Along with these 5 you should also include a program to reduce the number of lubricants in use to the fewest number possible to minimize inventory and cost and also assist in making sure the maintenance personnel are not confused by too many possible choices. It doesn’t matter how good the lubricant you choose is for the application if these five rights are not followed:

1. The “right” type of product,
2. The “right” quality of product,
3. The “right” quantity,
4. The “right” frequency and
5. the “right” application point.

The recorded use of lubricants dates back to almost to the birth of civilization, with early historical developments being concerned with the use of fats/oils of animal or vegetable origin in transportation or machinery. Ancient inscriptions dating back to 1400 B.C. show early examples of systematic lubrication with animal fats (tallow) being applied to reduce friction on chariot wheel axels.

Modern lubricants are formulated from a range of premium base fluids and advanced additive chemistry. Many of the properties of the lubricant are enhanced or created by addition of special chemical additives to base fluids.

Today lubricants play a very vital role in the smooth & trouble free operation of any automobile or industrial equipment and we are playing the role in continuing the legacy! MEDCO prides itself on working in partnership with its customers to help them to achieve optimal lubrication and optimal productivity.

When it comes to eliminating failure modes and improving equipment reliability, developing a sound lubrication programme might be the first place every company should begin. For whatever reason, companies around the world have always ignored the fundamental elements of a good lubrication programme.

Lubrication is second to housekeeping when it comes to compounding failure modes. Whereas housekeeping and the failures that result from poor housekeeping can, in most cases, be attributed to poor leadership, the failures we attribute to some form of improper lubrication are a result of ignorance.

This ignorance or lack of understanding can be at one or multiple levels of your business. People simply do not understand the fact that the people who lubricate your equipment need to be Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT) trained and certified. The days of hiring someone off the street with no technical skills to perform lubrication tasks are gone; also gone are the days when lubrication was performed by everyone and anyone.

Consider this, Applied Industrial Technologies reports via Machinery Lubrication that 40 to 50 percent of all bearing failures are related to improper lubrication, with causes including: incorrect lubricant or quantity, improper application, contamination, or degradation. (Applied Industrial Technologies, 2009).

The reality is simple: if your company has not upgraded its lubrication programme and has not recognized the need for Certified Lubrication Technicians, the time to change that is now.