The 10 Commandments of Machinery Maintenance for Extended Life

Don Searles

  1. Thou shalt select thy lubricants to provide the viscosity and additives needed to prevent metal-to-metal contact at the operating temperature of thy machinery.

  2. Thou shalt store thy lubricants to prevent contamination.

  3. Thou shalt filter all thy new lubricants to ISO 14/11, or better, before they enter thy reservoirs.

  4. Thou shalt filter all thy lubrication systems to ISO 14/11, or better.

  5. Thou shalt provide desiccant breathers and/or water removal filters that shalt maintain thy systems at less than 100 parts per million of water.

  6. Thou shalt cool thy systems so that thy lubricants are no hotter than 150°F.

  7. Thou shalt use oil analysis to determine the condition of thy lubricants.

  8. Thou shalt use oil analysis to determine the wear and condition of thy machinery.

  9. Thou shalt use thy oil analysis to determine when thy machinery needs repair and prevent thy machinery from having catastrophic failures.

  10. Thou shalt change lubricants when thy oil analysis tells you that thy lubricants should be changed. If thou follow these commandments thou shalt triple the life of thy lubricants and machinery, and have a happy and prosperous life on earth.

Machinery Maintenance for Extended Life © 2002

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