The importance of lubrication in industrial equipment cannot be overstated – and when planning for a shutdown, there are several steps that should be considered. Especially since shutdowns present the perfect opportunity to make improvements to a plant’s lubrication scheduling and practices. Motion experts Steve Keown and Fellipe Ramos provide practical recommendations as to how a plant can ensure a smooth and effective shutdown from a lubrication and filtration perspective.
The first point to consider regarding lubrication prior to a shutdown is an oil and grease analysis. While every site and the scale of its shutdown will be different. Steve Keown, Product Manager – Lubricants & Lubrication Equipment & Systems at Motion, says its important to understand the condition of the lubricants in the plant before it is shutdown.
“This means that prior to the shutdown, we would do complete oil and grease sampling for lubricant analysis of gearboxes, drive lines, bearings, hydraulic systems and engines,” says Steve. “The results of the analysis when compared to a baseline will give us an understanding of the condition of the equipment beforehand. This can provide direction as to what needs to be targeted and will also ensure the plant or equipment can be restarted after shutdown without delay.”
If preparation is not done before a shutdown, then important lubrication maintenance may not be performed.
“You may have a small window for when the plant is offline. If you don’t have all the information in advance on which equipment needs to be prioritised then you might not have the right lubricant or filter ready,” explains Steve. “And it’s critical you use the shutdown period to do proper assessments.”
According to Steve, any assemblies that are being overhauled and cleaned out, should be evaluated for signs of component degradation …
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