How Lubrication Affects Machine Reliability

• Financial benefits from achieving lubrication excellence
• Four equipment maintenance strategies and when each applies

Lubrication Fundamentals

• Six important functions of lubricating oils
• How oils and greases are formulated and why it is important
• How friction is generated in lubricated machinery
• The importance of oil film thickness and critical clearances

Understanding Additives, Base Oils And Grease Thickeners

• How lubricant properties irreparably change
• Seven important physical properties of a base oil
• The importance of API’s five base oil categories
• What causes grease to dry out and 18 ways to prevent it
• How to detect the root causes of lubricant oxidation
• When to select one of the six most used synthetic base oils
• How to use temperature to determine the right base oil for your machine
• How to select grease thickeners for your application

Lubricant Performance Properties

• Key additives that enhance lubricant performance
• Viscosity grades, measurement and reporting
• Why viscosity index is important
• Oil viscosity changes and how to set monitoring limits
• Lubricant performance tests and reporting
• How water contamination generates other contaminants
• How to control and eliminate aeration problems

Lubricating Grease Application Methods

• How to protect against incompatible grease mixtures
• Advantages/disadvantages of centralized lubrication systems
• Best practices for greasing motor bearings
• How to control pressure when greasing bearings
• The unique problems caused by over greasing
• 3 critical instructions to give your electric motor rebuild shop
• Comparing single- and multi-point lubrication options
• How to calculate greasing intervals/quantity
• Best practices for ultrasonic/ sonic-based greasing

Lubricating Oil Application Methods

• Overview of oil lubrication methods/devices
• How to use oil mist and other automatic lubrication methods
• Using pressure spray methods for gearboxes
• Best practices for the maintenance of grease guns and fittings
• Protect against problems caused by constant-level oilers
• Overview of single-point direct lubrication systems

Journal Bearing Lubricants

• The eight most common journal bearing lubrication problems
• How to select journal bearing viscosity based on speed

Rolling-Element Bearing Lubricants

• Nine factors affecting rolling-element bearing lubricant selection
• How to convert required operating temperature viscosity to ISO viscosity

Gear Lubricants

• Five key requirements for gear oil
• How to select the best viscosity for a gear lubricant
• Best practice guidelines for storing spare gearboxes
• 10 conditions that may require synthetic gear lubricants
• Lubrication best practices for enclosed gears – a 12-point checklist
• Mastering the challenges of open gear lubrication

Automotive And Mobile Equipment Drive-Line Lubricants

• How to read a motor oil label: what matters
• The six critical objectives a motor oil must accomplish
• Understanding API service classifications for engine and gear oils
• Service classifications for automotive greases – how to select
• Extending engine life – surprising engine oil filter study results

Compressor Lubricants

• Steps you can take right now to combat compressor lubricant failure
• The most common compressor lubricant stressors
• When to use synthetic compressor lubricants and why

Steam And Gas Turbine Lubricants

• Why turbine/generator lubricants are the No. 1 contributor to forced outages
• Comparing steam and gas turbine oils – how they differ
• Checklist for best-practice steam turbine lubrication

Hydraulic Fluids

• How to select the ideal hydraulic fluid viscosity for gear, vane and piston pumps
• Nine key hydraulic fluid requirements and why they matter
• Specific conditions that may require a synthetic hydraulic fluid
• Fire-resistant hydraulic fluids
• Hydraulic system maintenance best practices

Contamination Control

• Strategies for building reliability through contamination control
• The seven most destructive contaminants and how to control them
• Specific steps for managing a proactive lubricant maintenance program
• The ISO solid contaminant code – understand it, track it
• 10 ways to get more mileage out of portable filter carts
• How dirt, metal particles and soot mechanically destroy machine surfaces
• Guidelines for controlling machine surface fatigue and extending machine life
• The No. 1 cause of machine wear and how to manage it
• How to set realistic cleanliness levels for lubricants
• Effective lubricant contamination control strategies for extending machine life
• 4 ways water contamination attacks lubricant additives
• How to set limits for watering-oil contamination
• Managing the root causes of foam and aeration
• Best practices for excluding and removing contaminants
• The right way to control contamination in tanks and sumps
• How oil filters are rated
• Best practices for removing water contamination from oil
• The unique problems created by varnish

Oil Drains, Flushing And Reservoir Management

• How to optimize and extend oil change intervals
• Interval vs. condition-based oil changes – pros and cons
• Metrics for monitoring lubricant consumption
• Best practices for oil changes
• Know how and when to perform a flush
• The best procedures for oil draining and refilling
• How and when to use the bleed-and-feed strategy for extending oil drains
• Selecting the right cleaning and flushing procedures

Storing, Handling And Managing Lubricants

• How to set up a world-class lube room
• How to know when to reject a new oil delivery
• Implement a lubricant consolidation program and select suppliers
• Used lubricant storage, handling and disposal best practices
• Bulk lubricant storage do’s and don’ts
• Guidelines for storing and handling drums
• Lubricant dispensing options and what you must avoid
• Lubricant coding and identification systems – what works and what doesn’t
• Portable oil transfer and filter carts selection advice
• How and where to store oil transfer and filter carts
• Understanding and managing lubricant storage life
• Keeping grease fresh – best practices for storage

Design And Inspect For Lube Excellence

• Accessorizing equipment for lubrication excellence
• Seven critical accessories for lubricant inspection and sampling
• The right machine accessories for effective contamination control

Lubricant Failure

• Know the factors that contribute to lubricant failure
• Thermal and oxidation processes and their effects on lubricants and additives
• Common wear mechanisms caused by debris
• Recognize what causes lubricant degradation
• Recognizing the by-products of lubricant failure and wear debris
• Distinguishing the specific test that measures the forms of lubricant degradation and wear debris monitoring
• Interpret data to set alarms and limits based upon test results

Used Oil Sampling And Analysis Fundamentals

• Types and categories of oil analysis
• Applications for oil analysis
• Overview of oil analysis tests
• Elements of a successful oil analysis program
• How clean should oil sample bottles be?
• How to find the best sampling locations
• Oil sampling valve and hardware recommendations
• A quick method for optimizing sampling intervals
• An oil sampling technique that ruins trending
• The importance of primary and secondary sampling points
• Advice for sampling hard-to-reach machines
• How to properly sample circulating systems
• Safe, effective high-pressure sampling from hydraulic systems

Essential Field Inspections

• 12 questions your oil filter will answer about your machine
• Visual inspections you can get big results from right now
• Quick tips for using scent, sound and touch to inspect lubricants