Cost Savings
Grease sampling and analysis may be a solution to address greased component reliability, to avoid unexpected failures, identify emerging problems, and even intervene to correct potential problems before significant damage occurs. This is especially important for manufacturing applications where unexpected downtime has a significant economic impact. Looking at a typical facility containing 500 robots, the cost savings by implementing grease analysis on the 500 robots is significant. A typical 5 gallon bucket of grease can range between $400-$500. Each robot requires one new 5 gallon bucket of grease each year. In a plant containing 500 robots, the cost to replace the grease alone is $200,000 per year. What if we could extend the life the grease for 1 year through grease analysis? A typical grease sampling kit per ASTM D7718 costs $125. One kit can evaluate all 6 joint locations on the robot. Using routine analysis, the robot owner can assess the condition of the robots for $62,500 and potentially extend the grease life for one year or longer, saving the company $137,500 in grease costs in one year.
Optimizing Re-Lubrication Frequency
Figures 3 and 4 show how anti-oxidants and consistency
can be used to further evaluate the condition of the grease. The RULER graph shows a significant amount of anti-oxidant protection remains in the grease and the consistency of the grease remains satisfactory. Since the wear levels are low and the physical properties of the grease are sufficient, it is recommended the grease stay in service. Relubrication is not necessary at this time. By evaluating the grease using basic analysis tests and demonstrating it is still in optimal condition, a costly grease purge and replace was avoided and the life of the current grease was extended.
4. Conclusion
Grease analysis presents a significant opportunity to expand machinery diagnostic capabilities. The historical challenges of obtaining representative and trendable samples are being addressed through technological developments and new approaches. The further development of repeatable analysis methods that utilize smaller quantities of grease will produce greater value, and encourage the sampling of greases from locations where reliability is important. By designing grease sampling equipment appropriately, the matter of optimal grease replenishment may also be addressed through the establishment of sampling programs. Wherever there is a critical machine, regardless of lubricant type, the demand for reliability drives the development of