The present worldwide economy has put many paper offices under strain to bring down working expenses and be more cost efficient. Most of the time, this implies accomplishing more with fewer individuals in older offices; who have to utilise old and worn out equipment. The problem becomes even worse with the loss of a lot of experienced senior managers, as they retire taking their numerous years of knowledge and experience with them.
The need for development and prevention has incited more attention to lubrication. It plays a crucial part in securely operating machinery dependably and inexpensively. Subsequently, the industry is concentrating more on the two factors that all in all decide the quality of lubrication - ‘Lubricant Management’ and ‘Lubricant Selection’.
In its most simple sense, selecting a lubricant is just choosing the suitable sort and thickness of the lubricant for each piece of machinery that requires it. This data is normally found in the manual of the original manufacturer of the equipment.
The initial step is to jot down the number of lubricants for all machines that require lubrication. The next step is, generally to compile a list into a more useful and reasonable number of various viscosities and types of oils to be stocked and utilized in the plant.
Some compromises always have to be made in the consolidation of lubricants. Educated and calculated choices have to be made in regards to how far lubricants can be securely filled without really influencing the execution and dependability of the hardware being lubricated.
There are four different segments of paper machines that require lubrication. They are:
Each area performs particular functions and creates specific demands that must be considered while determining the lubricant.
The vast volume of water in the forming segment boosts the requirement of lubricants, which has to seal, keep water out, and cleanse contaminants from the bearing. Ordinarily, grease is the ideal choice for forming segment bearings. One should look for a good aluminium complex grease as that offers a high water repelling ability and remarkable erosion protection. Large lubricant producing corporations like Castrol, offer great variety of such oils. The sheer stability in the lubricant is its ability to remain in area of application even under heavy load and tough conditions, which is very important. Lubricants in wet conditions have a higher chance of shearing. A lubricant that has poor sheer stability will wear out soon and loose its capacity to properly lubricate, this raises the probability of breakdown.
In the press segment, plain or solid squeeze rolls are usually preferred and heat press rolls have also become common. Similarly, with the forming segment, water increases the need for lubrication. High temperature squeezing with red hot rolls further worsens the lubrication problem. Circulating oil and grease are used in the press segment. The lubricant must have the capacity to disperse the heat rapidly and repel water to prevent corrosion.
The dryer segment leaves bearings susceptible to high temperatures for a lot of time. The inclination towards bigger, faster machines has exacerbated the temperature problem considerably further. No matter what blend of rolls are found in the dryer segment, the flowing paper machine oil picked ought to be chosen based on real-time information on dispersement of heat and/or temperature regulation that lubricant manufacturers should have the capacity to provide.
There are no particular sorts of lubricants that can be anticipated to fail to meet the expectations. Every lubricant's producer has a different mix of added substances and base oil gives these lubricants its execution capacities/ qualities. For example, there is a myth that synthetic lubricants are superior to mineral oil-based lubricants. This isn't always true. A mineral-based lubricant with a better added substance can perform better than a synthetic lubricant with lesser added substances. Comparing lubricants against each other in real situations is the best way to figure out which works best.
More often than not, the value of the lubricant or oil becomes the determining factor for a purchase. The purchase decision gets based on cost per gallon when there is no other parameter to judge. Even if it's unintentional, this may lead to the most basic and short-sighted view of the lubricants possible, because it's not the cost that matters, what really counts is the "applied cost" of lubricants in the machinery. The applied cost is the contribution of lubricant in decreasing or increasing the following:
Most of companies’ maintenance is generally used for just a few of its equipment, we commonly refer to them as "bad actors". Lubricant upgrades will most likely benefit these machines. While enhancing the machine reliability continues to be manufacturer’s primary motivations to upgrade the lubricant's quality, energy saved in the functioning of the machine amounts to substantial and easily documented cost reductions.
Managing of lubrication includes procedures and practices like properly storing, monitoring, applying, and taking care of the lubricant which is selected. It also includes ensuring that the right lubricant gets in the right machine, in the right amount, at the right place, at the right time. Additionally, it includes analysing used oil, inspecting and maintaining of fluid levels visually, changing oil periodically, and control contamination from water, etc.
An important thing to note is that however good your lubrication practices are, they will not make up for selecting poor quality lubricants. High-quality lubricants from reputable companies like Castrol have the performance properties required for efficient performance of equipment.
A poor lubricant simply cannot become a high-performance lubricant just by following good lubrication practices. However, for preserving the lubricating properties in the selected lubricant, good lubrication practices are essential.