Article originally published on Noria.com
"What percentage of total life-cycle costs do lubricants account for in a pump, motor, conveyor or blower/fan?"
When estimating the life-cycle costs of machinery, you must take into account several factors. Of course, there is the initial purchase and installation of the equipment, as well as any aftermarket accessories attached to the machine. There is also the cost of ownership, including all the maintenance procedures that are performed routinely to ensure the pump, motor, conveyor, fan, gearbox, etc. is running correctly.
Properly maintaining a piece of equipment is much easier said than done. When a simple oil change is required, several costs are incurred. Not only is there the cost of the lubricant but also an expense for the labor associated with changing the oil. In larger-capacity reservoirs, it may take hours if not days to complete the oil change. This is referred to as the “hidden cost of an oil change.” If you are using premium formulated oils, especially synthetic fluids, the cost of the lubricant alone can be more than $50 dollars per gallon.
(more on how to control costs with proper lubrication...)
