The Right Lubrication Program

Trying to filter through terms like good-grade, food-plant, National Science Foundation (NSF) certified, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) registered; standards and best practices for properly lubricating machines can be overwhelming for facility managers.

Correct lubricating equipment, however, is essential to any operation's success. Choosing and implementing the right lubrication program will ensure that a plant operates more safely and efficiently, in addition to making it more profitable.

Maintenance managers need to understand the similarities and the differences between industrial lubricants and those that are suitable for use in food-processing.

Lubricants for food industries
Maintenance managers need to understand the similarities and the differences between industrial lubricants and those that are suitable for use in food-processing. Products designed for use in food and beverage facilities must meet all demands made on conventional lubricants – meeting general technical requirements that include the ability to reduce friction and wear, protect against corrosion, dissipate heat and have a sealing effect.

In addition, they must comply with food regulations and be physiologically inert, tasteless, odorless and approved by various international standards. Lubricants for the food and beverage industries are reviewed by NSF International, an independent registration body, and registered as either H1 or H2.

H1 lubricants are suitable for incidental, technically unavoidable contact with a food, beverage or pharmaceutical product. These lubricants may be safely used for handling, canning, bottling, blending, chilling, cooking, cutting, slicing, and peeling, on machinery components such as pumps, mixers, gear-boxes, chain drives and conveyor belts. H1 lubricants may be used above the line.

NSF H2 lubricants, on the other hand, are suitable for use in the food-processing, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, provided that contact with the food, beverage or pharmaceutical product is absolutely impossible. These lubricants are sometimes referred to as food-plant or food-machinery lubricants in the industry and may be used below the line.

The distinction between these two designations – H1 and H2 – is especially critical when dealing with issues of contamination and potential product recall. Many food-manufacturing plants are now using H1 lubricants for complete production lines in order to reduce the risk of the wrong lubricant being used in the wrong place. This can also result in lower stock inventory and lower costs.

It is a common misconception that one must sacrifice performance in order to meet H1 standards. This may have been true in the past, but it is currently not the case. Advances in the industry now allow H1 lubricants to deliver the same, or better, performance than conventional industrial oils and greases. They also offer the potential to lower operational costs.

The Klübersynth UH1 6 gear oils series for example are H1 lubricants that offer performance in the areas of efficiency, operational reliability and extended life. In some cases, gearbox manufacturers use this product for their first fill, even when the box is not intended for use in food or beverage facilities.

When using a high-quality, specialty lubricant, facility managers not only drive up efficiency, they also see a decrease in the amount of energy needed to operate the facility.

Regulatory bodies and standards
Until 1998, the USDA registered non-food compounds in accordance with regulations in the food and beverage industry. For a product to be registered as a lubricant suitable for use in food processing industries, the lubricant manufacturer has to prove that all ingredients used in its formulation were on the FDA list of allowable substances, in accordance with the code of federal regulations CFR 21, section 178.3570.

Lubricants were registered in two categories, H1 or H2, based on the specified raw material lists. When the USDA stopped registering lubricants, there was a period of self-regulation where lubricant manufacturers provided certificates verifying that their products were still in keeping with the FDA mandates.

In 2001, NSF International stepped in and adopted the USDA procedures to register and list new H1 and H2 lubricants. Products that comply with these guidelines are listed in the NSF White Book Listing for proprietary substances and non-food compounds.

A new standard, which is often being talked about in the industry is International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 21469, the next step in lubricant manufacturer regulations. Lubricants used in food, food processing, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and animal feeds industries are included within the scope of this ISO standard.

Until now, a lubricant's recipe and its intended use were the only items that were reviewed and regulated. However, the 'ISO 21469 - Safety of machinery: Lubricants with incidental product contact - Hygiene requirements' certification program is more comprehensive. It specifi es the hygiene requirements for the formulation, manufacture, use and handling of lubricants, which may come into contact with products during manufacturing or processing.

The product certification process will involve formulation and label review, auditing, risk assessment, and product testing. The basic ISO 21469 considers the life cycle of the lubricant from manufacture through to storage and application by the food manufacturer.

Standards of success
In the dynamic food industry, it is important that facility managers know of new regulatory changes and product developments. To help clear up confusion and deliver new information, some lubricant manufacturers have developed training seminars for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end users.

Beyond training, however, a lubricant supplier should be able to provide cost-benefit analyses, documentation of H1 or H2 registration, and additional services that help keep a facility running as efficiently as possible.

An internal auditing system that measures current lubricant consumption, relubrication intervals and associated costs of the lubricant program is the first step in creating a lubrication system that will work for any facility.

Although lubrication is an integral part of a food-manufacturing facility's performance, many facility managers do not consider it important to invest time or money in their lubrication program. This is because it usually makes up for only around 1% of a facility's operating budget. However, the real cost benefits of a lubricant, which facility managers cannot see in the lubricant budget, shows up in other areas.

An effective lubrication program impacts the three biggest pieces of the budget pie: energy consumption, components (spare parts inventory) and labor. If facility managers are using the right lubricant, which extends relubrication intervals, they can save on maintenance personnel's time because they do not have to lubricate the machines often. Facility managers also save money, when it comes to spare inventory, because components last longer. This capital can then be used for other projects.

When using a high-quality, specialty lubricant, facility managers not only drive up efficiency, they also see a decrease in the amount of energy needed to operate the overall facility.

By learning more about lubricants that are suitable for use in food processing industries and the lubrication industry's regulatory bodies and standards, facility managers will have a better idea on which lubricant to select, the safety practices to adopt and the best lubricant practices to follow.

Adopting an 'all-H1' lubrication program throughout a plant will help limit the risk of contamination problems, while delivering the same or better performance than conventional industrial oils.

This article was originally published in FOOD Magazine (Australia).

www.foodmag.com.au