If I want 4 people (lube techs): does anyone have a good paper for cost justification? Anything; no restrictions!

This was on a Noria Corporation site. Hope this helps. Not really a paper on justification but could help given the right conditions.

http://www.noria.com/learning_center/category_article.a...ookgroup=Lubrication

Good Luck

Here's a link that has some nice quotes:

www.intelligentcan.com/ican_quotes.html

Thanks for the help; have a great weekend!

Although I don't think I have much to add, I am curious what does a lube tech do?

Oil sampling and analysis?
Greasing of machines?
Handling of oil during maintenance?
Selection of lubricants?
Maintain paperwork associated with plant identification of lubricants for specific equipment?
Develop procedures for handling lubricants?

How big is the facility?

The reason it intrigues me is that we have no-one identified as a lube tech. One group of people does greasing. Another group of people does sampling. Another person does oil analysis (part time). Another person selects lubricants and maintains associated paperwork. Another group is involved in warehouse handling of lubricants. All of these people have other responsibilities not related to lubrication.

Hey Sam,

There may be some lube techs looking for jobs from our facility soon. Don't know what your are looking for, where, or if they are interested, but send me an e-mail if you are interested. Lots of changes going on within our company over the short term. Guess it is the melding of minds.

Have a good one,

Gary B

Dear Sam, every hire is based on a need.

You have to decide if you need knowledge or manpower.

If you proof that the current workload cannot be handled with the existing lubricators (if this function exists) you can go ahead

If you can proof that "part-time" lubricators cannot handle the workload and you do not have grip on them because they have another boss (service company) prepare for the basic question, How much I invest (employ them) and how much do I gain. Maybe the company has a vision of TPM and they are preparing to let operators lubricate their own machines. (though case)

If none of the above, things become complicated.
1) The function lubricator doesn't exist

Be prepared to submit your case to a boss, which can say depending of your situation:
1) Let us train the technicians/mechanics, they have too much spare time.
2) Let us train the operators because, when I walk on the plant I see nobody.
3) What is a lubricator? Is that not something on the compressed air line?
4) Ok you get one person (for the whole plant), 3 is too much

Next step, your case goes to Human Resource, you have to write the job description, responsibilities, reporting line, acountabilities of the new employees. You have to make sure that your own worforce is on your side, and don't expect that the greasegun is delegated to the newbies. If you have 1 person and he calls in sick, the show must go on.
Sometimes it easier to go for a mechanic/technician with proven experience in lubrication technologies. At least you don't need to explain to the HR types that maintenance people are not guys in a greasy coverall walking around with crowbars.

Final notes:
payscale, benefits, possible career paths.

A lot will depend how maintenance is perceived by the other stake holders in the company.

Regards

I don't have to explain to HR types; this goes straight to the CEO. If well written enough for adequate and provable $ signs then and if the cost justification is there and provable can you get the budget. They must know the ROI prior to committing money.

Gary, I'm off or away; if you don't hear from me in a few days - how about E-mailing me your contact information? All your numbers are in an old phone (got new ones) that is in the motor home I think.

Hope all is going well for you. And I hope your company appreciates having you onboard.

Pete,
In my case; the lube tech is not in the decisson making loop. Example: I will make calculations of quantity/frequency and PM schedules. They will be responsible for ensuring the proper grease is added per schedule with exact quantities and that all is clean. They will do routine maintenance of oilers and sample points plus gather samples.
Basically that's it. Mostly labor intensive stuff.

They will be accountable and you'll know where the buck stops. If you find an oil can open, you'll know where to go and who to see. Four techs for a facility of ~1600 people.

And, these people will be responsible for auto-lubicators. We now have 1000's and no one is doing the PM's properly.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sam Pickens,

Four techs for a facility of 1600, that should not be hard to get, and in this situation you are directly reporting to the CEO, on the technical aspect, I would build my case on the past failures and how much it have cost the company, and a prediction if it continues that way how much money they will keep loosing for the next 2 or 3 years.
Compare that with a hypothetic case of 4 lubricators where you bring the number of failures down (give an average cost), and with some "smoke and mirrors" you could show a lot of money at the end of the 2-3 years.
Type of "with the current system" 5 years from now, probabbly we have wasted 100M, but if we do this we only spend 20M
100M - 20M = 80M profit. The profit is of course the money that not will be spend.

Hope this approach is better, based on the circumstances.

I have to know numbers of how much does a person cost and what if they live 20 years past retirement and you have to pay benefits all the time. I have to deal with real cost. Then how much does a "auto-lubber" cost versus a person offset for maint on the auto-lubber and great detail with real numbers. I personally have only seen really good programs with full-time personnel.

But doesn't anyone have an exact number of MTBF extensions w/personnel versus the rest? Presently I'm basing my numbers on $100,000 per man/woman/yr and trying to glean maint #'s and savings #'s.

I now have four pages worth and need to add to and refine.

Sam, with the wages for employment in the USA, I can't help you, it is region bound (If you would know my salary, for your standard of living, I am at the point of starvation ), but e-mail me at savanels_at_cq-link.sr, maybe I have something useful, I used for justifying a steam trap management system.

Regards

Thank you Savanels; a most kind offer. And, thanks to all for your time a valuable inputs. I really appreciate all of them; they have been helpful.

Savenels, please feel free to send me the info at sampickens@pdmengineering.com

Steven,
Thanks for sharing the paper; very good or excellent work.
Regards,
Sam

I appreciate everyone's help!

In my plant the mechanics perform the lubricantion tasks mentioned here for lubricators. Why to split the industrial mechanics job description in two?

Generally when a mechanic is out doing lubrication he/she will be pulled for every other job anybody can come up with and their emergency job will take priority over lubrication.

To get the job done on time correctly everytime will take dedicated manpower IMHO. Where does the buck stop? Who did it last incorrectly and left the cap off the oil bottle - the guy off on vacation or a different shift or the one that just retired. I want accountability with the lubricator instead of me. If someone is doing a job and you are the one to suffer, will the job be done - they sluff-off and you have to answer! When the cows get out don't complain if you are responsible to close the gate.

Sam I agree with you that lubrication is not just squeze two shots with a grease gun, just like a lot of people think. (Un)fortunately I have a small crew (mechanics, mechanics working as millwrights "pumps" and Electric Instrumentation Mechanics). The only way to achieve improvement is to train everyone.
My remarks about the HR types was based on the fact that it was difficult enough to explain that EI mechanics also lift 50 pounds control valves and use 30" pipewrenches