LUBExpert Implementation - Part 2

The Right Mindset

"Man cannot think outside his culture", Jacque Fresco

To lay the foundation for implementation, the right mindset and culture must take top priority. Both technology and skills need a fertile environment to bring benefit. "Change" is, obviously the critical word. Not only in Lubrication, but in every aspect of our lives.

As Heraclitus said: "Everything changes except change itself".

Translated to present day industry terminology:

If you are doing it the same way as last year, it is probably wrong.

Changing culture and getting the right mindset certainly involves asking a lot of questions and accepting answers; even when those answers are painful. Painful answers are helpful answers. Correct diagnosis is a necessary step to prescribe treatment. Here are some questions, some quite obvious answers, and diagnosis that might help.

Look at the fact that between 40 and 80 % (depending on industry) of bearing failures are rooted in Lubrication. These statistics have been around for years. They are everywhere. Yet it seems that some accept them as "normal". Just to be clear; it is not about 40-80% of the bearings themselves. Their price in this story is irrelevant. It's the 40-80% of downtime, work hours in repair, overtime, middle of the night phone calls, collateral damage, lost production, lost clients, poor quality, urgent work, urgent spares shipping, and poor safety during urgent work. We can be even more pedantic and look at how much energy we waste to overcome increased friction. It's an interesting amount with lots of decimal places. By comparison, the cost of the bearing itself is negligible. Why do we accept that?