Written by John Sander
2. Seek Professional Advice & Consultation
Ideally, a lubricant sales professional or consultant is available to serve as a value-added member of the team. It used to be that many companies would employ a lubrication engineer or at the very least have a person whose job was focused on equipment lubrication. Today, most maintenance departments have been forced to work with fewer people. As a result, a lubrication specialist on staff is considered a luxury. Instead, lubrication duties have been added to the existing workload of maintenance staff. As a result, time spent on improving equipment reliability through lubrication has been decreased.
The gear purchasing process should start with evaluating the experience, knowledge and services offered by the individual or company providing the lubricants. Today, groups like the International Council for Machinery Lubrication and the Society of Lubrication Engineers offer certification programs for lubrication professionals. It is a good idea to ask your lube provider whether they or somebody on their support staff has been certified by one of these organizations. If all your potential gear lubricant supplier can provide is a price list and specification sheet, it should raise an immediate red flag. The price paid for the lubricant should include the physical lubricant as well as professional service to go along with it. Ray Thibault, lubricant consultant, trainer and author, provides this great segue from step 2 to step 3:
"While a product data sheet provides useful information, the true test of gear oil is how it works in the system. Adhere to OEM guidelines and consult your lubricant supplier for further information".