Machinery Lubrication I Online

Machinery Lubrication I (ML I) provides the foundational skill set for applying best lubrication practices and lubricant knowledge. Through ML I, students can move away from the “old school” methods of vague, non-specific lubrication procedures and implement an excellent lubrication program in any industrial workplace.

ML I students gain much more than pointers on lubricating a machine – they learn proven industry methods for selecting, storing, filtering and testing lubricants to boost reliability and generate lasting results in machine efficiency/maintenance. They also gain better understanding of oil analysis, so they can align their efforts with those of maintenance professionals or oil analysis experts.

This course is aligned with the ICML body of knowledge for the following certifications:
Machinery Lubrication Technician, Level I Certification (MLT I) 
Machinery Lubrication Analyst, Level I Certification (MLA I) - ISO 18436-4

Instructor:

Course Length:

License:

Purchasing for multiple locations?

Course Outline

How Lubrication Affects Machine Reliability

• Financial benefits from achieving lubrication excellence
• Four equipment maintenance strategies, and when each applies
• Important implementation steps to lubrication excellence

Lubrication Fundamentals

• Six important functions of lubricating oils
• How oils and greases are formulated and why it is important
• How friction is generated in lubricated machinery
• The importance of oil film thickness and critical clearances

Understanding Additives, Base Oils and Grease Thickeners

• How lubricant properties irreparably change
• Seven important physical properties of a base oil
• The importance of API’s five base oil categories
• What causes grease to dry out and 18 ways to prevent it
• How to detect the root causes of lubricant oxidation
• When to select one of the six most commonly used synthetic base oils
• How to use temperature to determine the right base oil for your machine
• How to select grease thickeners for your application

Lubricant Performance Properties

• Key additives that enhance lubricant performance
• Viscosity grades, measurement, and reporting
• Why Viscosity Index is important
• What causes oil viscosity to change and how to set monitoring limits
• Lubricant performance tests and reporting – what you need to know
• How water contamination generates other contaminants
• How to control and eliminate aeration problems

Food-grade and Environmentally-friendly Lubricants

• Important USDA requirements and government regulations for food-grade lubricants
• What you need to know about food-grade additives, base oils and grease thickeners
• Guidelines for food-grade lubricants

Lubricating Grease Application Methods

• How to protect against incompatible grease mixtures
• Advantages and disadvantages of centralized lubrication systems
• Best practices for greasing motor bearings
• How to control pressure when greasing bearings
• The unique problems caused by over-greasing – specific steps to eliminate
• 3 critical instructions to give your electric motor rebuild shop
• Comparing single- and multi-point lubrication options
• How to calculate greasing intervals and quantity
• Best practices for ultrasonic/sonic-based greasing

Lubricating Oil Application Methods

• Overview of oil lubrication methods and devices
• How to use oil mist and other automatic lubrication methods
• Using pressure spray methods for gearboxes
• Best practices for the maintenance of grease guns and fittings
• How to protect against problems caused by constant-level oilers
• Overview of single-point direct lubrication systems

 Journal Bearing Lubricants

• The 8 most common journal bearing lubrication problems
• How to select journal bearing viscosity based on speed

Rolling-element Bearing Lubricants

• The nine critical factors affecting rolling-element bearing lubricant selection
• How to convert required operating temperature viscosity to ISO viscosity grades

Gear Lubricants

• 5 key requirements for gear oil
• How to select the best viscosity for a gear lubricant
• Best practice guidelines for storing spare gearboxes – lubrication matters!
• 10 conditions that may require synthetic gear lubricants
• Lubrication best practices for enclosed gears – a 12 point checklist
• Mastering the challenges of open gear lubrication

Automotive and Mobile Equipment Drive-line Lubricants

• How to read a motor oil label: what really matters
• The 6 critical objectives a motor oil must accomplish
• Understanding API service classifications for engine and gear oils
• The #1 reason automatic transmission fluids fail and how to protect against it
• Service classifications for automotive greases – how to select
• Extending engine life – surprising engine oil filter study results

Compressor Lubricants

• Steps you can take right now to combat compressor lubricant failure
• The most common compressor lubricant stressors
• When to use synthetic compressor lubricants and why

Steam and Gas Turbine Lubricants

• Why turbine/generator lubricants are the #1 contributor to forced outages
• Comparing steam and gas turbine oils – how they differ
• Checklist for best practice steam turbine lubrication

Hydraulic Fluids

• How to select the ideal hydraulic fluid viscosity for gear, vane and piston pumps
• Nine key hydraulic fluid requirements and why they matter
• Specific conditions that may require a synthetic hydraulic fluid
• Fire-resistant hydraulic fluids – what you need to know
• Hydraulic system maintenance best practices – 21 point checklist

Contamination Control

• Strategies for building reliability through contamination control
• The seven most destructive contaminants and how to control them
• Specific steps for managing a proactive lubricant maintenance program
• The ISO Solid Contaminant Code – understand it, track it
• 10 ways to get more mileage out of portable filter carts
• How dirt, metal particles and soot mechanically destroy machine surfaces
• Guidelines for controlling machine surface fatigue and extending machine life
• The #1 cause of machine wear and how to manage it
• How to set realistic cleanliness levels for lubricants
• Effective lubricant contamination control strategies for extending machine life
• 4 ways water contamination attacks lubricant additives
• How to set limits for water-in-oil contamination
• Managing the root causes of foam and aeration
• Best practices for excluding and removing contaminants
• The right way to control contamination in tanks and sumps
• How oil filters are rated
• Calculating the clean-up rate for portable filters
• Best practices for removing water contamination from oil
• The unique problems created by varnish – how to remove and stop it

Oil Drains, Flushing, and Reservoir Management

• How to optimize and extend oil change intervals
• Interval vs. condition-based oil changes – pros and cons
• Metrics for monitoring lubricant consumption
• Best practices for oil changes
• Know how and when to perform a flush
• The best procedures for oil draining and refilling
• How and when to use the bleed-and-feed strategy for extending oil drains
• Selecting the right cleaning and flushing procedures

Storing, Handling, and Managing Lubricants

• How to set up a world-class lube room
• How to know when to reject a new oil delivery
• How to optimize your lubricant selection and procurement process
• How to implement a lubricant consolidation program and select suppliers
• Used lubricant storage, handling, and disposal best practices
• Bulk lubricant storage do’s and don’ts
• Guidelines for storing and handling drums
• Lubricant dispensing options and what you must avoid
• Lubricant coding and identification systems – what works and what doesn’t
• Portable oil transfer and filter carts selection advice
• How and where to store oil transfer and filter carts
• Understanding and managing lubricant storage life
• Keeping grease fresh – best practices for storage

Design and Inspect for Lube Excellence

• World-class strategies for accessorizing equipment for lubrication excellence
• Seven critical accessories for lubricant inspection and sampling
• The right machine accessories for effective contamination control

Lubricant Failure

• Know the factors which contribute to lubricant failure
• Understand the thermal and oxidation process, its effects on lubricants and additives
• Identify common wear mechanism caused by debris.
• Recognize what causes lubricant degradation
• Recognize the byproducts of lubricant failure and wear debris
• Distinguish the specific test that measures the forms of lubricant degradation and wear debris monitoring
• Interpret data to set alarms and limits based upon test results

Used Oil Sampling and Analysis Fundamentals

• What oil analysis can tell you
• Types and categories of oil analysis
• Applications for oil analysis
• Overview of oil analysis tests
• Elements of a successful oil analysis program
• How clean should oil sample bottles be?
• How to find the best sampling locations
• Oil sampling valve and hardware recommendations
• A quick method for optimizing sampling intervals
• An oil sampling technique that ruins trending
• The importance of primary and secondary sampling points
• Advice for sampling hard-to-reach machines
• How to properly sample circulating systems
• Safe, effective high-pressure sampling from hydraulic systems

Essential Field Inspections

• 12 questions your oil filter will answer about your machine
• Visual inspections you can get big results from right now
• Quick tips for using scent, sound, and touch to inspect lubricants