As a business, it’s important to understand that the overall cost of oil stretches further than the tag attached to the barrel or container. Any business will incur additional disposal costs and labor expenses as a result of this oil. Meaning that a gallon of oil costing $5 will still require a direct labor payout from any business to make it functional within their operations.
Without the ability to ensure that your organization’s equipment is performing at optimal levels, it will be impossible to minimize the costs associated with maintaining that equipment. For example, proper lubrication and completing regular oil changes is a necessary input to ensure equipment remains producing its output efficiently. Though it’s worth mentioning that finding ways to keep all cogs moving in the right direction with regularly scheduled maintenance can be challenging. This post will the hidden costs of mismanaged maintenance, specifically lubrication in industrial settings.
Beginning with the most overarching issues these organizations face: unnecessary oil changes. Many businesses schedule oil changes in hopes a problem related to contamination or excessive wear can be resolved with something so simple. Though some issues may resolve with this, most won’t. Which means valuable resources and time are wasted without addressing the core issue.
Building off of this first hidden cost, inability to address the actual issue with a machine can result in potential damage. Common problems include over or under-filling the sump or reservoir; introducing contaminated or incorrect product; and even cross threading a drain plug. While it can be difficult to find the required for maintenance and subsequent downtime, it’s a must to avoid expenses adding up.
Though it can be hard for organizations to justify such extended periods of downtime, the truth is that inadequate maintenance could ultimately lead to equipment failure. Most machine failures are attributed to improper maintenance resulting in bearing malfunctions. With almost 40-50% of machine failures citing improper lubrication or re-lubrication of bearings, it’s clear how profound of an issue this has on organizations. While it can be expensive to replace the bearings, realizing a machine is non-operational will cut much further into the pockets of an organization.
Organizations feeling incapable of providing the proper care to their machinery, specifically related to lubrication should know there are options out there to help prevent any machine failure. Different preventive solutions, such as a stark re-engineering of seals and filtration equipment for example. Alternatively, upgrading machinery entirely to be fitted with new cutting-edge seals is another option. There is plenty out there to help organizations keep these issues to a minimum while continuing to operate at their maximum. For more information on how your organization can resolve its lubrication issues, be sure to consult the infographic included alongside this post. Courtesy of Isomag.