Governments throughout the European community are taking the climate change and environmental concerns seriously. For the end-user, this results in more paperwork, additional costs of production, more compliance, more auditing; the list goes on. But the issue is a double-edged sword, undoubtedly. Consider this: a little more than 15 years ago, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced its Quality Standards. Although implementation costs were high, most companies utilized them to improve their practices - and that has proven to be of great benefit to all.

Companies implementing changes to meet the requirements of the Climate Change Levy and recent ISO 14001 policies (see sidebar) will benefit in the long-term. Not just financially, but also in the sense of satisfaction that comes from efforts to protect the environment. In the most mercenary of terms, companies cannot afford to risk their image by not complying.

The Climate Change Levy and ISO 14001 do fall short in some respects, and therefore are not the complete solution. Burning fuel causes pollution, recycling paper reduced it. But what about lubricants? Lubricants come from the same limited reserves as fuels. Lubricants must be properly disposed of at the end of their useful life. With today’s emphasis on the use of synthetic fluids, these are even more expensive, incurring greater loss of profits.

Know Your Options
Do you know what your site’s total sump and system capacities are? Do you know what your annual lubricant consumption is? If you have access to these numbers, figure the annual consumption ratio by dividing the consumption by the capacity. This is most likely greater than three. Then figure what proportion of that is leakage. These figures should be documented and regularly updated.

Are you purchasing lubricants based on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specification, or on your lubricant supplier’s recommendations? Did your company involve its maintenance group when evaluating your lubricant contract? Setting lubricant specifications may require input from industry experts. The OEM defines its specifications as a baseline for the average user. Your site and applications are unique, so set the standards according to your needs. It is you, not the OEM, who pays the price of failure.

As part of your company’s oil analysis program, how does maintenance handle a questionable oil sample? Is the oil immediately replaced? Take responsibility for oil management onsite. Proactive maintenance requires understanding and responding to failure root causes through effective oil analysis. New oil is not the answer to all problems.

Lubrication is the lifeblood of industry. While money is important to maintain the economy, would there be an economy without lubrication? The wheels of industry would literally grind to a halt. Lubrication is as critical as fuel, as critical as investment and as critical as staff to keep the cogs turning.

Take Time to Learn
Understanding best practices lubricant management is financially rewarding. Many companies which have reached world-class levels in lubrication management have seen reductions of 80 percent in lubricant consumption, reductions of 50 percent in unplanned downtime and equipment failure, and life extension of three times the plant’s capital.

These companies have seen additional benefits. The typical increases of 50 percent or more in production output have been achieved. Increased demand in production was met without building new plants. Their pricing was more competitive, and profits increased. Maintenance budgets were typically reduced
by at least 40 percent without impacting reliability. The overall cost of the lubricant per liter dropped dramatically. Consider the total cost of the lubricant, including purchase costs, disposal or reclamation, handling, administration, inventory, etc. A conservative estimate of the cost of a mineral-based lubricant with everything added in is as much as three times the purchase price.

Reducing Power Consumption
One of the key benefits of a proactive maintenance strategy with a focus on lubrication is the reduced demand in power. Some studies suggest that as much as a five percent reduction in power consumption can be achieved on well-lubricated systems. Consider the problem of increasing power demand as equipment ages. With improved lubrication and contamination control, wear is minimized, power loss is reduced, and the efficiency of the machinery is better maintained.

Reducing Lubricant Disposal
Using lubricants more effectively reduces the current demand on resources. Liquid/gaseous fuels and lubricants are generally derived from the same source. Reducing the consumption of both is necessary to protect the environment. Not only must lubricant consumption be reduced, but because fuels burn off, the disposal of emissions must also be controlled. When lubricants are consumed, they remain in a liquid, potentially hazardous form that must be disposed of correctly. There are alternatives to straight disposal, such as rerefining or reclamation for other purposes such as fuels. However, severely exhausted lubricants are often poor candidates for reclamation because they contain harmful acids resulting from excessive oxidation. Better management of the lubricants in service will ensure that they remain at least fit for further use elsewhere.

Leakage management is another key area to address, particularly in the case of outdoor or mobile equipment. Consider a small drop of oil the size of a nickel leaking at the rate of one drop per minute. That accumulates to more than two liters of oil lost per day. In better-maintained systems, filters must be changed out less frequently, also reducing the effects of oil waste disposal.

Take Responsibility
Everyone must take the responsibility to manage lubricants more effectively by utilizing best practices onsite and corporate-wide. The ultimate responsibility lies with the governing bodies, for it is their job to recognize the impact of lubrication and how it effects the environment. Lobbying groups will hopefully recognize their important role in this process.

End-users must educate their staff, helping them to develop a lubricant-focused proactive maintenance strategy. Seek an audit of your site by an independent expert to establish a Lubricant Efficiency Index (LEI), and use these findings to establish an improvement strategy. Implement the changes and monitor the site to ensure that the LEI continues to improve. And while the public benefits from your efforts at protecting the environment, your company can enjoy the financial gains.