Automated lubrication systems reduce wear in rotating and sliding machinery, extending equipment life and cutting downtime. Smart lubrication takes this a step further by implementing advanced monitoring technologies to improve operational performance, reduce manual labor, and improve part quality and equipment reliability.
From Automated to Smart
Smart lubrication applies Industry 4.0 technologies, sometimes called the Industrial Internet of Things, to automated lubrication.
A traditional automatic lubrication system delivers lubricants on a set schedule to machine components like bearings, ballscrews, chains, and gears. This automation ensures lubrication is never missed and that the right type and quantity of lubricant is dispensed. However, the scheduling system can be a limitation. Depending on how much a particular piece of equipment runs, it may be lubricated more or less often than needed. Plus, there may not be any alerts for low reservoir levels or excessive consumption due to a failed seal or gasket.
A smart lubrication system adds sensors and communication interfaces. These monitor operating conditions like lubricant levels and temperatures and can even detect when a component needs lubricant and how much has been delivered. The sensors, using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other protocols, transfer data to a computer where trends are analyzed, projections are made, and data is stored.
Smart Lubrication Increases Precision & Consistency
Over-lubrication is almost as harmful as under-lubrication. While too little oil or grease leads to accelerated wear and higher operating temperatures, forcing too much lubricant into an interface can damage seals and cause leaks.
A smart lubrication system can monitor the equipment, log running hours and temperatures, and even check noise and vibration levels. With this data, the system determines when lubrication is needed and delivers only the quantity required. This monitoring reduces lubricant consumption while avoiding equipment damage from over- or under-lubricating. The consumable savings are useful, but the bigger benefit is that wear is reduced, and there’s less planned and unplanned downtime for repairs.
Smart Lubrication Offers Real-Time Monitoring & Remote Capabilities
A smart lubrication system captures data on the components being monitored, providing maintenance teams with information that would otherwise be gathered during a visual inspection. The system can also be interrogated for lubricant temperatures and consumption rates. An advanced system could even analyze the lubricant for contamination, providing data on wear rates.
With these capabilities, it’s possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the lubricants and the lubrication schedule being used. Alternative lubrication strategies can be tested, and an optimal method can be adopted. This leads to less wear in bearings and sliding components, which reduces the need for maintenance and equipment downtime.
Smart Lubrication Helps Ensure Better Predictive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance (PdM) is an advance on planned maintenance (PM) that reduces both costs and downtime. PM reduces breakdowns and unplanned downtime by replacing key components and performing lubrication according to a schedule, but it’s not perfect. The challenge is to do only the maintenance that yields benefits and avoid doing it too often, too infrequently, or doing the wrong maintenance.
The principle behind PdM is that breakdowns rarely occur without warning. There are usually signs of deterioration, even if they aren’t apparent to operators. Plus, some industrial equipment operates in places where it can’t be observed. By monitoring for these signs, it’s possible to predict how the probability of failure will rise and schedule maintenance work just before a breakdown occurs. This reduces planned downtime compared to a PM strategy and helps avoid unplanned downtime.
A smart lubrication system can provide the data and analytics needed to support a PdM strategy. Data on key operating parameters like vibration, temperature, and lubricant pressure enables better failure prediction, which allows planned downtime to be deferred.
Smart Lubrication Eliminates Human Intervention
Maintenance teams are under immense pressure to maximize equipment availability and performance but are usually short of resources and money. Automated lubrication systems remove the need for manual lubrication, which takes time and is sometimes skipped in favor of more urgent work.
Smart lubrication systems go further by providing information on how well the system is operating and whether it needs attention. This removes the need to check reservoir levels and perform inspections, further reducing the amount of human work required to keep equipment properly lubricated.
Learn More About DropsA’s Smart Lubrication Systems
Equipment lubrication doesn’t always receive the attention and priority it deserves, which can result in accelerated component wear, breakdowns, and reduced lifespans. DropsA addresses this problem with our vast inventory of smart systems, lubricants, and lubrication system parts, and by providing custom-engineered solutions and ongoing technical support.
If you’re looking for a better solution for your machinery, contact a DropsA product specialist today.
