Not all grease is created equal, and if you use the wrong one in your system, it could have serious consequences. If you mix two incompatible greases, your essential equipment could face extensive damage. To help you avoid that situation, the LH Travis team is here to help you understand grease incompatibility, and how to avoid it.
What Is Grease Mixing, and How Does it Happen?
Grease mixing is pretty much what it sounds like: two different, incompatible greases being mixed together within one lubrication system. In many cases, it’s a result of simple — but more importantly preventable — errors.
In many cases, the issue arises from a lack of training, leading to team members who are unaware of which lubricant is the right one to use. At a higher level, there can also be a lack of management and organization of lubricants, making mistakes more likely to occur. Without properly categorizing and organizing lubricants, even experienced team members can easily make a mistake and choose the wrong one.
The Consequences of Grease Mixing, and How to Avoid It
When two incompatible greases mix in your equipment, a process of degradation begins within the machine. Unfortunately, this process can often take years to be noticed.
Consider a situation where two incompatible lubricants are mixed and the thickeners in them combine in such a way to cause the base oil to bleed out excessively. This will quickly lead to lubricant starvation within the machine, and before long, catastrophic failure. Even worse, that oil that bleeds out can cause havoc in the rest of your system, bringing your entire operation to a halt.
Thankfully, the solution is simple: Create a proper lubrication and maintenance management program. This means organizing lubricants, improving training, and creating a clear maintenance checklist to follow.
Let LH Travis Help You Avoid Grease Mixing
If you’re looking for help with your automatic lubrication system, we’ve got answers. Contact us today to get started!
