Improving Plant Reliability

Agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) are concerned with the possible effects of lubricants on beverage and food processing and packaging.

‘Preventative maintenance’ and ‘reliability’ practices are becoming more important, as they help to reduce a facility’s operating and maintenance costs. Operators remain responsible to lubricate and maintain their automated equipment, as they face problems with the operating environment and complex equipment. Here are some aspects that are associated with lubricating equipment:

1. Moisture
Moisture affects lubrication and the optimal maintenance of equipment as water or steam is constantly used to clean the machines and the environment. It can wash out lubricants, cause emulsions of greases and oils, rust and corrosion, and deterioration of the lubricants.

2. Heat
High temperatures are a result of drying and sterilizing processes; or from steam and hot water that is used in cleaning. They can cause greases to melt and run out of the bearings and increase the rate of oxidation of greases and oils, thereby shortening the lifespan of lubricants.

In plants where there are refrigerated areas and coolers, there is less mobility in greases and low pour points in oils. Machine wear can therefore result in areas where there is moisture and condensation.

3. Shock loading or impact
In applications where there is pounding and impact, lubricants may be pounded out in the process, leaving metal-to-metal contact with consequent damage to surfaces. This would lead to greater friction, heat and wear. While grease may lack cohesion or adhesion to surfaces, oil might be light or would not penetrate critical areas.

4. Equipment lifespan
Some operations run 24 hours a day, creating escalated conditions of wear and tear. Grease may “shear down”, become very soft or liquidize and oils might oxidize rapidly and become contaminated. Both greases and oils may harden or thicken in service, thereby increasing power demands.

5. Certifications
Food processors demand purity and non-toxicity of lubricants. Agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) are concerned with the possible effects of lubricants on beverage and food processing and packaging. Their stringent and restrictive regulations such as ratings of H-1 and H-2 for lubrication in the industry are becoming increasingly important and prevalent.

Lube storage in a baking facility before re-organization.

Lubricants to battle against chemicals
Chemicals such as mild acids and alkalis in juices, syrups and other components, citrus acid, sugars, malts and alcohol in a food facility often have deteriorating effects on lubricants. High quality H1 lubricants with reliability solutions such as those below can provide effective maintenance solutions to the problem.

• H1 waterproof grease
Most H-1 greases are easily removed by water that is used to wash food plants down. This results in frequent bearing failures and a large consumption of grease (most of which gets washed down). High performance, water resistant H-1 grease can be used to combat the problem.

Use standard tests that measure resistance to water washout (ASTM D1264) and resistance to water spray off (ASTM D-4049) when selecting high performance grease. In an environment with water wash down, a result of less than 10% should be aimed for at a water spray off test. This would mean over 90% of the grease remains in place, thereby eliminating corrosion that is related to the failure of bearings.

When waterproof grease is used, there will be increased adhesiveness to the surfaces, thereby reducing the amount of grease needed and lengthening the time needed to reapply the grease.

• H1 low temperature oil
Synthetic H1 food grade oils are suitable for use in the low-temperature applications such as when processing frozen fruit, vegetables and frozen food with large freezers, chains, slides, conveyors and hydraulics.

• H1 penetrating oils
The lifespan of most chains are shortened as they are exposed to wash down. To lubricate the chains, operators would typically apply oil or grease to the outside of a chain. While this lubricates the sprockets and the outside of the chain, it does very little to protect the surfaces inside the pin, bushing, plate, roller or hook.

Chain failure typically starts from the inside of the chain. Chains stretch due to wear and corrosion inside the pin and bushing area. To lubricate these areas, the lubricant needs to be able to penetrate the inside of the chain, clean the inside of the chain (so as to remove contaminants and to displace any trapped water), and leave a heavy film of oil, grease or solid lubricant on chains.

Lube storage in a baking facility after re-organization.

Industry solutions
There are products available in the market for better return on investment. Here are some of them.

• Color-coded and fully sealed oil safe lubricant transfer containers ensure the accurate delivery of pure lubricant from bulk storage to point of use.

With proper labeling of equipment and lubricant transfer containers, the right lubricant is delivered in accurate quantities to the specific application, thereby avoiding costly downtime due to incorrect application of lubricants.

• Des-Case desiccant breathers filter air, remove water vapor and replace traditional breather caps on fluid contained in reservoirs, storage tanks and gearboxes. These breathers eliminate moisture and contaminants in these systems, thereby improving the performance and reliability.

• Oil sight glasses such as those manufactured by Esco provide continuous fluid monitoring of clarity, color, sediment, water contamination and the level of oil in equipment with fluid lubrication systems.

Operators will be able to see the oil, monitor and drain the accumulation of water, and identify areas where water is mixing with oil thereby reducing moisture damage and lengthening oil and equipment lifespan and improving reliability.

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