Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/885126
lubricants containing rust inhibitors may lose performance after as little as six months in storage due to ad- ditive degradation. On the other hand, some lubri- cants with a light additive amount may be kept for up to three years. Shelf-life information is available from lubricant suppliers and manu- facturers. Real-world benefits Portland, Oregon-based asphalt, aggregate and landscape products producer Baker Rock Resources has been a major supporter of oil monitoring, analysis and contami- nation control for several years. In 2015, the company won Certified Laboratory's Equipment Reliability Program Award for excellence in lubrication practices. Brian Young, Baker's equip- ment division director, has strong opinions on oil analysis and other contamination control processes. "Everyone, from the single owner- operator to the fleet manager, must have standardized oil sampling procedures and practices in place," Young says. That requires more than just "check box maintenance." "If you can't understand the read- ings, get training," he says. "If your oil analysis company isn't helping read the sample, change labs. There is no sense in sampling if you don't use the results. Additionally, if you understand the importance of sampling and can read a sample, don't neglect the filter. You need to look for the sparkle, which could indicate early failure and not just normal wear and oil degradation." Real-world case studies Evidence of Baker Rock's belief in oil testing, analysis and preventive maintenance goes beyond their awards. The company has achieved an unplanned emergency rate that tracks between 1.5 and 2 percent throughout their season for one of the largest quarries in the state. And the company has several real-world examples in which using oil analy- sis resulted in significant savings or avoided costly downtime. Extended oil change intervals: Analysis on a machine showed that the expected oil degradation, ad- ditive package depletion, contami- nants and loss of lubrication were not happening at the manufacturer- recommended oil change intervals. The company reasoned that if the oil did not have any of these prob- lems and met OEM specifications, there was no reason to change it. By continuing to faithfully sample and inspect the machine every 250 hours, the company safely extended the oil usage to 1,658 hours, which is equivalent to seven oil changes under the 250-hour OEM standard. The result was a savings of 20 hours of labor and 224 quarts of oil. The company applied these find- ings across several assets, generat- ing robust savings. Trends revealed: Oil sampling in the final drives on two Baker Rock dozers showed an abnormal amount of silicon, which war- ranted watching. The sample results revealed ongoing dirt intrusion, and the resulting detailed inspections revealed failing seals. The company resealed and returned the machines to service with minimal downtime and repair costs. Early signs of engine troubles: Oil sampling on an older C13 Cat revealed climbing chromium, copper and iron levels. Further on- going monitoring revealed that the levels continued to climb while the physical/chemical counts began to elevate in oxida- tion, nitration and sulfation. By correlating this data with fuel burn, the com- pany concluded the engine was wearing out. This allowed them to take the truck out of service at a time of their choosing for a rebuild before wear required the replace- ment of major components, or a ventilated block. Avoiding key machine down- time: Recurring high heat was recorded on a stationary hydraulic system. It was detected through thermography on a major bear- ing. The company could not risk a major failure due to this being a primary asset with no backup available. Oil analysis indicated no component failure, but cutting the filter open revealed sparkle from metal particles on the bear- ing surfaces starting to spall. An even more significant detrimental finding included heavy fibers from a shop rag plugging the filter and restricting the oil flow and filtration capabilities. October 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 28 maintenance | continued Preston Ingalls Preston Ingalls consults with con- struction industry fleets on equipment uptime and cost improvements and has led reliability improvement efforts across 30 countries for companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon, Occidental Petroleum, Toyota and others. He can be reached at www.tbr-strategies.com. Particles 1 micron in size easily slip through filters and can do more damage to engines and components than larger particles. An oil analysis particle count will tell you when these have reached a critical limit.