A stop in production can prove to be extremely costly. Unplanned losses increase safety risks through employee and equipment interaction, increase maintenance spending, and ultimately result in loss of profit for the company. For these reasons, manufacturers continually look for ways to reduce unplanned stops and increase the reliability of their production equipment.
This was the objective when the General Mills plant in Murfreesboro, Tennessee-producer of Yoplait yogurt, Pillsbury dough and Toaster Strudel-began our journey to world-class lubrication in 2009. The vision was to develop a maintenance system that would drive out forced deterioration by making it easy to do the right thing all the time. The resulting Lubrication Management System would enable a sustainable asset care strategy, which reduced equipment downtime, increased component life and created a culture of technical mastery.
The Problem
In 2009, Murfreesboros Maintenance and Reliability team conducted several component failure analyses and, based on the data, concluded that a majority of the root causes were directly related to lubrication.
An unrelated ExxonMobil case study echoed this: It found that less than 0.5 percent of a plants maintenance budget is spent purchasing lubricants, but the downstream effects of poor lubrication can impact as much as 30 percent of a plants total maintenance costs each year.
The Solution
With data in hand and a vision of the benefits a healthy program would yield, our team looked to partner with local lubricant experts in a collaborative effort to perform a site assessment versus benchmarked industry standards.
The assessment focused on identifying deficiencies in nine key areas:
1. Lubrication program management
2. Lubricant selection and approval
3. Lubricant storage and handling
4. Visual controls
5. Education and training
6. Equipment optimization
7. Contamination control
8. Condition monitoring
9. Continuous improvement
The assessment process enabled the plant team to identify key loss themes that were resulting in unplanned equipment downtime.
The Plan
The subsequent improvement efforts led to the development of a standardized phased improvement strategy that aligned with the broader loss-elimination efforts already underway.
Phase 1 was focused on education and training, proper lubricant selection, storage and handling, visual controls and equipment optimization. The work from Phase 1 has created a stable foundation to support reliability improvement activities as well as the continued evolution of the Lubrication Management System.
Step 1: Education and Training
The first step in the journey to world class was to understand the science behind what made lubrication work properly and how we had failed in the past. We found a lot of passion around the topic of lubrication in all areas, including lubricant selection, storage practices and relube procedures; however, there was not always a solid foundation of technical understanding.
This led our team to pursue certifications in lubrication science and best practice through an internationally recognized organization. We returned to the plant with a sense of enlightenment and empowerment to improve all aspects of our system that we had previously not understood.
Step 2: Selection, Storage and Handling
The five Rs of proper lubrication were the next stop in our journey. The right type, right quality, right amount, right place and right time were key in driving out the premature failure of the components across the facility.
We started by conducting a site survey with our lubricant supplier to understand what components were in use across the facility, and the required lubricant based on the application. This process allowed the team to consolidate the types of lubricants used in the plant.
Once the right types were identified, we moved on to selecting the storage and handling systems that would guarantee the lubricants would be filtered upon receipt and kept clean in storage. We understood the potential impact of contamination, so it was the goal to maintain the right quality throughout the process from dock door to component relubrication. It was critical for our teams to have the right way to dispense and handle lubricants also be the easy way. This was a deciding factor as we standardized the storage solutions used across our manufacturing plants.
Step 3: Visual Controls and Equipment Optimization
As the team looked to ensure we could consistently get the right type in the right place, it was determined that we needed a standard equipment tagging system. We developed a color/shape and smart-code system that was used to designate the properties of the lubricant to prevent cross contamination and make it easy for the technicians to service the equipment. This visual control system was used in conjunction with color-coded oil containers and color-coded grease guns, making it easy to put the right lubricant in each component.
The success of the asset care strategy hinged on having standard lubrication PMs well documented and executed. Simple calculators were developed to help the team determine the proper amount and frequency for relube tasks. This information, along with the visual controls standards, was implemented into the existing PM structure, allowing both seasoned mechanics as well as new hires to properly care for the equipment.
Phase 1 Results
With Phase 1 of our precision lubrication program implemented, the General Mills Murfreesboro plant began to see immediate reduction in our equipment failure rates. Within two years, we recorded a 40 percent reduction in lubrication-related issues.
The success in this phase resulted in this lubrication program and approach becoming a General Mills standard process, which is being implemented globally.
Phase 2 Objectives
Now that the return on investment of Phase 1 has been realized, the Maintenance and Reliability team has begun the process of detailing the second phase in the evolution of the lubrication program. Phase 2 will focus on the protection of critical assets while in service.
The obvious first step will be identifying the level of criticality of each asset in the plant. Those identified as critical will be outfitted with desiccant breathers to keep particles and moisture out of the lubricant. Permanent or portable filtration solutions will allow them to filter the oil, and condition monitoring tools will be used to continuously evaluate the health of the oil.
Any loss elimination effort must have a solid foundation in place on which it can be sustained. Brute force will often yield immediate results; however, without those critical elements in place to maintain basic condition of the equipment, they will often fail to deliver over the long term.
Leadership, education, support and empowerment are critical to kick-start the journey to a truly world-class lubrication management system.
Corey Kriegermeier is a principal engineer for General Mills and has held a variety of technical leadership roles over the last 17 years. He has been a leader in the Reliability Engineering community driving the deployment of the lubrication management system as well as other loss elimination activities. Kriegermeier holds a chemical engineering degree and is a Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP), Certified Reliability Leader (CRL), and certified through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication as a Machinery Lubrication Technician I/II.
A Command Center for Lubes
To properly manage lubricants in your plant, many experts recommend installing a lube room like the one General Mills created at its massive Murfreesboro, Tennessee, food plant. For tips, LubesnGreases turned to Jay Denslow of Des-Case, which makes contamination control equipment such as dessicant breathers that prevent ingress of particles and moisture into lubricants and fluids.
What is a lube room, and why is it important? A lube room is just what it sounds like: a room or area in a facility where lubricant is stored, Denslow replied. A custom-designed lubrication storage and handling room is the lubricants sanctuary from a harsh plant environment.
The lube room provides a dedicated storage area where lubricants can be adequately prepared and maintained for service. This includes a place to pre-filter fluids, safely store tools and ready your kit for routine preventive maintenance tasks. It also provides a method for usage control.
Denslow went on to offer these best-practice tips for your lube room:
It should be in an area that is as free as possible from particles and dirt, and where it is easy to maintain a constant temperature. For convenience, it should also be near the receiving area where new oil is delivered. Consider what will happen in the event of a spill, and consider installing a non-slip floor.
Who will be able to enter the room? Imagine a situation in which an employee with lubrication training asks an untrained worker to fetch machine oil to save time. The untrained worker could make mistakes like putting items away in the wrong place, selecting the wrong oil, or even exposing clean oil to contamination. For this reason, you should consider making the lube room keycard-access only, and limiting entry to those with lubrication training, Denslow urged.
Storage of new oil is a central function of the lube room and new oil should be filtered before use, so you should either choose storage units with built-in filtration, or use a filter cart to cleanse oil in drums. These units should also be outfitted with desiccant breathers.
Each storage container should be thoroughly labeled with the type of oil it contains, including base material, viscosity and additives. A color-coding system will help make visually clear which oils belong in which machines and cut down on mistakes.
Denslow said the lube room is also the place to store transfer pumps and valves, filter carts, portable storage containers and all other lubrication-related supplies (grease guns, oil cans, unused filters, cleaning supplies, absorbent materials to clean up spills, etc.). There should be a dedicated spot for each item, ideally stored as close as possible to where they will be used, he added, and closed by reminding, The lube room is more than just a place where oil is dispensed and transferred. Its also a site where a company can create and reinforce a culture of effective, meticulous oil handling standards.