In order to optimize the benefits of a lubrication monitoring program, it’s wise to watch out for anything with the potential to derail it. Following are a few pointers:
- Communication is important. Everyone involved needs to understand that the pace of implementing a new program will be slow at first, that workloads must be balanced with the addition of new activities and that quite often a culture change is warranted. This will require unbroken communication across the team, from frontline to management.
- Be clear about accountability. It’s best if each person on the oil analysis team has their own set of clearly defined areas that they are accountable for. It’s even better if only one person has accountability for each area—for example, maintaining lubricant storage.
- Be realistic. Better to concentrate on critical assets with a comprehensive test slate and aggressive sampling frequency, than to perform cursory oil analysis on all assets. Spreading the budget thin over many assets does not deliver benefits as well as spreading the budget over just a few assets, i.e. the top 10 pieces of equipment.
- Expand at a comfortable pace. While most companies are justifiably eager to get started on their new oil analysis program, it’s always best to lay a firm foundation of best practices and training for all personnel that will be involved.
- Take advantage of resources. Your oil analysis lab will always be your best resource. In addition to an online resource library, many labs, such as TestOil, will help set up and maintain the program. This will ensure that the program runs smoothly and nothing falls through the cracks.
- Seek out expertise. Look for an ISO Accredited oil analysis lab with CLS certified analysts. This will be your assurance that they have the level of expertise needed to provide accurate results and informative/actionable reports.
- And finally, training, training, training. The relatively small investment required to train team members will yield immediate improvements that will compound over time. In addition to an extensive portfolio of virtual and on-site classroom training options, TestOil also offers customized training conducted at the customer’s site and on their schedule.
Keeping your oil testing program on track does require diligence, but more important is a program that is set up correctly in the first place and includes provisions for regularly assessing what is working and what needs improvement.
For more information on working with TestOil for oil analysis and training visit www.testoil.com, call 216-251-2510 or email sales@testoil.com.
With more than 30 years of experience in the oil analysis industry, TestOil focuses exclusively on assisting industrial facilities with reducing maintenance costs and avoiding unexpected downtime through oil analysis program implementation. As industry experts in diagnosing oil-related issues in equipment such as turbines, hydraulics, gearboxes, pumps, compressors and diesel generators, TestOil provides customers with a guarantee of same-day turnaround on all routine testing. TestOil PRO certified lubrication professionals educate the industry on oil analysis through public and private onsite training. These highly experienced professionals provide a variety of onsite services; from collecting oil samples to conducting failure analyses to writing work orders. For more information on partnering with TestOil on oil analysis programs or training opportunities visit https://testoil.com. Contact: Michael Barrett 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com.
