Gearboxes Generate Huge Particle Populations
Equipment packagers have an uncanny talent for squeezing major components into very small foot-prints, obviously to minimize floor-space requirements.
While well-intentioned, the practice seldom results in "easy-access" for operating and maintenance people who must monitor and service such equipment for years and years. Try to read a nameplate that's facing a concrete wall. How about a reservoir that was shoved under the equipment with only one access side and no top clearance?
Difficult reservoir access for maintenance people is one of the main reasons why equipment, especially heavy-duty equipment, is not serviced effectively.
Reservoir lube-oils must be filtered, continuously, if possible. Contamination is the primary reason for lubricant failure.
Portable filter carts perform intermittent cleansings, but they are heavy and too large for tight spaces. Hand portable filters are suitable for reservoirs up to 25 gallons. New thinking, however, holds that dedicated off-loop filters are the key. Whether a facility runs 24/7, or more conventional schedules, filtration should be a continuing process, especially on key equipment.
Many managers back away from dedicated filtration because of the cost of replacement filter elements. However, major equipment breakdowns, because of unhealthy lube-oils, far exceed the cost of dedicated filtration. One un-planned outage caused by inadequate lubrication justifies serious consideration for a plant-wide, key-machine filtration program.
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