In 2017, Matt King, Maintenance Lead at Ingredion, helped spearhead a major shift in how his plant approached lubrication. That year, his team earned the Battle Award for lubrication excellence—a recognition that marked a significant turning point in their journey toward proactive maintenance and reliability.
But for King and his team, the award wasn’t a finish line—it was a launchpad. Over the next eight years, as plant output increased, the lubrication program matured into a deeply integrated, data-informed system supported by clear procedures, smart monitoring, and a culture of continuous improvement. With support from Noria and strong internal alignment, the team transformed lubrication from a background task into a cornerstone of plant reliability.
The Challenge
As the plant scaled up, lubrication complexity increased. Early on, the team implemented best practices across the board, without piloting them first. While some of these efforts produced immediate results, others proved less effective in certain applications.
“We implemented too many things too fast,” said King. “Looking back, we should’ve tested some of those changes on a few pieces of equipment first. But in the end, it set us on the right path.”
This reflection helped shape a more sustainable and strategic approach, broken down into three phases.
Phase 1: Assessment
The Ascend chart is a tool used by Noria to evaluate and improve lubrication practices. Each lifecycle stage is divided into specific factors that help organizations transition to proactive maintenance strategies, ensuring machine reliability and asset management.
The first step in formalizing the program came through Noria’s Lubrication Program Development (LPD) assessment.The assessment provided a clear picture of the plant’s current practices and revealed critical gaps in lubricant selection, application frequency, and volume. Most importantly, it gave the team a prioritized roadmap to guide improvements—one that helped remove the guesswork and establish a foundation they could build on.
One of the most critical early wins was correcting the lubrication strategy for the feed system. It had been plagued by volume and frequency issues that were driving premature failures. Through the assessment, the team discovered that both the quantity and frequency of grease application were significantly off target.
With clear direction from Noria’s recommendations, the team was able to adjust lubrication parameters and begin addressing those issues. While the improvements didn’t yield overnight results due to pre-existing damage, they laid the groundwork for long-term reliability.
“It took a couple of years for the impact to fully show up, because we were still working through damage from past practices,” King explained. “But the improvement was real, and it was lasting.”
Phase 2: Engineering Design
With strategy in place, the next step was to gather detailed asset data and establish consistent procedures. Noria helped build comprehensive, machine-specific lubrication procedures, which were later integrated into the plant’s digital lubrication management platform. These procedures have become essential for onboarding new lube technicians.
Anatomy of an effective lubrication procedure.
Even though the team hasn’t experienced significant turnover, newer hires have found the procedures invaluable. With tablets in hand, they can reference proper steps without relying entirely on verbal instruction or guesswork. What was once tribal knowledge is now documented, searchable, and standardized.
“The new guys don’t need someone over their shoulder all the time. The procedures tell them exactly what to do.”
Phase 3: Hardware Implementation and Monitoring Tools
The third phase focused on hardware upgrades to support the new processes. Some improvements had immediate impact, especially around contamination control and oil cleanliness.
Desiccant breathers installed to reduce particle and moisture contamination.
Bulk storage unit designed to keep lubricants clean, cool, and dry.
Notable upgrades included:
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Desiccant breathers on gearboxes
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Color-coded labels for lubricant identification
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Filter carts for every major lubricant in rotation
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Condition monitoring pods and online sampling points
Of these, the filter carts proved most valuable. The team runs them on a constant rotation—even when oil analysis doesn’t require it—to maintain cleanliness targets for high-value gearboxes. One filter cart, in near-daily use, only recently needed replacement after years of service.
Smarter Monitoring Through Ultrasound and Vibration
As the program matured, the team invested in condition-monitoring tools for real-time feedback and deeper diagnostics, starting with ultrasound.
After installing an ultrasonic automated greasing system on a critical large horizontal centrifuge—where unexpectedly high bearing temperatures had puzzled the team—they discovered they’d been applying 10–20 × more grease than necessary. The new system slashed grease consumption and cut bearing temperatures by about 50 °F, and the approach is now being rolled out to other sites with similar equipment.
UE Systems OnTrak Dashboard displays automatic greasing data and dB levels.
At the same time, the facility deployed full-spectrum vibration monitoring to enhance visibility into rotating-equipment health. Ultrasound, vibration analysis, and traditional oil analysis now work together to deliver a comprehensive condition-monitoring strategy.
Oil sample history showing ISO cleanliness codes.
Training and Culture Shift
Perhaps the most underrated victory has been in culture change. What was once a low-priority role has evolved into a technically advanced position. Lube techs are expected to pursue an MLTI certification, and some are working toward MLTII. One former lube tech is now a reliability technician, and the plant has since brought on a full-time reliability engineer to own the lubrication strategy.
“Our guys are reading manuals, challenging specs, and bringing solutions to the table. They’re not just greasing—they’re thinking.”
King credits the program’s success to the strength of his team, Noria’s support, and a willingness to learn from early mistakes.
Results
Eight years into their transformation, the lubrication program is no longer a standalone initiative—it’s a pillar of plant reliability. The benefits have been both operational and cultural.
Key outcomes include:
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Preventive maintenance (PM) intervals on their feed system extended from 8 to 10 weeks
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Labor savings through reduced PM frequency (fewer shutdowns, fewer people needed)
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50%+ reduction in lubrication-related failures
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Increased oil cleanliness and extended gear life
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Standardized procedures for consistent execution
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Reduced over-greasing on critical assets
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Stronger alignment with OEM lubricant specifications
Beyond the numbers, the plant has seen a significant drop in reactive maintenance and firefighting. Operators and maintenance leaders are more confident in the lubrication program because it’s based on data—not guesswork.
A Word of Advice
For organizations considering a similar journey, King offers this: “Start with a structured assessment and don’t expect instant gratification. You’ve got to trust the process. It may take a year or more to see the impact, but if you follow the recommendations and stay committed, the results will come.”
He also cautions against applying changes too broadly, too quickly, especially on critical assets. “We had one major failure early on due to a component failure from a modification. In hindsight, we should’ve tested it on a less critical machine. But we learned from it.”
Conclusion
Eight years after being recognized for their early progress, Matt King and his team have shown what it means to sustain and scale a reliability program. The plant isn’t just keeping up with lubrication best practices. It’s leading the way, using real-time data, training, and a continuous improvement mindset to unlock new value every year.
“We’re not the same plant we were in 2017. And lubrication has been a huge part of that evolution.”
Ready to Transform Your Lubrication Program?
Noria’s Lubrication Program Development (LPD) service is designed to help facilities like yours uncover inefficiencies, implement best practices, and build a sustainable lubrication strategy tailored to your equipment and goals. Learn more about LPD.
