January

The dielectricity of a lubricating oil is a property that typically is not of great concern. However, in some applications, it can be critical and one of the most important factors in selecting the right fluid.  

Proper lubrication requires two main considerations: the correct choice of lubricant and the most efficient way of applying it. Failure with either selection can result in a major equipment malfunction. This article will describe how to select the right lubrication system for any process plant.

Condition monitoring should never be limited to a single technology or method. Instead, it should combine and integrate an optimum selection of purposeful tools and tasks. Condition monitoring can be largely technology based but can also be observation or inspection based.

It has been a couple years now since the birth of my first child. I remember going to the doctor’s appointments with my wife where countless exams and tests were conducted to confirm that the pregnancy was progressing as it should. There were measurements, readings and occasionally blood tests. One of the blood tests was designed to look for genetic abnormalities. The literature on this test explained there was a chance for false positives as well as false negatives. Several samples were taken to ensure the test was performed accurately and the results could be verified.

Lubrication-related equipment failure is a problem that plagues industrial facilities of all sizes and stripes. By some estimates, it causes as much as $1 trillion a year in reactive maintenance, unplanned downtime and lost productivity across the United States. These failure rates associated with lubrication also haven’t budged in the past two decades. This is especially troubling for industrial operators who have sunk billions of dollars into sophisticated maintenance management systems and predictive maintenance tools designed specifically to reduce downtime. Still, the problem is not getting better. How can that be?