Lubricant Color Coding
Four steps to creating and maintaining an effective, efficient lubrication program
by Ellen Girard, OEM marketing analyst and government agency liaison, Lubriplate
Lubrication rooms are often the most disorganized area of any plant. Over the years, you’ve undoubtedly seen various types of lubricants in an array of different packaging with no real system to keep operations running as efficiently as possible. However, with the advent of lubricant color-coding programs overseen by lubricant suppliers, plants can simplify and improve their lubrication maintenance operations. Follow these four steps to improve lubrication maintenance efficiency and prevent lubricant misapplications.
First, call your lubricant supplier to schedule a complete lubrication survey of your customer’s plant. During the survey, their exact lubrication requirements will be determined and any opportunities for lubricant inventory consolidation will be identified.
Second, your lubricant supplier should create customized color-coded lubrication charts specifically for that plant. These charts use colors and/or shapes to provide quick and easy identification of the correct lubricant for each application.
Third, your lubricant supplier should provide color-coded lubricant storage tags and signs. The tags and signs contribute to an organized lubrication room and allow for quick identification of the correct lubricant needed.
And fourth, color-coded tags should be provided for individual machine components throughout the plant. These tags quickly identify the correct lubricant for each piece of equipment in the plant and match the application chart and storage tags.
We are always searching for ways to improve operations in an effective and efficient manner. Implementing a color-coding lubrication program is a small and simple task to keep things running smoothly, while ultimately saving time and money to improve your customer’s bottom line.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2019 issue of Industrial Supply magazine. Copyright 2019, Direct Business Media.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
