because many typical forms of lubricant starvation are largely hidden from view. For instance, who notices the quasi-dry friction that accelerates wear each time you start an automobile engine? This is a form of lubricant starvation. It’s not a sudden-death failure, but it is a precipitous wear event nonetheless. Each time controllable wear goes uncontrolled, an opportunity is lost to prolong service life and increase reliability. www.machinerylubrication.com

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COVER STORY

The Nature of Lubricant Starvation Machines don’t just need some lubricant or any lubricant. Rather, they need a sustained and adequate supply of the right lubricant. Adequate doesn’t just mean dampness or the nearby presence of lubricant. What’s de ned as adequate varies somewhat from machine to machine but is critical nonetheless. High-speed equipment running at full hydrodynamic lm has the greatest lubricant appetite and is also the most punished when star ved. Machines running at low speeds and loads are more forgiving when lube supply is restricted. Even these machines can fail suddenly when severe starvation occurs. The table below illustrates how lubricants reach frictional surfaces in numerous ways. MEANS OF LUBE SUPPLY

EXAMPLE APPLICATION(S)

HOW SUPPLY IS CONTROLLED

Grease that is designed to stay in place near where it’s needed

Electric motor bearings, pillow block bearings and hinge pins

Preventing grease dryout by correct grease selection and optimizing regreasing interval and frequency

Gravity flow applied by oil-feed devices

Mechanical feed systems such as drip lubricators, slingers, oil rings and splash mechanisms

Regularly checking the functionality of the device in use

Cross-flow lubrication by forcing oil through the frictional zone (by pumping)

Dry-sump circulating systems, hydraulic systems, oil mist, etc.

Frequently verifying that the minimal flow rate is sustained at each lube point in the system

Spray lubrication

Open gears, circulating gears and large chain drives

Spray volume, frequency, aim and spread

Bath or flood lubrication

Rolling element bearings and gears that are partially or fully submerged in the lubricant

Oil level control, controlling foam, sludge and sediment

There are six primar y functions of a lubricating oil. These are friction control, wear control, temperature control, corrosion control, contamination control and transmittance of force and motion (hydraulics). Each of these functions is adversely in uenced by starv ation conditions. The worst would be friction, wear and temperature control. Even partial starvation intensi es the formation of frictional heat. It also slows the transport of that G oo d O i l S u ppl y

I m pa i r e d O i l S u ppl y

heat out of the zone. This is a compounding, self-propagating condition that results in collapsed oil lms, galling, adhesive wear and abrasion (Figure 1). In the case of grease, starvation-induced heating (from friction) of the load zone accelerates grease dr y-out, which escalates starvation further. Heat rapidly drains oil out of the grease thickener, causing volatilization and base oil oxidation, all of which contributes to hardening and greater st arvation. Lubricating oil needs reinforcement, which is lost when ow becomes restricted or static. Flow brings in bulk viscosity for hydrodynamic lift. In fact, lack of adequate lubricant supply is functionally equivalent to inadequate viscosity from the standpoint of lm strength. Oil ow also refreshes critical additives to the working surfaces. This reser ve additive supply includes anti-wear additives, friction modi ers, corrosion inhibitors and others. Lubricant starvation produces elevated heat, which rapidly depletes additives. Next, we know that wear particles are also self-propagating. Particles make more wear particles by three-body abrasion, surface f atigue and so on. Impaired oil ow inhibits the purging of these particles from the frictional zones. The result is an accelerated wear condition. Finally, moving oil serves as a heat exchanger by displacing localized heat generated in load zones outward to the walls of the machine, oil reservoir or cooler. The amount of heat transfer is a function of the ow rate. Starvation impairs ow and heat transfer. This puts increasing thermal stress on the oil and the machine.

Common Signs of Starvation When you’re encountering chronic machine reliability problems, think through the “Big Four” and don’t forget about No. 4. It may not be the type of oil, the age of the oil or even the contamination in the oil, but rather the quantity of oil. How can you know? The chart on page 8 reveals some common signs of lubricant star vation.

Lubricant Starvation Examp les by Machine Type Lubricant starvation can happen in a number of ways. Most are controllable, but a few are not. The following abbreviated list identi es how lubricant star vation occurs in common machines.

Starved Engines

• Dry Starts — Oil drains out down to the oil pan when the engine is turned off. On restart, frictional zones (turbo bearings, shaft bearings, valve deck, etc.) are momentarily starved of lubrication (Figure 2).

• Cold Starts — Cold wintertime conditions slow the movement

D r y F r i ct i on a ndWe a r

of oil in the engine during start-up. This can induce airsuction-line in the ow conditions. line due to coldtemperature

Lubricant Film

Full Film

Lubricant Film

Boundary Contact Figure 1. Starvation Illustrated


Welding and Galling

• Low Oil Pressure — This can result from numerous causes, including worn bearings, pump wear, sludge and extreme cold. Oil pressure is the motive force that sends oil to the zones requiring lubrication.

COVER STORY

Starved Journal and Tilting-Pad Thrust Bearings • Oil Groove Problems — Grooves and ports channel oil to the bearing load zones. Grooves become clogged with debris or sludge, restricting oil ow.

• Restrict ed Oil Supply — Pumping and oil-lifting devices can become mechanically faulty. This also may be due to low oil levels, high viscosity, aeration/foam and cold temperatures.

• Sludge Dam on Bearing Leading Edge — Sludge can build up on the bearing’s leading edge and restrict the oil supply. Critical oil level (submerge bottom tooth completely)

Optimum gear dip level is influenced by gear type, gear size, speed, viscosity and oil film strength. Always consult gear manufacturer.

Figure 2. Dry Engine Starts

• Dribbling Injectors — Fuel injector problems can

Even oil levels just slightly too low can sharply reduce lubricant scuffing, load capacity (shorten gear life), increase oil temperature (shorten oil life) and increase oil foaming.

wash oil off cylinder walls and impair lubrication between the piston/rings and the cylinder wall.

• Clogged Spray Nozzles and Ori ces — Nozzles and ori ces direct oil sprays to cylinder walls, valves and other moving components. Sludge and contaminants are able to restrict oil ow. STARVATION ISSUE

Figure 3. Common Splash Gear Drive

HOW IT IS DIAGNOSED OR CONFIRMED BYINSPEC TION

BYL A BOR AT ORYA NA LYSIS

Wet-Sump Bearing and Gearbox Starvation • Oil Level — Many wet-sump applications require critical control of the oil level (Figure 3).

Inspect oil level (level gauge), foamy oil, excessive sludge or sediment, shaft seal smoke, acoustics/noise, heat gun, inspect constant-level oilers (low supply, plugged connector)

High oil viscosity, premature oil oxidation, sludge, varnish potential, friction polymers, adhesive wear debris, tempered particles, black iron-oxide particles

Low oil flow in cross-flow application

Heat gun, thermography, flow meters, erratic flow meter movement, inline sight glass flow, aerated or foamy oil, elevated bearing-metal temperature, high drain-line temperature

Premature oil oxidation, sludge, varnish potential, friction polymers, adhesive wear debris, tempered particles, black ironoxide particles

Inadequate regrease volume and/or frequency

Heat gun, thermography, acoustics/ noise, purged hardened grease, hardened grease observed on rebuild, defective injectors/autolubers, depleted grease supply, cake-lock problems, grease gun backpressure, shaft seal smoke

Low in-service oil content of grease, high grease consistency, premature oil oxidation, friction polymers, adhesive wear debris, tempered particles, black ironoxide particles

Faulty lube lifting or gravity-feed device

Wrong oil level (too high/low), cold running, high viscosity, defective lifter/feed device, aeration/foam, depleted oil supply reservoir, oil ring wobble

Premature oil oxidation, sludge, varnish potential, friction polymers, adhesive wear debris, tempered particles, black ironoxide particles

Constant-Level Oilerspipe — Thisnipples, may be • Defective due to plugged connecting

Ineffective lube spray

Inspect spray pattern, stream, target, volume and frequency

Premature oil oxidation, sludge, varnish, friction polymers, adhesive wear debris, tempered particles, black iron-oxide particles

• Defective Level Gauge Markings — Level

Low oil level in a wet sump (bath) system

Common Signs of Lubricant Starvation


• High Viscosity — Many oil-feed mechanisms (oil rings, slingers, splash feeders, etc.) are hampered by viscosity that is too high (wrong oil, cold oil, etc.). Gears can channel through thick, cold oil, interfering with splash and other feed devices.

• Aeration and Foam — Air contamination dampens oil movement and impairs the performance of oil-feed devices (Figure 4).

• Non-horizontal Shafts — This can cause drag on oil rings and may interfere with slinger/ inger feed mechanisms.

• Bottom Sediment and Water (BS&W) — Sump BS&W displaces the oil level. On ver tical shafts, the bottom bearing can become completely submerged in BS&W.

mounting errors (tilted, cocked, mounted on wrong side, etc.), wrong level setting, empty reser voir, etc. (Figure 5). gauges should be accurately calibrated to the correct oil level.

COVER STORY

• Level Gauge Mounting and Viewing Issues — These may be

Varnish and sludge

hard to see, goosenecks, fouled gauge glass, gauge vent problems, etc. (Figure 6).

Starved Dry-Sump Circulating Systems • Restricted Oil Returns — Plugged or partially plugged oil returns will redirect oil ow away from the bearing or gearbox being lubricated. Sometimes called drip-and-burn lubrication, Figure 7. Plugged Oil Flow

the condition is usually caused by sludge buildup or air-lock conditions in the gravity drain lines returning to the tank.

• Worn Oil Pump — When oil pumps wear, they lose volumetric ef ciency ( ow decay results). • Restricted Pump Suction Line — Strainers and

pickup tubes can become plugged or restricted. This can aerate the uid, cause cavitation and lead to loss of prime.

• Clogged/Restricted Oil Ways and Nozzles — Oil-feed restrictions due to sludge, varnish and jammed particles can starve bearings and gears (Figure 7).

• Entrained Air and Foam — Oil pumps and ow meters perform poorly (or not at all) when sumps become contaminated with air (Figure 4).

Figure 4. How Aeration Retards Oil Supply

• Lack of Flow Measurement — Components sensitive to oil

supply require constant oil ow measurement.

• Defective or Miscalibrated Flow Meters — Flow meters, depending on the type and application, can present a range of problems regarding calibration.

• Low Oil Pressure — Oil follows the path of least resistance. Line breaks and open returns star ve oil from higher resistance ow paths and the machine components they serve.

Tilted

Cocked

Figure 5. Mounting Errors of Constant-Level Oilers

Starved Spray-Lubed Chains and Open Gears • Defective Auto-lube Settings — This relates to correctly setting the lube volume and frequency.

• Defective Spra y Targets/Pattern — The oil spray needs to fully wet the target location. Spray nozzles can lose aim and become clogged (Figure 8).

• Gummed Chain Joints — Many chains become heavily gummed, which prevents oil from penetrating the pin/bu shing interface.

Starvation from Grease Single- and Multi-Point Auto Lubrication Regrease Settings — Regreasing settings should enable • Wrong adequate grease replenishment at each lube point. • Cake-Lock — This occurs when grease is being pumped. Under

certain conditions, the grease thickener movement is r estricted. Oil ows, but the thickener is log-jammed in a line or component passage (Figure 9).

• Defective Injector Flow — This is due to wrong injector set tings Figure 6. What is wrong with this picture?


or restricted injector displaceme nt.

starvation is what tends to go unnoticed until failure. Then, other suspect causes (the bearing, lubricant, operator, etc.) may be falsely blamed. Precision lubrication supply is a fundamental attribute of the optimum reference state and is included in any engineering speci cation for lubrication excellence. It’s one of the “Big Four” and thus is overdue for signi cant attention. Figure 9. Cake-Lock Grease Starvation

About Jim the FitchAuthor has a wealth of “in the trenches ”

• Lube Preventive Maintenance ( PM) Figure 8. Correct Lubricant Spray Patterns on Open-Gear Tooth Flanks

• Restricted Line Flow — Exceedingly long lines, narrow lines, numerous bends, ambient heat or cold, et c., can lead to partial or complete blockage of grease ow.

• Single-point Lubricator Issues — These include malfunctioning lubricators from various causes.

— Missed PMs may be due to sched-

uling, management or maintenance culture issues.

The Crux of the Problem Lubricant starvation is an almost silent destroyer. While there are telltale signs, they generally aren’t recognized or understood. Of course, there are vary ing degrees of starvation. Complete starvation is sudden and blatant. However, more moderate partial

experience in lubrication, oil analysis, tribology and machinery failure investigations. Over the past two decades, he has presented hundreds of courses on these subjects. Jim has published more than 200 technical articles, papers and publications. He serves as a U.S. delegate to the ISO tribology and oil analysis working group. Since 2002, he has been director and board member of the International Council for Machinery Lubrication. He is the CEO and a co-founder of Noria Corporation. Contact Jim at [email protected].

Starvation from Manual Lubrication Issues Gun Lubrication — • Grease This may include an inaccur ate

volume calibration, a faulty grease gun mechanism, the wrong relube frequency, an incorrect relube volume or an improper relube procedure.

• Manual Oil Lubrication — This would include the wrong relube frequency, volume or procedure.

4 Keys to Solving Star vation Probl ems Using Proactive Maintenance 1. Identify the required lube supply or level to optimize reliability. 2. Establish and deploy a means to sustain the optimized supply or level. 3. Establish a monitoring program to verify the optimized supply or level is consistently achieved. 4. Rapidly remedy non-compliant lube supply or level problems.

www.machinerylubrication.com


11

Lubrication Programs

PETE OVIEDO JR. NORIA CORPORATION

VIEWPOINT

EVALUATINGthe DIRECTIONof YOUR LubricationPROGRAM

Are we there yet? With summer break now upon us, this question likely will be asked countless times on family vacation trips across the nation. Planning for these trips typically includes asking questions such as where do we want to go, what is our budget, what are the things we need to get there and what can be eliminated. Obviously, the goals must be realistic. Tough decisions and sacri ces will be required from all involved, but the end result will be well worth the effort. During my travels to various industries, I’ve found that some workers lack a clear plan as to where they are going. They may know that they are there to perform “work,” but beyond that there is little communication/direction between the departments as to where and when they will get there. Imagine putting your family in the car and just saying, “OK, let’s go.” While some might suggest to “just do it,” this motto doesn’t seem to translate well in our professional careers. Can you answer the “are we there yet” question? If not, perhaps you need to ask yourself if you even know where you are going. It may be time to re-evaluate the direction of your lubrication program. If you have had the opportunity to attend any of Noria’s Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication courses, then you should be very familiar with the goal of lubrication excellence. Hopefully, you have gained an understanding of why it is important to keep lubricants Target Cleanliness Grid d n a y t e f a S ,t s o C :) F P R ( r o t c a F y lt a n e P y ti li b a il e R

e r lu i a F m o fr y tl a n e P n io t p u rr e t n I ss e n i s u B

5 Tips for Setting Target Cleanliness Levels 1) Set targets for all lubricating oils and hydraulic fluids. 2) Use vendor specifications as ceiling levels only. 3) Set life-extension (benefit-driven) targets (e.g., significantly cleaner than before). 4) Consider machine design, application and operating influences. 5) Make it a personal decision, because you are the one paying the cost of failure, not the machine supplier, oil supplier, filter supplier, bearing supplier or oil analysis lab.

clean, cool and dry, as well as the effects of contamination on equipment health. My experience is that most people’s intentions are good when they start. If they would put the same amount of time and effort into striving for lubrication excellence as they do in their family’s summer vacation, they would be successful. Do you know where you are going with your lubrication program? Are you tracking results and addressing opportunities to improve? Do you have attainable, realistic goals? Do you have the right people

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Contaminant Severity Factor (CSF): Sensitivity of Machine to Contaminant Failure


67%

with the right attitudes in the right positions About the Author of lubrication professionals say their to improve the opportunities for success? Pete Oviedo Jr. is a senior technical plant has not yet achieved lubrication Once again, tough decisions and sacri ces consultant with Noria Corporation, focusing excellence, based on survey results on machinery lubrication and training. He from machinerylubrication.com will be required from all involved, but the end has more than 20 years of experience with result will be well worth the effort. machinery and rotating equipment, as well as Lubrication excellence can be achieved. an understanding of laser alignment, balancing However, many factors can distract you from the goal. You may have started a lubrication program but now have come rotating equipment, thermography, magnetic particle and ultrasonic to the realization that you need to re-evaluate or change the direction aw detectors. Need help with your lubrication program? Contact Pete of the program. This can become confusing and frustrating, especially at [email protected]. when results are not achieved as expected. There are a few steps you can take to increase your chances for a successful lubrication program or to get back on track. Many times, however, we tend to put the “cart before the horse.” Setting a realistic goal of where you want to be is the best method to increase the chances for success. If you don’t know where you are going, how do you know when you get there? Most kids can only sit in a car for so long before they become agitated. Likewise, most reliability and lube technicians can become frustrated with just going through the motions, especially with so many having become educated and understanding the importance of lubrication. Let’s start by setting a realistic goal for contamination control and establishing cleanliness targets. These levels should re ect reliability goals. This can be achieved by considering the reliability penalty factor and the contaminant severity factor. will on helpyour to set a contaminant goal that isThis based speci c facility’s goal. You also need to take speci c actions to reach the goal. This means selecting the proper lter and capture ef ciency to achieve the target. Be sure to measure the contaminant levels frequently. Remember, what gets measured gets done. Make appropriate changes as necessary. Setting this goal will help your department answer the “are we there yet” question.



13

ML

LUBE TIPS

A BETTER APPROACH FOR

GREASINGBEARINGS

If you already use vibration-monitoring equipment with “spike energy,” gSE or other high-frequency detection technology, you can optimize the quantity of grease added to a bearing by running your monitoring equipment while adding grease. When the overall level of the signal drops suddenly and noticeably, grease has reached the bearing. Stop adding more. Using this approach saves those on limited budgets from having to buy additional specialized greasing equipment with monitoring ability.

Advice for Overheating Hydraulics If the hydraulic system is overheating on your mobile equipment, it may prove useful to scan the entire machine for the source. For example, a machine that was gradually building heat in the hydraulic system started at an operating temperature of 130 degrees F and rose to 160 degrees F. After the thermography scan was complete, it became clear what the problem was. The auxiliary pump to the main pump was failing. This resulted in the oil reservoir maintaining a temperature above 200 degrees F. The reason the operators saw only a temperature of 160 degrees F was due to a faulty gauge.

Use Caution with Heat Exchangers There are many reducers in an industrial environment that require heat exchangers. Along with the bene ts of heat exchangers comes the possibility of water leaks. Determine if the heat exchanger is truly necessary by noting the temperature of the reducer when the heat exchanger is valved off. If the reducer temperature is below the oil’s highest temperature runability, it may be a good idea to valve off the water to deter a possible water leak. If the reducer can’t operate without the heat exchanger, then oil analysis should be performed more often. It is important to frequently conduct oil analysis on water-cooled equipment because a leak in the cooling system can be catastrophic to the equipment. 14 | July - August 2012 | www.machinerylubrication.com

The “Lube Tips” section ofMachinery Lubrication magazine features innovative ideas submitted by our readers. Additional tip s can be found in our Lube-Tips e-mail newsletter. If you have a tip to share, e-mail it to us [email protected] sign up for the Lube-Tips newsletter, visitwww.machinerylubrication.comand click on the “Newsletters” link at the top.

Modifying Sight Glass Improves Visibility On equipment with vented oil tube sight glasses, it is sometimes hard to determine the oil level. This may be due to poor lighting or a dusty environment. On the next inspection of the equipment, try removing the tube and glass. Clean the inside of the tube colorcolor the insidewith witha degreaser, a white orthen bright marker that is compatible with your oil. A felt-tip white metal marking stick works great because it allows you to get inside the tube channel. Equipment oil levels will be easier to detect with the lighter background .

A Variation on the Crackle Test Another method of performing the crackle test to detect the presence of water in oil involves using a small portable electric oven burner. Place 1 ounce of the contaminated oil sample in a glass bottle on the burner. The bottle should not be capped. As the water-contaminated oil sample is heated, the water will heat, bubble and then begin to evaporate. If the oil is contaminated only with water, the oil will look like new oil after all of the water is evaporated. process 5 minutes or less and con rms theThis presence of takes water.about As with all heat-related tests,easily use protective equipment to protect your face, hands and body when performing this test.

How to Store Grease Correctly Store tubes of grease vertically, not on their sides. This will minimize the amount of oil loss from bleeding, keeping the containers and storage area in better condition.

Hydraulics

HYDRAULICS AT WORK

BRENDAN CASEY

CAREFULLY Consider ISOLATIONValves on HYDRAULICPump Intake Lines

At a recent hydraulic maintenance workshop, I was asked for The rst question that pops up in response to this is how can my opinion on isolation valves on pump intake lines and the pump be changed out if there is no isolation valve on the whether a more expensive ball valve is mandatory as opposed to the intake line. There are two answers to this. First, if the pump has generally cheaper butter y type. At the root of this question is the failed catastrophically and you are doing things “right,” the oil negative effect of turbulence in the pump intake line. The argument should be pumped out of the tank using a lter cart and into clean for using a ball valve as an intake-line isolation valve is that when it’s drums or other suitable container. Then the tank should be thoropen, the full bore of the valve is available for oil ow. So if you have oughly cleaned, the pump changed out, and the oil (assuming it is a 2-inch ball valve installed in a 2-inch intake line, when the valve is still ser viceable) pumped b ack into the tank using a lter cart. open, it’s as if it isn’t there at all (from the oil’s point of view at least). The common objections to this are: “Oh, we don’t have time On the other hand, a butter y valve is not full bore. Even when for that!” or “We don’t have 10, 20 or however many clean drums fully open, the butter y remains in the bore and presents a partial sitting around.” A work-around for those who don’t want to do restriction, which is irregular in shape. This causes turbulence, the job right is to cap all penetrations into the tank headspace which can result in dissolved air coming out of solution in the intake and connect an industrial vacuum cleaner to the tank breather line. If this happens, these air bubbles will collapse when exposed to penetration. Switch on the vacuum cleaner while the pump is pressure at the cavitation. pump outlet. In other words, a butter y valve may cause gaseous So which is best: a ball or butter y valve? Well, like a lot of issues in hydraulics, it depends. In a perfect world, I would always choose a ball valve ahead of a butter y valve. For intake-line diameters up to 3 inches, there’s virtually no cost penalty involved in doing so. However, when you get into 4-, 6- and 8-inch diameters, ball valves are very expensive in comparison to their butter y counterparts. They also take up a lot more space, particularly in overall length. So in a mobile application, for example, not only may the cost of a largediameter ball valve be prohibitive, but there also may not be enough space between the tank outlet and the pump inlet to install it. There is a third alternative. Many people wrongly believe intakeline isolation valves are essential, when in reality they are not, but for a few exceptions.

3 Benefits of Not Installing an Intake-line Isolation Valve 1. The cost of the component is saved. 2. The distance between the tank and the pump can be shortened. 3. The pump can never be start ed with the intake isolation valve closed. 16 | July - August 2012 | www.machinerylubrication.com

Many people wrongly believe intake-line isolation valves are essential, when in reality they are not, but for a few exceptions.

changed out, and then when the debris from the previous pump failure causes the replacement pump to fail, repeat the exercise. Of course, there are exceptions, such as if there’s more than one pump sucking from the same tank or it’s just not practical to pump say 3,000 gallons of oil out of the tank. Sometimes intakeline isolation valves are a necessity. If this is the case, it’s wise to make sure they have proximity switches to prevent the pump(s) from being star ted when the valve (s) are closed. My preferred approach is to t neither ball valve nor butter y valve, if you can get away with it. If you must have one, use a ball valve if cost or space isn’t an issue. However, if either of these things is a problem, then a butter y valve is the only choice. There are many applications where butter y valves are used as pump-intake isolation valves. Large hydraulic excavators are a common example. They have multiple pumps sucking out of big tanks through large-diameter intake lines and not much space —

all the ingredients that rule out the more preferr ed options (no valve or ball valve). I don’t recall ever seeing a pump off a large hydraulic excavator that didn’t have at least some cavitation er osion damage, which in this application could be regarded as fair wear and tear. Could this cavitation damage be attributed to turbulence caused by the butter y valve? Sure it could, but a lot of other things may be responsible for it a s well. The only way to know for cer tain would be to compare two pumps operating under the same conditions — one with and one without a butter y valve installed.

About the Author Brendan Casey is the founder of HydraulicSupermarket.co m and the author of Insider Secrets to Hydraulics, Preventing Hydraulic Failures, Hydraulics Made Easy and Advanced Hydraulic Control. A uid

power specialist with an MBA, he has more than 20 years of experience in the design, maintenance and repair of mobile and industrial hydraulic equipment. Visit his Web site at www.HydraulicSupermarket.com.

75% of lubrication professionals prefer ball valves for hydraulic pump intake lines, according to a recent survey at machinerylubrication.com



17

SYNT HETIC MOTO R OIL The new Monolec Tetra-Syn Engine Oil from Lubrication Engineers Inc. is a 100-percent-synthetic motor oil for gasoline engines. It exhibits low volatility and low viscosity shear characteristics while also providing low- and high-temperature performance. A premium additive package has been incorporated in the new oil, including the Monolec wear-reducing additive, to deliver fuel economy, protect emission systems, keep engines clean and keep deposits to a minimum. Available in SAE 5W-20 and 5W-30 grades, Monolec Tetra-Syn Engine Oil can even improve fuel economy in many newer engines.

S W E N T C U D O R P

Lubrication Engineers Inc. www.L Elubrica nts.com 800-537-7683

FOOD-GRA DE LUBRICANTS

HOSE REEL Hannay Reels’ N500 Series spring-rewind dual hose reel is designed for efficient hose handling in grease and oil applications. The compact frame and narrow mounting

Sprayon’s new NSF H1-rated foodgrade lubricants have been treated with antioxidants and additives to specifically address the performance and application needs of the food-processing industry. Consisting of fine food-grade base stocks including synthetics, renewable oils and silicones, the new lubricants offer heavier load pressures, resistance to water washout, lower flammability ratings and wider temperature ranges to preserve and protect equipment, prevent costly breakdowns and ensure maximum performance. Sprayon www.sprayon.com 800-SPRAYON

base allow easy installation in almost any location. Equipped with a heavy-duty spring motor with self-contained rewind power and a four-way roller assembly, the N500 Series handles single ¼-inch or 3/8-inch I.D. hose. A non-sparking ratchet assembly locks the reel at the desired hose length. A pull on the hose unlocks the reel for retraction, while the declutching arbor prevents damage from reverse winding. Hannay Reels www.han nay.com 877-467-3357

AIR-OIL SY STEM S The new line of Oil Streak air-oil sy stems by Bijur Delimon provide a simple-to-use “plug-and-play” format that is designed to perform in the most demanding high-speed spindle lubrication applications. The airoil mixing valves blend precise amounts of air and oil, thanks in part to special oil injectors created specifically for spindle oil applications. Bijur Delimon www.bijurdeli mon.com 800-631-0168 18

July - August 2012

| www.machinerylubrication.com

ELECTRIC TE NSIONING PUMP The ZUTP1500 Electric Tensioner Pump from Enerpac features a twostage pump design to provide high flow at low pressure for fast system fills, as well as controlled flow at high pressure for safe and accurate operation. Engineered for the wind turbine market, the new pump incorporates a remote-controlled electric valve and universal motor without a hydraulic intensifier for hassle-free operation of bolt tensioners and hydraulic nuts in remote locations. The ZUTP1500 includes a durable, lightweight aluminum roll cage and reservoir with a sheet-metal front panel to guard the pump from the rigors of the worksite. Enerpac www.enerpac.com 262-293-1600

BEARING CHECKER Kittiwake’s new MHC Bearing Checker is a small handheld device that can provide instant indication of machinery condition. Based on the detection of high-frequency activity that is naturally generated by deterioration in rotating machinery, the instrument’s distress parameter removes the need for machinespecific interpretations. If the distress parameter is greater than 10, the user knows there is a problem. A decibel level is also provided, giving an indication of the overall noise of the bearing. Each measurement takes approximately 10 seconds and requires no setup, previous history or knowledge of machine design details. The unit is powered by an internal rechargeable battery. Kittiwake www.kitt iwake.com 713-255-7255

METALWORKING FLUIDS Cimcool has introduced a new line of metalworking fluids designed to meet the challenges of the tube and pipe industry. Cimmill fluids are formulated to increase productivity by up to 20 percent while offering good lubricity, rust protection and sump life. The fluids also provide excellent foam control, improved tool life and increased uptime during critical roll forming, cut-off and threading operations. The Cimmill line of product covers a wide range of applications including the most severe.

DIRT ALARM INDICATORS

Cimcool www.CIMCOOL .com 888-CIMCOOL

The MS17, MS18 and MS19 electrical dirt alarm indicators from Schroeder Industries are engineered to provide an accurate indication of the need to change an element in order to help maintain fluid cleanliness. They can be used with a wide range of hydraulic filters and are suitable for mobile and industrial applications requiring the connection of indicators with a static working pressure of less than 6,000 psi. The crimped body design eliminates the need for the four bolts used in the design of existing electrical dirt alarm indicators, reducing cost and assembly time. Schroeder Industries www.schroed erindust ries.com 800-722-4810 www.machinerylubrication.com

| July - August 2012

19

INDUSTRY FOCUS B Y DR . VIOLET LEAVERS, V4L PARTICLES LTD.

Advances inWear Debris Analysis New

T

The harsh work environments in which some industrial equipment is situated can lead to short life cycles and unpredictable failures, such as those found in mining or offshore oil and gas industries. While manufacturers may offer and honor timebased warranties, they cannot predict accurately the lifespan of the equipment. Moreover, replacement of equipment under warranty by the manufacturer does nothing to mitig ate the cost of unscheduled downtime and lost revenues.

Wear debris analysis is simple to execute, the test is non-destructive and it can give a vital early warning of incipient component failure. A solution to this problem lies with the various uid and particle condition monitoring tests that convey information about the current mechanical state of a system. In the front line of these is the collection and analysis of wear debris particles taken from a component’s lubricating or power transmission uid. Wear debris analysis is so important because sampling is relatively simple to execute, the test is non-destructive and it can give a vital early warning of incipient component failure.

Particle Sizing and Counting Hardware Particle counts can be determined using optical instruments. The rst of these methods is to use a microscope. Par ticles are precipitated from uid samples, which are taken from the component’s lubrication system, by draining through a lter patch. Particles are then interactively sized and counted manually using a microscope. However, because of its labor-intensive nature, this method was replaced by automatic particle counters (APCs) in the 1960s. First-generation APCs contain a laser light source and a detector, which are separated by an optical cell. The oil sample 20

July - August 2012


ows through the cell, and when a particle passes through it, an area of light is obscured. The detector senses the loss of light and outputs a voltage. The voltage pulse generated increments the particle count, and the height of the pulse is used to determine the size of the particle. These APCs have the disadvantage of not being able to distinguish between multiple particles, and because they are “blind” to the shape of the particle, they are only able to report size in terms of a projected area equivalent diameter. That is, size is de ned as the diameter of the disc with an area equivalent to the area of the particle’s shadow. This method can lead to errors because the estimated projected area equivalent diameter is a function of the shape of the particle. In other words, the size of the particle is increasingly underestimated as the shape becomes more elongated. In particular, long, thin particles will be systematically undersized to the point where they may slip into a size range smaller than their actual size indicates or even disappear from the count all together. A second generation of APCs has emerged that operates using micro-second duration-pulsed lasers. This has the effect of freezing the image of the particles present in the optical cell. The light sensor associated with rst-generation APCs is replaced by a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor. In this way, the system is able to collect the silhouette images of multiple particles. Image processing is then used to count and size the particles. Various contaminants such as varnish or bers have optical properties that make them invisible to APCs. These contaminants can build up to critical levels without being detected by the APC. The ASTM D7596-11 standard test method for automatic particle counting and particle shape classi cation of oils using a direct-imaging integrated tester gives a list of 11 possible sources of error when using a second-generation APC. A relatively high level of skill and experience not generally available onsite would be needed to detect or control these er rors.

Innovative Particle Imaging Hardware New technology has recently become available that solves many of the practical limitations imposed by the traditional

INDUSTRY FOCUS

design of the microscope when viewing and capturing images of both macroscopic and microscopic particles. The new technology is dedicated to optimizing the lateral and axial resolution available at the magni cations and resolutions required to reproduce images in an electronic form, whether that is for data storage, printing in reports or for on-screen viewing. In this way, images can be generated in which the depth of focus and eld of view are optimized for viewing macroscopic and microscopic particles at the same magni cation. With the new technology, it is possible to acquire sharply focused images over a much w ider range of magni cations and resolutions than when using a traditional microscope and without resorting to motorized stages or specialized software in order to create a wider eld of view or ext ended depth of focus.

From Images to Information A new concept in wear debris particle analysis has been developed to speci cally meet the needs of onsite technicians. This new software is compliant with and uses the particle classi cations and nomenclature given in the ASTM D7684-11 standard guide for the microscopic characterization of particles from in-service lubricants. The new software provides the onsite maintenance professional with access to an expert knowledge base of the fundamentals of wear debris analysis in order to assist in the identi cation of transitions between benign, active and critical wear patterns. By interacting with the software, the end user can access the following information:

• The wear debris mode to which a selected particle belongs • The processes and conditions contributing to a particular wear mechanism

• Information about equipment-speci c wear modes • Wear debris analysis using equipment-speci c baselines • When and how to correlate the data from other cleanliness tests with wear debris mode classi cation in order to identify transitions between normal, active and critical levels of wear

• An alert when equipment health is critical and the onsite professional needs to call for remote support

This Macro-2-Micro one-shot image of an oxidized particle on a filter patch shows surface detail that would not be visible using a microscope without extended focus capability. Image-2-Information software reveals that because the

The image above shows a one-shot image of an oxidized particle This image of magnetic plug particle has a non-uniform on a lter patch. Without such a sharp image allowing the surface debris seen at 40x magnifica- surface color, it is not brass or tion includes a particle that an copper but instead a heated detail to be seen, this particle might be mistaken for a brass/copper inexperienced technician might particle, indicating early fatigue particle, whereas it is a hybrid particle with striations associ- mistake for brass or copper. stages of lubricant starvation. ated with severe sliding and colors indicating heating. This new technology can be implemented in such a way as to be These features make the new software ideally suited for onsite suf ciently stable and compact to be used onsite. It also generates situations where the level of training and skill of the attendant images at a size that can be transmitted electronically if more expert technician may require substantial support. In conclusion, it is clear that the uid and particle condition advice from a remote specialist laboratory is required. monitoring needs of the onsite maintenance professional differ Automatic particle sizing and counting software has also signi cantly from the resources required by the lab-based expert. been developed for use with the new imaging The recent advances in wear debris particle analysis cater to this software is uniquely “plug-and-play” and doestechnology. not requireThis the need for portable equipment that is both easy to set up and use user to input subjective thresholds in order to distinguish while also addressing the variable level of skill and training of particles from the background image. This makes it ideal for onsite personnel. onsite use where the end user may not have the skill or training necessary to set image-processin g thresholds. The new particle About the Author sizing and counting hardware and software technology is also Dr. Violet Leavers is an internationally acknowledged expert in compliant with ISO 4406 and 4407, NAS 1638 and SAE machine vision and image processing. She currently works with V4L Particles Ltd. and can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]. ARP598 standards. 22

July - August 2012


CONTAMINATION CONTROL BY KHALID FAROOQ, PALL CORPORATION

Varnish

Effective

from Turbine Lubrication

Removal Systems

I

In recent years, the power-generation industry has seen an increase in varnish-related problems in combustion turbines. This increase is attributed to higher operating temperatures, smaller uid reservoirs, more peaking and cyclic service, highly re ned base stocks that have lower solvency for varnish precursors, and a more widespread use of ner ltration that causes more electrostatic charging of the turbine oil. The solvency of varnish in turbine oil is temperature dependent, with the transition point being in the range of 130 to 135 degrees F. The temperature frequently falls below this threshold in the hydraulic control section of turbines, resulting in the formation of deposits on control valves. The most problematic aspect of varnish contamination of a turbine lubrication and control system is that the material plates out on servo-valve surfaces, leading to valve sticking, and plugs the last-chance lters (LCFs) that are part of the servo-valve assembly. LCFs made with sintered metal or ne screens provide a convenient surface for the formation of varnish because of their location in the low- ow, colder hydraulic control section. Lower temperature promotes varnish formation because of the lower solubility of the material at lower temperatures, which causes it to come out of solution and deposit on the lter’s metal surface. Filters made with glass- ber media normally are not plugged by varnish. Full- ow lters as ne s 6amicrons are known to have no varnish-related premature plugging, although the uid may have elevated levels of varnish-forming material. The plugging of metaltopencil lters butinnot larger glassltersmaterial is likely due the difference the the interaction of theber varnish with metal versus the glass ber, the cooler temperatures in the hydraulic section and the lower ow velocity. In addition to the servo-valve deposits, varnish precursors form deposits on mechanical seals, Babbitt sleeve bearings, thrustbearing pads and ori ces, resulting in restrictions. When these deposits develop on heat exchanger and reservoir walls, reduced heat transfer and higher temperatures are likely to occur.

24

July - August 2012


Varnish deposits on the spool of a servo valve.

What is Varnish? Varnish is the thin, insoluble lm deposit thatforms on uidwetted surfaces inside a turbine lube system, including bearings and servo valves. The material is comprised of a wide range of oil additives and high molecular weight thermo-oxidative uid breakdown compounds that have limited solvency in the base uid. These compounds are polar in nature and begin to migrate from the base uid to the wetted surfaces over time, based on the system and uid conditions and their polar af nities.

This photomicrograph shows varnish material on an analysis membrane (0.45micron porosity) at 100x magnification.

The same varnish material is shown at 1,000x magnification using a scanning electron microscope.

Initially, the surfaces show a gold/tan color, building to darker gum-like layers that eventually develop into a hard, lacquer-like material. The chemical compositions of these insoluble materials vary depending on the turbine operating conditions, the uid base stock and additive type.

How Varnish Forms All turbine oils create insoluble materials, even under normal operating conditions. The rate of generation is accelerated under


severe or unusual operating conditions. Factors such as oxidation, hot spots, chemical contamination, lter-related electrostatic discharge, micro-dieseling and adiabatic compression are widely believed to be among the sources of varnish generation. Typical hydrocarbon-based uids undergo oxidative degradation/polymerization to produce oil-insoluble sludge/varnish. A number of oxygenated chemical compounds can be generated during the course of thermal oxidation, including acids, alcohols, esters, ketones, etc. However, studies have shown that varnish precursors have species that contain predominantly two oxygen atoms per molecule, pointing to the role of hydroxyl-acids as active intermediates in varnish formation. The chemical species responsible for varnish formation is not always related to the base stock. The additive package and its interaction with the base stock may play a signi cant role in varnish formation.

of thermal degradation of the uid and resulting varnish formation are adiabatic compression of the oil-entrained air bubbles, hot spots in the system and lter-induced electrostatic discharge. The source of air bubbles entrained in uidcan be suction line leaks, pump seal leaks and tank agitation caused by the plunging uid returning to the reser voir. When e xposed to fast compression, such as at the inlet of a high-pressure pump or high-load region of a bearing, these air bubbles can undergo rapid adiabatic compression with a resultant rapid increase in uid temperatures. Typically, temperatures in the range of 1,000 degrees F may be reached during this adiabatic compression of the air bubbles. The high temperature initiates thermal degradation of the uid, leading to the formation of varnish. Electrostatic or triboelectric charge generation occurs in turbine lubrication systems as a result of friction between the uid and the system components. The magnitude of the charge generated depends on many interrelated factors, including environmental issues. This effect manifests itself in several ways, with the most noticeable being an audible clicking sound as the accumulated charge discharges. This causes sparking internally within the system. Less apparent effec ts involve migration of the electrical charge downstream of the lter, which produces damage to system components and the lter. Recently, attention has been directed to uid electri cation and static discharge as prominent contributors to sludge and varnish formation in turbine systems. The amount of charge generated by the ow of a hydrocarbon liquid through a lter is related to several uid and lter properties. Charge generation/ accumulation generally increases with increasing ow rates

(velocity through the lterand element), reduced (higher uid conductivity, certain additive packages lower temperature viscosity). In the lter housing, the charge of the lter element will be This FTIR spectra shows varnish material produced by oxidation and thermal degradation with characteristic absorbance peaks in the 1740 cm-1 region. opposite in sign to that of the uid. The charge on the uid will be transmitted downstream, and if enough charge is accumuOxidation-inhibitor additives are added to uids to control lated, the uid dielectric constant is exceeded. The discharge the oxidation process. Two common categories of additives are then occurs to a conductive part of the ltration or uid system hindered phenols and aromatic amines. Hindered phenols act as that is lower in magnitude, resulting in potential damage to that radical scavengers. They are more suited for lower temperatures, part of the system. The extent of damage will depend on the while amines perform better at higher temperatures. material involved and the magnitude of the generated charge. The mixed phenol/amine additive package has proven to be Various methods have been tried to alleviate the potential of more robust, as the phenols also rejuvenate the depleted amines. static charge accumulation in uid systems. Among them are A type of amine antioxidant, PANA, is known to form deposits of anti-static additives, which may not be suitable for turbine oils; its own when it depletes. the use of conductive mesh downstream of the lter material, Once the additives are depleted, the oxidation process greatly which has limited effectiveness in preventing charge accumulaaccelerates. Expert s recommend close monitoring of the depletion in the uid; and increasing the time for the charge to decay, tion of phenol and amine antioxidants. When the phenolic antioxidants approach the depletion level, you can expect amine which requires a change in the system design. Filtering the uid levels to begin falling and the varnish potential to rise. Elevated temperatures also contribute to the oxidation process. The general rule of thumb is that for every increase of 10 degrees C (18 degrees F) in the operating temperature, the rate of oxidation doubles (Arrhenius rate rule). Water, aeration and wear metal particles such as iron and copper act as catalysts to speed up this process. Besides oxidation, the other major pathway for uid degradation in a turbine is thermal degradation. Three common sources 26

July - August 2012


at aproblem, lower ow (i.e., increasing lter size) doesSeveral rectify the butdensity it is not a viable optionthe for every system. manufacturers have introduced lters with ltration media designed not to generate a charge to the same extent as the standard glass- ber-based materials. In 2004, a new series of electrostatic dissipative (ESD) lter media were introduced to eliminate potential electrostatic charging problems in ltration of hydrocarbon uids. Exte nsive testing in controlled laboratory conditions and on operating


equipment in many industrial applications has shown this ltration media to eliminate lter damage and signi cantly lower charge generation compared with the typical glass- ber ltration medium.

Fluid charging with standard glass-fiber and electrostatic dissipative (ESD) filter elements.

Varnish Removal Technologies The currently available solution for removing varnish from turbine lubrication uids can be divided into three categories — electrostatic puri cation, chemical cleaning/ ushing and adsorption by a disposable media. The elec trostatic method, operating in kidney-loop mode of f the main tank, subjects the uid to an electrical eld, which causes the varnish precursors to charge and agglomerate into larger particles that are then captured by a lter mat or attracted to a charged, disposable surface. There are several designs based on variants of the elec trostatic charging principle to accomplish this goal. The electrostatic-type devices are reported to remove varnish

Laboratory Test Results with Varnish Removal Filter Medium DETAILS T UR B INE

FLUIDID

INITIAL VARNISH RATING

FILTERED VARNISH RATING

GE Frame 7B*

A

59

0

GE Frame 7FA*

B

47

0

GE Frame 7FA*

B

47

22**

GE Frame 7FA

C

62

15***

Alstom GT8C

D

34

11

Alstom GT24B

E

85

15***

MHI 501 (G)

F

58

15***

* Varnish rating determined by Herguth Laboratories. ** Filtered at 160 degrees F . *** The varnish rating of filtrate is estimated. The initial

values are by Analysts Inc.

28

July - August 2012


precursors from the uid phase, and as the uid is cleaned up, soft varnish deposits from surfaces are re-entrained in the uid and removed, thus resulting in the cleaning up of deposits accumulated over a period of time. Since the removal of varnish from system components is a relatively slow process, these devices are recommended to be operated over a long period of time or to be inst alled permanently. They are repor ted to be sensitive to elevated moisture levels in the uid and also to the presence of high levels of metal wear particles. The chemical cleaning/ ushing method for removing varnish utilizes cleaning chemicals that are typically circulated through the system to dislodge varnish from components. These chemicals soften and dissolve the insoluble materials, and the ushing action suspends the hard deposits in the uid, which are then removed with the uid when it is drained from the syst em. This process is usually performed for several hours or several days, depending on the system size and the ex tent of the varnish build-up on components. Once the ush and chemical treatment is completed, the system must be ushed again with an appropriate ushing uid to remove residual chemicals and to ensure no contamination nds its way into the new lubricating oil. Although this process is more intensive, it does allow for quicker removal of varnish deposits, especially in a large system. It also requires close monitoring and entails lost production due to the turbine being out of operation. The adsorption method utilizes adsorbent media with a large surface area and high void volume, relatively low uid ux and in some cases an electro-chemical af nity for varnish precursors. Many materials can be used as adsorbents, including compressed cellulose, cotton linters and macro-porous media such as resin beads, Fuller’s earth, activated carbon, etc. There are two types of adsorption: physisorption and chemisorption. Physisorption, also called physical adsorption, is a process in which the adsorbent material and the adsorbate molecules (varnish precursors) do not form chemical bonds arising from a chemical reaction but are bonded by weak electrostatic forces arising from induced dipole moments such as van der Waals forces. The electronic struc ture of the adsorbate does not change upon adsorption. Because of its chemical structure, varnish molecules are believed to be attr acted to the adsorbent through weak molecular forces such as hydrogen bonding. A ltration medium based on physisorption, called a Varnish Removal Filter (VRF), has been ltrationand medium is a composite consisting of adeveloped. cellulose This ber matrix other materials that give it a high-void volume and an open- ber matrix. The resin-bonded, open- ber matrix provides high permeability, which is necessary for the uid to come in contact with the large ber surface area for the absorption of the varnish precursors. The specially formulated binder resins give the lter media high af nity for the polar varnish precursors, resulting in high removal ef ciency and retention of the material suspended in the uid phase.

Aromatic Amine = 99%, Hindered Phenolic >100% Results of the analysis conducted on a new, unused fluid sample.

Field trial results on an Alstom turbine.

Field trial results on a GE Frame 7FA turbine.

The VRF medium was tested in a laboratory using samples of degraded uid obtained from operating turbines that had reported high levels of varnish. The values (shown in the table on page 28) were taken after single-pass ltration at ambient room temperature, except for the third test, which was conducted at a uid temperature of 160 degrees F. The higher varnish rating of the ltrate sample at a higher temperature indicates lower varnish removal performance, likely due to the higher solvency of the varnish precursors in the uid and lower absorbency at an elevated temperature. Tests were also conducted to asses the effect on the uid’s additives as a result of the treatment with the VRF medium. The results indicated essentially no change in the level of aromatic amine and hindered phenol between the un ltered sample and the sample that was ltered 20 times. The absence of any depletion of this additive suggested that the VRF medium had no noticeable adverse effect on the uid. Following successful laboratory validation of the ltration medium, a skid incorporating the VRF lter modules and the associated control system was teste d on two operating turbines. The treatment of the turbine lubrication systems entailed installation of the skid in a kidney-loop mode, taking the uid from one end of the reservoir and returning it to the opposite end continuously. Both trials ran uninterrupted with minimal operator intervention and utilized one set of three VRF modules for each trial. The removal and retention of varnish material by the ltration medium was indicated by the staining of the medium by the varnish material. One signi cant difference between the two turbines treated with the VRF was the level of varnish deposits in the lubrication systems. The inside of the main lter housing the Alstom turbineow lubrication systemonindicated the presence of a heavy brownish coating of varnish material. No such deposits were observed in the GE Frame 7FA turbine lubrication system. Following clean-up of the Alstom turbine, the VRF skid was removed, and the plant re-installed the electrostatic-type www.machinerylubrication.com | July - August 2012 |

29


cleaner that had been used before the VRF treatment. A sample from the Alstom turbine was obtained about six months after the VRF treatment and was found to have elevated varnish levels. The GE Frame 7FA turbine was sampled two months after the VRF treatment and had low varnish levels similar to that at the time of the termination of the treatment. The reason for the recurrence of the high varnish level in the Alstom turbine is believed to be the heavy varnish deposits in the system that were not completely removed during the eight weeks of the uid treatment, although This Varnish Removal Filter the varnish precursors in the uid phase were skid was used to treat two reduced to very low levels. The difference in operating turbines. the uid clean-up rate, which was longer in the case of the Alstom turbine, and the slight increase after the initial decrease in the varnish level can also be attributed largely to the presence of heavy varnish deposits in the Alstom turbine lubrication system. The two eld trials revealed that the amount and type of varnish deposits in the lubrication system had a bearing on how Varnish deposits were quickly the uid could be rid of the varnish found inside the filter material and for how long after the clean-up housing of the Alstom turbine lubrication system. it would remain free of elevated varnish

UNITED STATES

These images show a used VRF mediumPictured above as received from the field (left), rinsed is an unused with hexane (center) and rinsed with VRF medium. toluene (right).

levels. There are also variables other than the level of deposits, such as the type of the varnish material, temperature, duty cycle, uid type, state of the deposits, etc., that in uence the rate of varnish removal from the uid and the dissolution of the deposits back into the uid. In summary, the mitigation of varnish-related problems in turbine lubrication and hydraulic control systems requires not only cleaning up the varnish precursors from the uid and the soluble deposits from the wetted surfaces, but also controlling their formation. The absorptive lter technology discussed is engineered to remove the polar varnish precursors and has proven to be effective in the removal of the varnish material from turbine lubrication systems. In addition, lter-induced electrostatic charging can be controlled with the utilization of specially designed, charge-dissipative ltration media that produce much lower uid charging, thus mitigating the associated uid damage while providing the ne levels of ltration required by modern turbines.

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July - August 2012


[email protected]



31

ML

GET TO KNOW

Bell SignalsReliability Improvements at Verso Paper As the supervisor of reliability technicians at Verso Paper’s facility in Jay, Maine, Caleb Bell is responsible for the execution and continuous improvement of the company’s preventive and predictive maintenance program. His job is to understand and improve the program in order to make it the most effective and ef cient that it can be. One day, Bell may be immersed only in lubrication-related activities, and the next he might be analyzing vibration signatures to determine response urgency. Although he has been in his current position at Verso Paper for only 2½ years, Bell has already made quite a difference.

Name: Caleb Bell Age: 34 Title: Equipment Reliability Supervisor

Years of Service: 2½ years Company: Verso Paper Corporation Location: Jay, Maine

Q What is the amount and range of equipment that you help service through lubrication/oil analysis tasks? A We have about 5,000 driven pieces of equipment and several

thousand rotating pieces of equipment that are driven either by

conveyor belts, gear trains or ropes. My department is responsible for all routine lubrication work on this equipment and also invasive Q What types of training have you taken to get to your inspections of gear and grid-type couplings, as well as universalcurrent position? type drive shafts. I estimate that we have about 50,000 lubricated A I was able to get started in the industry when I earned my bachcomponents for which we are responsible. We have 95 percent of elor’s degree in mechanical engineering. them well-documented and are working on the rest. Q What professional certifications have you attained? A I have Vibration Analyst Category 1 and Machine Lubricant

Q What lubrication-related projects are you currently working on?

Analyst Level 1 cer ti cations.

A We designed and are now installing a centralized lubrication-

Q Are you planning to obtain additional training or achieve higher certifications? A I am working to get Vibration Analyst Category 2 and Machine

Lubrication Tec hnician Level 2 certi cations. Q What’s a normal work day like for you? A My day starts by reviewing the current schedule for the day,

making sure there have been no process upsets that may require our attention and then bringing the crew up to speed with pertinent information. I start one hour before they arrive. Once the team is out in the facility servicing our equipment and executing our rounds, I work on verifying the accuracy of our listed routes, updating as necessary, planning equipment upgrades, preparing for machine maintenance downtime, and developing and executing capital projects. 32 | July - August 2012 | www.machinerylubrication.com

dispensing station that will eliminate nine satellite dispensing locations that do not utilize proper contamination control or ergonomic considerations. This project will strategically locate four bar-tap type dispensing areas around the mill with 3-micron ltration of our three most widely used products. The dispensing stations will service all ve of our paper machines. The project involves 1,500 feet of 1½-inch pipe and three 1,000-gallon reservoirs. We’ve been able to do this economically with some creativity and sound engineering. We are also relocating and upgrading ow meters on an existing gearcase cascade system that has been problematic for years. This project will replace 45 improperly sized and uncalibrated universal-type ow meters, which were placed in very inconspicuous and hard-to-reach locations, with SKF Safematic type ow meters, which will be located directly in the path of our routine lubrication rounds, for consistent and reliable moni-

toring. The project involves more than 1,000 feet of tubing. Q What have been some of the biggest project successes in which you’ve played a part? A In 2011, we installed two parallel-line auto-

matic grease systems on the wet end of our paper machines. The systems ser vice 65 bearings each and run on an 8-hour cycle. We are now able to grease 130 bearings 1,095 times per year, rather than the 12 times we had done on our previous 1-month cycle. The systems are running awlessly, and we’ve had great results with bearing life. In addition, we removed one of the most dif cult and strenuous portions of our job. Q How does your company view machinery lubrication in terms of importance and overall business strategy? A It is viewed as absolutely critical and as a

sure-win investment. Q What do you see as some of the more important trends taking place in the lubrication and oil analysis field? A Education stakeholders and a rapid swing toward ofreliability-based maintenance

programs are two recent trends I’ve noticed. I think generally there was a large portion of the population that didn’t understand the criticality of proper lubricant selection, route design and execution. However, I’m seeing more folks from higher management tiers paying attention to their programs and receiving training about why it’s important and how to execute. I also feel like industry in the United States has accepted that reactive maintenance will not allow us to survive in the global economy, and we are becoming humble enough to admit we need to improve.

Get to Know … You? Want to be featured in the next “Get to Know” section or know someone who should be pro led in an upcoming issue of Machinery Lubrication magazine? Nominate yourself or fellow lubrication professionals by e-mailing a photo and contact information to [email protected].



33

ML

TEST

your KNOWLEDGE

This month, Machinery Lubricationcontinues its “Test Your Knowledge” section in which we focus on a group of questions from Noria’s Practice Exam for Level I Machine Lubrication Technician and Machine Lubricant Analyst. The answers are located at the bottom of this page. The complete 126-question practice test with expanded answers is available at store.noria.com.

1. Which type or form of lubrication is considered to provide a full fluid (oil) film? A) Elastohydrodynamic B) Solid Film C) Boundary D) Mixed E) All of the above

2. A typical ISO cleanliness code for new oil would be: A) 9/7/5 B) 14/12/10 C) 21/19/16 D) 27/25/21 E) 32/30/27

3. Hydrolysis is the breakdown of additives by: A) Hydrogen B) Helium C) Water D) Filtration E) Hydrogen embitterment

. se di fl us negor dyh dna di ca ci r ufl us sa hcus st cudor py b mr of ot t aehf o ecneser p eht ni r et a w hti wt caer sevi ti dda e ht , si syl or dyh nI C. 3

.li o nael c yr ev eri uqer t aht seni hca mni yll ai cepse , des u si li o nael c er usne ot ser usae mgni kat dna sli o gni mocni f o ytil a uq eht gni k cehcr of el bi s - nopser er a sr esu dnE . ct e , noi t at r opsnart , gni r ot s , gni gak ca p , gni dnel b gni r ud ecal p sekat yll a mr on noi t ani mat no C. hgi h eti uq der e di snoc si ) 61/ 91/ 12 OSI ( l evel ssenil nael c OSI si hT C. 2

. er usser p hgi h ot eud yll aci t sal e mr of e d st nenop moc det aci r bul e ht esuace b ci ma ny dor dyhot sal e dell ac si tI . ) noi t ar apes m li f -ll uf ( noi t aci r bul ci manydor dyh f o mr of a si noi t aci r bul ci many dor dyhot sal E A. 1 : sr e ws n A


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35

T E K R A M R E P U S T C U D O R P

The ASPEX Express x is the fastest automated benchtop scanning electron microscope (SEM) available

Inolex Chemical Company synthesizes premium ester base oils for high-per-

SIMPLIFY MOTOR CHANGE-OUTS and ENSURE ELECTRICAL SAFETY.

today. Thiswill integrated affordable system allow youand to identify foreign particles and their elemental composition faster than ever before.

formance lubricant applications such as chain formulations for oven temperatures up to 550°C. HX-1 food-grade oils for baking chains are available.

Motor connect/disconnect Plugs allow technicians to quickly motors. Safety features protect from electrical hazards and simplify NFPA 70E compliance. FREE samples available.

ASP EX, a n FEI Company

Inolex Chemical Company

www.aspexcorp.com [email protected] 724-468-5400

www.inolex.com 800-521-9891 [email protected]

www.meltric.com 800-433-7642 [email protected]

DuPont™ Krytox® Fluorinated Greases and Oils are chemically inert, insoluble in common solvents. Temperature

Checkfluid’s LTJ Series oil sampling

Know when to lubricate with UE

ports offer safer, more sampling with results youconvenient can count on. The high-flow design safely collects samples while equipment is running, and installation can be made in minutes.

Systems Ultraprobe 201 Grease Caddy. Sensing ultrasound, Grease Caddy isolates bearing sounds, making it easier to listen in noisy plant environments. Wear on a holster or attach to grease gun.

range -103º to 800º F. Compatible with plastics, rubber, ceramics and metals. Nonflammable, oxygen compatible, no silicones or hydrocarbons. H-1/H-2 food grades available. Miller-Stephens on Chemical Company, Inc.

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Checkfluid, Inc.

UE Systems, Inc.

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Because viscosity measurement be simple, CANNON is excited toshould introduce the SimpleVIS™ portable viscometer. Everything is included to get you started, minus your sample and solvent. Contact us for more information.

Freedom from Sludge & Varnish! Lubricant deposits cripple productivity and profits. Fluitec’s ESP Technology removes products in solution & in suspension, ensuring your lube systems stay deposit-free. Guaranteed Results.

Your single source supply for complete packaging of bottles, containers, test tubes, needlemailing valves, cap and probe samplers, tubing, vacuum pumps, custom packaging, custom-printed mailing containers and boxes.

36

Meltric Corporation

Specialty Manufacturing

Cannon Instrument Company

Fluitec

www.specialtymanufacturing.com [email protected] 800-382-9130

www.cannoninstrument.com 800-676-6232 [email protected]

www.fluitec.com 888-557-9575 info@fluitec.com

July - August 2012


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New VIBXPERT Balancer. Fast, accurate and easy-to-use 1- or 2-plane Field Balancer. Intuitive and

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GARZO Model 108B controllers main-

9070 Smart Vibration Analysis Meter

tain oil levels in engines and compressor crankcases to prevent equipment damage and save oil. The standard valve assembly works with atmospheric tanks or up to 15 psig oil supply pressures.

$495. Analyze & interpret ISO alarm & BDU readingreadings; indicate machine & bearing condition; clear picture of 1X (unbalance), 2X (misalignment), & 3X (looseness) machine problems; 800-line spectrum

GARZO, Inc.

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This stainless-steel oiler replenishes oil after equipment washdown. The 5 oz. polycarbonate reservoir dispenses at a controlled rate of 15-30 mins. Corrosion resistant and suited to food processing and packaging operations.

Test Products International

www.testproductsintl.com [email protected]

Lubricant & containers Handling System has 2Storage 150-gal. (L.) and 2 150-gal. containers combined to make a 300-gal. container (R.), each with pump/motor, diverter valves, filters for the oil, kidney loop and large storage cabinets.

Oil-Rite Corporation

The IFH Group, Inc.

www.oilrite.com 920-682-6173

www.ifhgroup.com 800-435-7003 [email protected] www.machinerylubrication.com

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July - August 2012

37

ML

CROSSWORD PUZZLER Get a Printable Version of This Puzzle Online at: MachineryLubrication.com/puzzle

1

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ACROSS 4 A device that transfers heat through a conducting wall from

one fluid to another. 6 A measure of the ability of a solid or liquid to transfer heat. 7 An engine component that translates the rotational motion of

the cam to a reciprocating linear motion in the linkage system. 8 A location in a line conducting fluid from working device to

reservoir. 10 A mechanical mixture of air bubbles having a tendency to separate from the liquid phase. 14 Incapable of being mixed without separation of phases. 15 A device to prevent direct fluid flow or impingement

on a surface. 16 The ratio of shear stress to shear rate.


DOWN 1 A method that involves placing a drop of fluid on a

permeable piece of paper and noting the development and nature of the halos or rings surrounding the drop through time. 2 A chemical substance added to a petroleum product to impart

or improve certain properties. 3 The amount of water that can dissolve in a fluid. 5 A filter material made from plant fibers. 9 A device that prevents leakage of fluids along rotating shafts. 11 The progressive failure of a machine or lubricant. 12 Ability of an oil or grease to lubricate. 13 A condition of filter element loading in which contaminant

spans the space between adjacent sections of a filter element, thus blocking a portion of the useful filtration. Get the solution on page 43

NOW ON

ML

Machinery Lubrication.com

Find more great articles and content from Machinery Lubricationmagazine online. From Web exclusives and industry news to videos, white papers, buyer’s guides and more, everything that relates to machinery lubrication is available now on www.machinerylubrication.com.

Engine Lubrication Basics Lubrication plays a key role in the life expectancy of an engine. Without oil, an engine would succumb to overheating and seizing very quickly. Lubricants help mitigate this problem, and if properly monitored and maintained, can extend

What is Lubrication? Lubrication is a word that’s often used in regards to machinery reliability and maintenance, but what is lubrication? The dictionary de nes lubrication as the application of some oily or greasy substance in order to diminish friction. Although this is a valid de nition, it fails to realize all that lubrication actually achieves. Learn the different types of lubrication and the various substances that can be used to lubricate a surface by reading this article on the ML site.

Elemental Analysis of Industrial Lubricants As the most fundamental test used in oil analysis today, elemental analysis can detect between 15 and 25 different elements that are related to wear metals, contaminant metals and

the life of your motor. Read this article on the ML site to understand why changing oil regularly and sustaining appropriate uid levels are the keys to overall engine health and lifespan.

Basics of Ferrous Density in Oil Analysis Ferrous density should be considered a primary test for all machines where ferrous wear material is expected. Correlating ferrous density data along with other oil analysis test information can give you a wide picture and a solid understanding of the internal condition of your machine. This video describes the two general types of ferrous density testing, including what

oil additives. This video explains how elemental analysis works through atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), the results you can expect to see, why you want to run elemental analysis on used and new oil, and why you can’t completely rely on elemental analysis to get a true indication of overall machine condition. Access this video at www.machinerylubrication.com.

Antioxidant Monitoring of Gas Engine Oils Antioxidant analysis can be useful both for small and large oil reservoirs, as well as peak/baseload operations. The importance of individual antioxidants in combination with other critical parameters may provide a better understanding of the processes occurring during the oil’s lifetime. Find this article in the oil analysis section on the ML site to discover how monitoring individual antioxidants can establish an accurate condition of the oil as part of the oil’s lifecycle evaluation .

they measure, how they are performed, the results you can expect and the advantages of each, as well as how to calculate wear particle concentration, percent large particles and wear severity index. Access this 5-minute, 51-second video at www.machinerylubrication.com. 40 | July - August 2012 | www.machinerylubrication.com

By the Numbers

72%

of machinerylubrication.com visitors include only the most critical machines and components in their oil analysis program.

Welcome to Machinery Lubrication’sBookstore, designed to spotlight lubricationrelated books. For a complete listing of books of interest to lubrication professionals, check out the Bookstore at store.noria.com.

Best Practices for Lubricant Storage and Handling Train ing Video Format: DVD Publisher: Noria Corporation

Squeezing maximum life out of lubricants and extending life start with putting a machine healthy, clean lubricant into the machine. In this training video, you’ll learn the very best practices for new oil storage and handling, as well as procedures you can implement right away for managing lubricants from delivery to dispensing to lling the machine.

In-Service Lubricant and Machine Ana lysis, Diag nostics, and Prognostics Author: ASTM International

This compilation of the Journal of ASTM International (JAI) contains papers presented at a symposium on in-service lubricant and machine analysis, diagnostics and prognostics held Dec. 8, 2010, in Jacksonville, Fla. It includes recent developments in online oil condition monitoring sensors and alignment with ASTM methods and practices, an overv iew of progress and new developments in FTIR lubricant condition monitoring methodology, guidelines for alarm limits and trend analysis, and more.

Oil Analysis Basics – Second Edition

The P ractical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication – 4th Edition Author: Robert Scott, Jim Fitch and Lloyd Leugner

The completely rewritten Fourth Edition addresses speci c new topics such as oil properties and testing, oil analysis, grease applications, journal bearings, compressors, contamination control, storage and handling, wear and failure mechanisms, and troubleshooting. It retains the easy-reading nature of the srcinal book with restructured chapters to heighten the focus on reliability and provide further detail on recent changes in industry practices.

S T O R E

Reliable Plant 2012 Conference Proceedings Format: CD-ROM Publisher: Noria Corporation

In case you missed the learning sessions at Reliable Plant 2012, you can get the conference proceedings on CD-ROM. It includes the presentations in PDF format from nearly every session in both of the co-located conferences: Lubrication Excellence and Reliability World. The real-world case studies are full of practical, experience-based information and tools for lubrication and reliability programs.

Best Practices for Oil Sampling Training Video Format: DVD Publisher: Noria Corporation

The new Second Edition includes more detailed information on oil sampling, ltration and contami-

Correct and accurate sample collection is the critical rst step in a successful oil analysis program. Without representative oil samples, oil analysis may just

nant removal, base contaminaoils and additives, water-in-oil tion and removal, ASTM standards, glycol testing, ash point tests, and 14 additional oil analysis tests.

be waste of time money. Thisa 48-minute videoand shows you how to design and implement a world-class oil sampling program that will deliver better results and help you focus on improving equipment reliability.

Publisher: Noria Corporation

B O O K

For descriptions, complete table of contents and excerpts from these and other lubrication-related books, and to order online, visit: store.noria.comor call 1-800-597-5460, ext. 204 www.machinerylubrication.com

| July - August 2012

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ML

CERTIFICATION NEWS

ICML and ACIMA Sign AGREEMENT COOPERATION BY SUZY JAMIESON, ICML

During the recent Costa Ric an Congress of Maintenance Engineering in San Jose, Costa Rica, the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML ) formalized it s cooperation with the Costa Rican Association of Maintenance (ACIMA), signaling a new era for Costa Rica’s lubrication practitioners. An acti ve and visionary association, AC IMA celebrated

Costa Rican Congress Displays Bright Future of Maintenance Engineering With 30 speakers and more than 350 attendees from around the world, the recent Costa Rican Congress of Maintenan ce Engineering in San Jose, Costa Rica, sported the theme of competitiveness and sustainability, encouraging joint work to achieve commitment and cooperation in sustainable development, environmental protection and energy savings. It also aimed at favoring a permanent chain of work among engineering, education, investigation, innovation, industry and services that would be conducive to efficient and effective production. One of the speakers at the event was Gerardo Trujillo, director of Noria Latin America and an ICML volunteer since its inception. In an informative and well-received presentation, Trujillo spoke on the importance of responsible handling and disposal of lubricants. The congress as a whole was very impressive. Not only was the organization of the event excellent, with a rich range of presentations and an exposition hall showcasing a variety of solution providers from diverse areas of maintenance disciplines, but the attendance was impressive as well. For an association serving mainly maintenance engineers in a country of less than 5 million people to have more than 350 professionals in attendance is quite significant for a single event. It was inspiring to see the number of young maintenance professionals attending. The percentage of women was also very encouraging. The level of engagement and interest of these young professionals was quite noticeable and refreshing to see. This was not an “about to retire” crowd but a glimpse of the vibrant future in the maintenance industry. 42 | July - August 2012 | www.machinerylubrication.com

its 20th year of operations in 2011. The association published a book dedicated to the history of its rst 20 years, entitled “Passion for Maintenance.” In both passion and mission, it is evident that ICML has much in common with ACIMA. Although ICML’s niche is speci cally devoted to an area of maintenance, namely machinery lubrication and oil analysis, the parallels are clear. ACIMA’s mission is “to work for the strengthening of professionals that work in the eld of maintenance engineering thr ough suitable knowledge transfer and respect to the development highest ethicsofwith theRic objective of contributing to the national Costa a.” This is very much in line with ICML’s mission of dignifying the careers of machinery lubrication and oil analysis professionals by facilitating growth and development of machinery lubrication as a technical eld of endeavor. Among its activities, ACIMA takes very seriously its role in qualication of Costa Rican professionals, having close ties with the Technical Institute of Costa Rica (TEC) and offering several

At the recent Costa Rican Congress of Maintenance Engineering, ACIMA president Humberto Guzmán (left) and ICML’s Suzy Jamieson (right) signed a memorandum of understanding for the mutual promotion of the two organizations’ missions.

continuing-education opportunities for Costa Rican maintenance professionals. These include seminars, training courses and conferences. Like ICML, ACIMA has an awards program and publishes Revista Mantenimiento (Maintenance Magazine). During last year’s Mexican Congress of Maintenance and Reliability, Carlos Calderón Borge and Julio Carvajal Brenes, a long-time volunteer of ICML and one of the founding members of ACIMA, were instrumental in the development of the cooperation between ICML and ACIMA. At the close of this year’s congress, ACIMA’s current president, Humberto Guzmán, signed the memorandum of understanding between ICML and ACIMA for the mutual promotion of the organizations’ missions, along with the offering of ICML exams by ACIMA for Costa Rican professionals, with the goal to improve national skills in the area of machinery lubrication and oil analysis. The rst ICML/ACIMA joint certi cation exam session is expected to take place at the end of August 2012. With the new cooperation agreement, ICML hopes to be an active part of this vibrant future for Costa Rican machinery lubrication professionals while increasing ICML’s presence in the region and giving more practitioners in Costa Rica the opportunity to benchmark their skills in relation to their counterparts in other parts of the world. ICML would like to thank ACIMA and its visionary leadership for the opportunity to work together for the betterment of industry in Costa Rica and celebrates in advance all that is to come.

From page 38

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43

CERTIFICATION NEWS

RECENT RECIPIENTS OF ICML CER TIFICATIONS The International Council for Machinery Lubrication (lCML) would like to congratulate professionals worldwide who have recently achieved certi ed status through ICML’s certi cation programs. ICML offers certi cation in the areas of oil analysis and machinery lubrication. The following is a list of recently certi ed professionals in the area of machinery lubrication who have attained their status as a certi ed Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA), Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT) or Laboratory Lubricant Analyst (LLA). Roberto Gouvea, MLT I Nihal Raval, MLA I

Caraustar Industries

A Boughey Pty. Ltd.

Cargill

Raul Flores Veloz, MLA I

Josef Lotz, MLT I Jefferson Rodrigo Avila Peloi, MLT I Robert Fowlkes, MLT I Cesar Lopez Martinez, MLT I Ivan Jimenez Perez, MLT I

ACI

Juan Vinas Encarnacion, MLT I

Acuren Steven Van Dulmen, MLT I

AES Mauricio Montano Vazquez, MLA II Raul Castellano Plascencia, MLA II

Agrium Gary Friesz, MLT I Walter Higgs, MLT I Quentin Brauer, MLT I Jarvis Ross, MLT I Shawn Ross, MLT I Norman Charbonneau, MLT I

Mike Henson, MLT I

Cariboo Pulp & Paper Donavon Edwards, MLA II

Cervecera de Puerto Rico Fernando Rosario Gonzalez, MLT I Maria Contreras Muniz, MLT I

Cleco Joey Powell, MLA I Russell Bozeman, MLA I

Colorado Springs Utilities James Starner, MLA I

Al Bedaya Marine Service & ConsultingComercial Importadora Sulthan Othukumpurath, MLA I

Albemarle Corporation

Julio Guerrero Iniguez, MLA II Macario Juarez Gonzalez, MLA II

Ray Terrell, MLA I

Confialub/Noria Brasil

Alcoa

Rafael Takahashi, MLA I

Michael Bailey, MLT I

Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional

Edwin Domel Jr., MLT I Santiago Garza, MLT I Donald Hunt, MLT I Clifford Tomancak Jr., MLT I

Daniel Araujo de Carvalho, MLA I

American Colloid

Daelim Industrial Co. Ki Tae Kim, MLT I

Debswana Jwaneng Mine

Roland White, MLT I Robert Newman, MLT I Gregory Hicks, MLT I

Maintenance Strategies Inc.

Gerber Products

Marine Capabilities (Marcap)

Mark Gonzagowski, MLA II

Khaled Saleh Ibrahim, MLA I

Hankook Tire Co.

Marubeni Power Services

Ju Il Park, MLA II

Steven Robinson, MLT I Shane Lewis, MLT I

Henek Fluid Purity Systems

Adolfo Rodriguez, MLA I Alina Siira, MLA I

Nicholas Kamke, MLT I

Metalux Oil Analysis

Hormel Foods

Cher Ri Ho, MLT I Nor najmah Binti Abdul Mutalib, MLT I Saiful Iwami Bin Mohamed Bustami, MLT I Win Nie Ho, MLT II

Perry Kuhn, MLA I Patricia Humphrey, MLA I H. Mitchell, MLA I Fred Keiderling, MLA I Bradley Dulaney, MLA I

Mosaic Company

Iron Planet

Mike Strickland, MLT I Aron Ortiz, MLT I Clint Tiff ner, MLT I Raymond Shirley, MLT I James Therriault, MLT I Mark Christesson, MLT I Jennifer Macias, MLT I Marshall Merritt, MLA I

John McGrew, MLA II

Mycron Steel CRC

JR Simplot

Yee Kam Loong, MLT I

Gary Krehbiel, MLA I

Newcrest Mining Limited

John Montgomery, MLT I Dennis Rimington, MLT I Eric Siedlik, MLT I

Oz Minerals

Industrial Oils Unlimited Danny Toney, MLA II

Invista Mark Harmon, MLA II Martin Stephens, MLT I

Kellogg

Waiyan (Karen) Au, MLA I Hugh Robinson, MLA I Neil Howe, MLT I

Travis Nichols, MLA I

Oetile Moruakgomo, MLA II

Kinross

PCS Nitrogen Trinidad

Amgen Manufacturing Limited

DuPont

Brian Wright, MLA I

Marlon Mooking, MLA I

Brooks Forsyth, MLA I Joe Balderas, MLA II

Korea Midland Power Co.

Peabody Energy

Haeyoung Kim, MLA II

Tracy Hanson, MLA II

Korea Plant Service & Engineering

Pemex Gas & Petroquimica Basica

Yun Wun Jang, MLA II

Saulo Solorzano Martinez, MLT I

Kraft Foods

Petrobras

Shannon Derrick, MLT I Michael Forster, MLT I Riley Graham, MLT I Nicole Griswold, MLT I Roland Joseph, MLT I Les Lawson, MLT I Teddy Pridgen, MLT I

Marcos Lobo, MLT II

Ariel Rivera Baez, MLT I

AngloGold Clinton Shaefer, MLA II Christopher Phillips, MLA II Robert Evans, MLA I

Edwards Lifesciences

Arizona Public Service

Dharmesh Ishwarlal Patel, MLA I

Andrew Federico, MLA I

Entergy Inc.

Ascend Performance Materials

Harold Brown, MLA II Rashid Johnson, MLT I

John Cook, MLT I Hudson Woodfin, MLT I

Manuel Roman Vigo, MLT I

Emirantes Aluminium

Exelon Nuclear

Aerospace Testing Alliance

Firdos Marfatia, MLA I

Daniel Bess, MLT I Daniel Henley, MLT I

Florida Power & Light

Laurentide Controls Catherine Peak Buller, MLA I

Pierre Luc Guay, MLT I

Jeff Loosier, MLT I Boyd Koehler, MLA II

Rajoo Moodley, MLA II

Lubrication Engineers Inc.

Bacardi Corporation

Sylvester Copley Jr., MLA III

ATI Wah Chang

Javier Figueroa Acosta, MLT I

Barrick Goldstrike Mine Matthew Obieta, MLA II

Blue Cardinal James Smith, MLA I

Foskor

Freeport McMoran Georgia-Pacific Christopher Morris, MLT I Delwyn Collins, MLT I Bernard Tomlin, MLT I Jason Tweedy, MLT I


Petronas Dagangan Berhard Yaw Swee Cheong, MLA II

Petronas Gas Berhad Amran Saidin, MLT I Mohd Azli Husin, MLT I Mohamad Bachok, MLT I

Adam Wilcox, MLA II

Mohd Farid Bin Mohd Yusoff, MLT I Suhaizal Bin Ismail, MLT I Fazley Sulfikar Ismail, MLT I Mohamad Faizal B. Mohamed Noor, MLT I

Lyondell Basell

Ismail B. Musa, MLA I

Kerry Gunn, MLA II Eric Burka Jr., MLA II Michael Raffetto, MLA I

Mohd Dasuki Yusoff, MLA I

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

M3nergy FPSO Perintis

PSEG Nuclear

Edgar Quintana Perez, MLT I

Muhammad Johan Ariff Airisal, ML A II Marvin McCoy, MLA II

Rio Tinto

SKF Australia

Gabino de Jesus Pineda, MLT I

Stephen Brown, MLT I & MLA I Stuart Hunt, MLT I & MLA I Pulkit Patel, MLT I & MLA I Brett Scholte, MLT I & MLA I Shane Mitchell, MLT I & MLA I Brodie Stemm, MLT I & MLA I David Steele, MLT I & MLA I Robert Wallace, MLT I & MLA I Kelvin Thomson, MLT I & MLA I Bruce Stratford, MLT I & MLA I Terrence Black, MLT I & MLA I William Baker, MLT I Jeffery Bean, MLA I

Michael Horne, MLA I Michael Brzakovic, MLA I Geoffrey Stevens, MLA I Lee Johnson, MLA I

Teck Highland Valley Copper

SKF Certified Programs

Teknik Janakuasa

Saudi Aramco Omair Mohamed Al-Qahtani, MLA I

Schenck Process Matthew Cutbush, MLA I Paul Donovan, MLA I Syed Zahoor, MLA I

Sherwin Alumina Keith Dotson, MLT I Kurt Walters, MLT I

Silubrin

Doug Johnson, MLT I Fabio Giovani da Silva, MLA I

Roshidi Md. Radzi, MLT I Mohamad Helmi Mohamad Mustakim, MLA I

SKF Española S.A.

Total Lubricants Canada

Gilberto Beato Serrano, MLT I

Jonathan Venditti, MLT I

SKF Estonia

UT Battelle

Rauno Joonas, MLT I

Matthew Grooms, MLT I

SKF Lietuva UAB

Valero Renewables

Giedrius Slavickas, MLT I

Kevin Vandiver, MLT I Mike Harshbarger, MLT I

SKF do Brasil

SKF Maintenance Products Egidio D’Antona, MLT I Peter Paans, MLT I

SKF NV-SA Frederic Coosemans, MLA I

SKF Oy Ab Matti Pihtola, MLT I

Adalberto Tavares, MLT I & MLA I Fabio Kibelkstis, MLA I

SKF Sverige AB

SKF (UK) Limited

Solutia

Mark Townsend, MLT I Martin Waller, MLT I

Eric Brown, MLT I Roger Farley, MLT I Thomus Wolff, MLA I

SKF Ab Oy Jarno Suominen, MLT I

SKF Asia Pacific David Antonelli, MLT I

Brad Haight, MLA I Corey McCallum, MLA I Edward Anderson, MLA I

Jeffery Broglin, MLT I Chris Christensen, MLT I Joe Gibbs, MLT I Keith Morrison, MLT I Travis Mullenix, MLT I David Smith, MLT I Rickey Bloom, MLT I Larry Espey, MLT I

Valero Texas City Refinery Steven Guillory, MLT I

VibrAnalysis Felix Laboy De La Plaza, MLT I

Need to take an exam?

Dean Kruse, MLT I Ronald League, MLT I Richard Lindgren, MLT I Paul Schmidt, MLT I Jesse Smith, MLT I Josh Tribby, MLT I Mark Fassler, MLT I Dion Donnell, MLT I

ICML regularly holds exam sessions throughout the United States and the world. Upcoming dates and locations for ICML exams can be found at ww w.lubecouncil.org.

Nils Myers, MLT I

Tamko Building Products Inc. Jody Richie, MLT I

Techgnos is International Alfredo Lopez, MLT I

ICML Certifications LLA I = Laboratory Lubricant Analyst Level I MLA I = Machine Lubrican t Analyst Level I MLA II = Machine Lubricant Analyst Level II MLA III = Machine Lubricant Analyst Level III MLT I = Machine Lubrication Technician Level I MLT II = Machine Lubrication Technician Level II



45

Bearing Lubrication

BACK PAGE BASICS

WES CASH NORIA CORPORATION

HOW ROLLINGELEMENT

BEARINGSWORK

Perhaps some of the most abundant components industry wide are bearings, more speci cally rolling element bearings. These bearings are found in every thing from electric motors to gearboxes and conveyor systems. Basically, if a shaft needs to spin, it can be (and most of the time is) supported by a rolling element bearing. What some people fail to realize is the actual makeup of these devices can be quite different based on the application. Rolling element bearings are composed of two races separated by a group of rollers. The shape of these rollers determines the load a particular bearing can hold as well as the lubrication requirements.

Did You Know? In elastohydrodynamic fluid film is usuallylubrication, less than 1 the micron. The rst type of roller we will discussis one of the more common types — the ball bearing. Ball bearings come in as many sizes, materials and nishes as can be imagined. This provides incredible exibility in their use. The balls in these bearings simply roll between the two races, and it doesn’t matter which direction the elements are facing.

8 Factors Affecting Lubricant Selection 1) Bearing speed 2) Bearing size 3) Type of bearing 4) Load 5) Lowest and high est operating tempe rature 6) Ambient conditions (dust, dirt, moisture, etc .) 7) Convenience of application 8) Torque


58%

of lubrication professionals use ball bearings at their plant, based on survey results from machinerylubrication.com

As their name suggests, cy lindrical roller bearings are cylinders that are arranged between the inner and outer races. These cylinders, which are shaped like soda cans, roll along their sides in the tracks of the races. The elements can only roll along a single axis, unlike balls which can roll in any direction. Spherical roller bearings are very similar to cylindrical roller elements with one exception — they are rounded around their midsection. Instead of being a perfect cylinder, spherical roller bearings are rounded so the sides of the cylinder are no longer parallel to each other. This gives them more surface area in contact with the race than a cylindrical element of the same length. Needle roller bearings are smaller in diameter than the previous examples, but they also have more length. These elements are perfect c ylinders but are stretched to the point that they resemble needles. Although small in diameter, they make up for the surface area in the length they span. With tapered roller bearings, one end of their elements has a larger diameter than the other. This gives them a slight conical structure and enables the elements to roll along a diagonal plane. The angles created by these elements allow them to withstand both axial and radial loading. All of the above types of elements come in several different arrangements. Some bearings have only a single row of elements, while others employ multiple rows. Cages are used in certain bearings to separate the elements

BACK PAGE BASICS

and keep their spacing constant. Seals are another item that can be turn into a solid. Water does not have this property and thus customized on bearings. All of these features make a difference in the can lead to boundary conditions when it is present in rolling bearing’s functionality as well asits life expectancy. element bearings. It is important to monitor water levels in the Rolling elements undergo a lubrication regime known a s elaslube oil to keep this from occurring. In some cases, bearings tohydrodynamic lubrication. In this regime, the uid lm is can lose 70 percent of their life because of water before the oil usually less than one micron, and pressure up to 500,000 even gets cloudy. pounds per square inch isn’t uncommon. The oil momentarily turns into a solid and elastically deforms the rolling element and the mating surface. Any contamination can interfere with this By The Numbers: 70 percent of process with devastating results. Particles present in the load zone cause surface degradation of the mating surf aces and can a bearing’s life can be lost due to leadOils to the generation of more par pressure-viscosity ticles. have a property knownwear as the coefficient. This is a measure of how well they can momentarily

water before the oil even gets cloudy. There are two types of loads that bearings undergo: radial loads and thrust loads. Radial loads are experienced as shear forces. These loads occur across the races of the bearing, as opposed to thrust loads, which are forces that push into the face of a bearing. In other words, the radial load of an electric motor would be found by any load pushing the shaft of the motor up or down, while the thrust load would be any load pushing the shaft back into the motor. The amount and type of loads your bearing is experiencing determine the t ype of bearing you need, as well as the r olling elements within it. Understanding the basics of how rolling element bearings work and their design can help you achieve added reliability at your plant. Determining the type of loads you wish the bearing to handle as well as the ambient conditions will further assist you in the selection of the proper bearing. The possibilities for bearings are endless, so you can guarantee there is one that is perfectly suited for your application.

About the Author

Rolling element bearings can be used in a variety of applications based on their type.


Wes Cash is a technical consultant with Noria Corporation. He is a mechanical engineer who holds a Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT) Level I certi cation and a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level I certication through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Wes at [email protected].

ML July August 2012

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