Lubricant Rationalisation 101: Maximising Efficiency and Cost Savings

How important is Lubrication Best Practice to your business? 
Without proper education and training, efforts can be wasted in the wrong areas. 

Tip No. 1

When undertaking rationalisation projects, don’t be persuaded into the old catch phrase, “use synthetics, they have a higher viscosity index, are forward and backward compatible etc.” 

Synthetic lubricants are not the solution when rationalisation projects are undertaken if contamination ingress is your cause of wear generation. Companies can be changing the lubricant as often as they were before but pay 7 – 10 times more for the benefit.  Get contamination ingress under control before journeying down that pathway. 

Tip No. 2

When undertaking rationalisation projects, always be sure to perform compatibility tests if there is the slightest doubt of residual mixing effects. 

• Oil (ASTM D7155): 50/50, 90/10, 10/90, filterability, sediment, color/clarity, RPVOT, storage stability 
  rust suppression, film strength, demulsibility, air handling ability.  

• Grease (ASTM D6185 ): 75:25, 25:75, consistency, dropping point, shear stability  

Rationalisation can see immense savings on inventory holdings, stock movements, disposal costs and cross-contamination risks.  The benefits are endless providing the project is executed correctly. 

One client saw an inventory reduction of stock line items by 28%. (Grease x 17% and Oil x 11%).  This equated to a financial reduction of 13.2%. 

Companies are not realising the benefits that lubrication best practices can offer to equipment reliability, availability and cost reductions.

Want to know more about Lubricant Rationalisation? Contact us today!