It
Pays to Do Homework Before Changing Oilers
Trico helps chemical giant navigate
cost-saving options
For a large chemical processing plant, the time had come to consider
a major maintenance change. The global supplier of specialty chemicals
for making polymers, detergents and personal care products, among
other things, knew its multitude of vented oilers could be upgraded
to help reduce contamination ingression, something that would
save them tens of thousands of dollars a year. The dilemma was
finding a replacement that could work with the equipment’s
unique configuration. At first, simply going to a closed system
oiler seemed like the logical approach. However, the major chemical
processing plant knew that many of its machines had fluid level
requirements that were not easily met. In fact, after trying a
number of closed system concepts, the same issues ensued: leaking,
overfilling and the inability to adjust fluid levels for certain
critical applications. That’s when they turned to Trico’s
Opto-Matic Closed System Oiler. After witnessing the chemical
processing plant’s situation firsthand, Trico realized why
the company’s previous closed system designs had presented
problems. The chemical plant was using Durco and Goulds horizontal
process pumps with an oil sump to lubricate its bearings. This
meant for an oiler that could be adjusted to meet the company’s
fluid level requirements and eliminate the propensity to overfill
and leak. The use of Trico’s closed system oiler would also
allow the personnel to visually inspect the oil’s level
and condition at all times, something its staff had been unable
to do with the standard vented oilers.
Through the guidance and insight of the facility’s reliability
staff, Trico was able to design its Opto-Matic Closed System oiler
to allow for visual inspection and external adjustment, which
would make it easy for the company’s maintenance technicians
to view the oil’s condition and make changes as necessary.
For starters, the chemical processing plant decided to equip 100
of its 800 pumps with Trico Closed System Oilers.
Big Change
Since Trico Opto-Matic Closed System Oilers were installed, the
chemical processing plant has seen a significant reduction in
oil changes and equipment downtime due to cleaner oil. Before,
the company typically changed oil every eight months, but now
the interval period has extended to every two years. Trico calculates
that over a two-year period, the company will save $30,000 in
oil changes alone. That doesn’t even take into account the
cost savings from reduced downtime from cleaner oil or the elimination
of leaks and overfills. When the company replaces the remaining
700 standard vented oilers, during equipment overhauls, for Trico’s
Closed System Oilers, that savings would translate to approximately
$210,000 over a two-year period.
Opto-Matic closed System Oiler, with visual
oil level indication, installed on a Gould’s pump.
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