GREASE INCOMPATIBILITY: HOW TO AVOID DISASTER AND PROTECT EQUIPMENT HEALTH

For the last six years, I have traveled the world performing failure investigations and developing lubrication programs for facilities in every industry.

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While on the surface, they may all seem as unique as fingerprints, in reality, they all have one major thing in common: their lack of education in best practice lubrication techniques and program management methods is causing catastrophic damage to the assets their businesses depend on.

Whether it’s something as simple as not knowing the current lubricant in their mainline equipment or something as challenging as maintaining the crucial demands of a well-developed lubrication program, all shortcomings lead to pain points that prove difficult to overcome.

No matter where in the world they are located, the largest problem I see facilities facing is not being able to manage their lubrication and reliability program as a whole. When facilities aren't able to develop lubrication management standardization, there are dire consequences, with one of the most costly and severe being the mixing of incompatible greases.

The Consequences of Mixing Incompatible Greases

Ultimately, the success of a lubrication management program rests on the team's ability to lubricate bearings with the proper grease at the right time and in the right amount.

Grease is gravely important to understand. If you add a different grease than what was originally used, especially if it is incompatible, this can create massive issues within the machine. Once greases are mixed, they can't be undone, which can mean unplanned downtime and costly repairs or bearing replacements.

But what exactly happens when two incompatible greases are mixed?

To start, mixing incompatible greases can cause severe damage to bearings. Take a thickener and a base oil, for example. The thickener holds the grease in place, and the base oil lubricates the components. However, if you were to mix two incompatible thickeners, the base oil would bleed out excessively, leading to a catastrophic bearing failure due to starvation.