What are the Benefits of a Plant Lubrication Audit?

davidc664
Aug 5
2 min read

A plant lubrication audit is a comprehensive assessment of your facility’s lubrication practices, equipment, and management systems. It identifies gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement in how lubricants are stored, handled, applied, and monitored.

The benefits of conducting such an audit can be lead to some of the biggest improvements for any lubrication program trying to become best in class and the best news is that most of the changes that need to be made are usually in practices and don't require a large out of pocket investment.

🔧 1. Improved Equipment Reliability

Ensures proper lubrication schedules, types, and methods.
Reduces wear and tear, leading to fewer breakdowns and unplanned downtime.
Helps detect over-lubrication or under-lubrication.

💰 2. Cost Savings

Reduces lubricant waste and consumption.
Minimizes equipment failures and costly repairs or replacements.
Improves energy efficiency (proper lubrication reduces friction and energy use).

🕒 3. Increased Equipment Lifespan

Proper lubrication practices extend the life of critical assets.
Cleaner and more consistent lubrication reduces component fatigue and contamination-related failures.

🔍 4. Enhanced Predictive Maintenance

Supports condition-based monitoring (e.g., oil analysis).
Allows for earlier detection of issues like contamination or degradation.

📋 5. Standardization and Best Practices

Identifies inconsistencies in procedures across teams or shifts.
Promotes standard operating procedures (SOPs) for lubrication tasks.
Helps define clear responsibilities and training needs.

♻️ 6. Environmental and Safety Compliance

Reduces the risk of lubricant spills and leaks, improving environmental stewardship.
Helps comply with regulatory standards (OSHA, ISO, EPA, etc.).
Lowers the risk of slips, falls, and fires due to lubricant mishandling.

📈 7. Performance Benchmarking

Provides measurable KPIs and baselines for continuous improvement.
Enables comparison to industry best practices or standards

👷 8. Training and Skill Development

Identifies gaps in operator and technician knowledge.
Provides an opportunity for targeted lubrication training and certification.

🏭 9. Better Lubricant Inventory Management

Avoids overstocking or understocking lubricants.
Prevents the use of expired or incorrect lubricant types.

Summary

Benefit	Impact
Equipment reliability	Less downtime, better uptime
Cost savings	Reduced repairs, energy use, and lubricant waste
Lifespan extension	Longer asset use, ROI improvement
Maintenance optimization	Predictive vs reactive maintenance
Compliance	Safer, cleaner, and regulation-compliant plant
Training	More competent, confident maintenance staff

INDUSTRIAL SEALING
& LUBRICATION, INC.