FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

BMCG 4833 WEAR DEBRIS AND OIL ANALYSIS

GROUP ASSIGNMENT
TITLE: PALM OIL MILL

GROUP MEMBERS: MATRIC NO:

NUR FATIHAH BINTI ZAINAL ABIDIN B041520015
NUR FARAH HANI BINTI NOR ALZAHARI B041520014

SUBMITTED TO: DATE OF SUBMISSION:

DR. REDUAN MAT DAN MAY 18th, 2018
a. Introduction on the industry
i. Process flow diagram

Figure 1. 0: ​Process flow of palm oil mill. Source: Cereals and Oils Machinery, (2017)

ii. General list of equipment

● Steriliser
● Conveyor
● Thresher
● Digester
● Screw press
● Nut and fibre separator
● Nut cracker
● Cyclone
● Vibrating screen
● Clarification tank
● Winnower
● Clay Bath separator
● Oil purifier
● Vacuum dryer
● Desender
b. The plant lubrication survey
i. Identify equipment and component parts requiring lubrication.

1. Thresher
● Below Thresher Conveyor
● Bottom Cross Conveyor
● Horizontal Empty Bunch Conveyor
● Inclined Empty Bunch Conveyor
● Motor gearbox

2. Digester
● Gear box
● Digester feed conveyor
● Shaft bearing

3. Screw press
● Gearbox
● Screw shaft

4. Cyclone
● Motor gearbox

5. Vibrating screen
● Motor gearbox

6. Claybath separator
● Motor gearbox
● Pump
 7. Oil purifier
● Motor gearbox

8. Nut cracker
● Motor gearbox
● Rotor bearing

ii. Obtain similar information for each subcomponent of the machine.

1. Conveyor:
The types of conveyors used in palm oil plant are including:
a) Flat conveyor

Figure 1. 0: ​Horizontal empty bunch conveyor. Source: Press Station, (2012)

A flat conveyor consists of belting system powered by motor and shaft

with average horizontal conveying speed of 20m/min.

b) Screw conveyor:
 Figure 2. 0: ​Bottom cross conveyor. Source: Press Station, (2012)

A screw conveyor consists of internal screw with diameter of 600 mm and

its rotating speed of 50 rpm which is powered by a motor which consists of a
gearbox.

2. Thresher:

Figure 3. 0: ​Thresher in schematic drawing. Source: Press Station, (2012)

Sub components of a thresher which need lubrication are including:

1. Gear wheel
2. Coupling
3. Bearing
 4. Electric motor bearings

3. Screw press:

Figure 4. 0: ​3D model of a screw press machine. Source: Press Station (2012)

Figure 5. 0: ​Sub components of a screw press machine. Source: Press Station, (2012)

Sub components of screw press machine are as follows:

1. Self aligning spherical roller bearing
2. Thrust bearing
3. Flexible coupling
 4. Gear coupling
5. Gear reducer
6. Squirrel cage motor
7. Extension shaft (left and right)
8. Adjusting cone shaft (left and right)
9. Main shaft (left and right)
10. Intermediate gear

4. Digester:

Figure 6. 0: ​Sub components of a digester. Source: Press Station, (2012)

Sub components of digester which need lubrication are including the:

1. Squirrel cage motor
2. Slipping motor
3. Intermediate shaft
4. Coupling
5. Bearing
6. Fluid coupling
5. Cyclone:

Figure 7. 0: ​Cyclone in schematic drawing. Source: Press Station, (2012)

Sub components of a cyclone which need lubrication are including:

1. Motor gears and bearings

6. Vibrating screen:

Figure 8. 0: ​Vibrating screen in schematic drawing. Source: Press Station, (2012)

Sub components of a vibrating screen which need lubrication are including:
1. Shaft bearing
2. Motor gearbox
7. Claybath separator:

Figure 9. 0: ​Claybath separator in schematic drawing. Source: Press Station, (2012)

Sub components of a claybath separator which need lubrication are including:

1. Pump bearing
2. Motor gears and bearings
3. Shaft bearing

8. Nut cracker:

Figure 10. 0: ​Nut cracker in schematic drawing. Source: Press Station, (2012)

Sub components of a claybath separator which need lubrication are including:

1. Rotor bearing
2. Shaft bearing
 3. Motor gears and bearings

iii. Examine the lubricant recommendations made by the machine or parts

manufacturer.

Table 1. 0: ​Parts of machines with their lubricant recommendations.

Recommend lubricant Part

Gear oil with 320 ISO viscosity grade Thresher motor gearbox

Gear oil with 320 ISO viscosity grade Digester motor gearbox

Gear oil with 320 ISO viscosity grade Screw press motor gearbox

Multipurpose grease Bearing

Gear oil with 220 ISO viscosity grade Vibrating screen motor gearbox

Gear oil with 320 ISO viscosity grade Claybath separator motor gearbox

Gear oil with 220 ISO viscosity grade Oil purifier motor gearbox

Gear oil with 220 ISO viscosity grade Nutcracker motor gearbox

Gear oil with 220 ISO viscosity grade Cyclone motor gearbox

iv. Determine the lubricants currently used, including quantity, cost, and supply source

Table 2. 0: ​Lubricants currently in used with their sources of supply.

Types of lubricant Supply source

Gear oil with 320 ISO viscosity grade Shell:

Shell Omala S2 G 320
 Multipurpose grease Castrol:
Castrol Multi-Purpose Wheel Bearing
Grease

Gear oil with 220 ISO viscosity grade Mobil:

Mobil SHC Gear 220

v. List the schedules in effect for each lubricant point

Table 3. 0: ​Lubricant point and the time of when the maintenance is done.
 Lubricant point Maintenance

Thresher motor gearbox Change the lubricant after 5000 hour of

operation

Digester motor gearbox Change the lubricant after 5000 hour of

operation

Screw press motor gearbox Change the lubricant after 5000 hour of
operation

Bearing

Vibrating screen motor gearbox Change the lubricant after 300 hour of
operation

Claybath separator motor Change the lubricant after 5000 hour of

gearbox operation

Oil purifier motor gearbox Change the lubricant after 300 hour of
operation

Nutcracker motor gearbox Change the lubricant after 300 hour of

operation

Cyclone motor gearbox Change the lubricant after 300 hour of

operation
c. Establishment of lubrication schedules
i.Review current lubrication schedules, including type and amount of lubricant used and
frequency of application.

Table 4.0​: Current lubricant schedules.

Type of lubricant Frequency of application

Multipurpose grease Monthly

Gear oil with 220 ISO viscosity grade One per half months

Gear oil with 320 ISO viscosity grade Monthly

ii. Determine if it is the best lubricant for the specific application commensurate with
the proposed lubricant product reduction program and improved performance
requirements.
The multipurpose grease is one of the best lubricant to be used as it is suitable for a wide
range of applications, saves money on inventory costs, saves time and protects against incorrect
grease application to the equipment. It is also a good water resistance which protects against
water wash-out.
For the gear oil with 320 ISO viscosity grade, it is specifically for enclosed gear boxes
operating under moderate to severe service conditions. It provides rust and corrosion inhibition
resistance to foaming, excellent oxidation stability and superior load carrying ability. It is
suitable for the application of gearboxes lubrication.
Gear oil with 220 ISO viscosity grade is scientifically engineered synthetic lubricants
which are formulated from synthetic base fluids that have exceptional oxidation and thermal
properties and excellent low temperature fluidity. The high viscosity index of these oils deliver
less change in viscosity with changes in temperature, enabling wider operating temperature range
and improved low temperature startup. It provides outstanding protection of gears and bearings,
extended oil life even under extreme conditions, helping to enable problem-free operation of
equipment.
d. Lubricant analysis
i. Establish the objectives of the analysis program, that is, monitor and track wear
and lubricant quality to detect problems caused by adhesion, friction, and corrosion before
there is major component damage and to determine when lubricant should be filtered,
replaced, and/or fortified with additives.

Objectives of oil analysis program in palm oil mill are as follows:

1. To improve equipment reliability.
2. To maintain production uptime.
3. To provide a predictive early warning of impending failure.
4. To seek a proactive root cause solution.

ii. Select the plant equipment to be included in the analysis program. Equipment
selection is usually based on the importance of the equipment to continuity of plant
operations.

In palm oil plantation, all the equipment are important in order to complete the
production tasks. But in this analysis, only three initial process equipment are chose to be
included in the analysis program, which are:
1. Thresher
2. Digester
3. Screw press

iii. Determine the sampling frequencies for each component.

Sample Frequency Generator is used to determine the sampling frequency of oil used in
the components of each equipment in the palm oil mill. The formula used is as follows:

Sample Frequency = Default ​x​ Adjustment Factor

Where the default can be obtained from the figure below:

Figure 11. 0: ​Best fit default frequency to select in order to obtain the sampling frequency.
Source: Noria Corporation, (2017)
 Figure 12. 0: ​Adjustment factor to select in order to obtain the sampling frequency. Source:
Noria Corporation, (2017)

From the data obtained from Table 3. 0, the sampling frequency of each component that
need lubrication in the thresher, digester and screw press selected are:

Table 5. 0: ​The sampling frequency for each component based on default and adjustment factor.

Component Default Adjustment Factor Sampling Frequency

Thresher motor Gearing, low speed: Machine age: 1000 hrs x 0.5 =
 gearbox 1000 hrs 0.5 500

Digester Bearings: Fluid environment 250

500 hrs severity:
0.5

Screw press Bearings: Fluid environment 250

500 hrs severity:
0.5

iv. Design the testing packages to meet the selected objectives

In oil analysis, there are five oil analysis test packages for industrial plant applications.
Which are:
1. Plant 1 – Failure finding
2. Plant 2 – Contamination control
3. Plant 3 – Advanced lubricant condition monitoring
4. Plant 4 – Varnish monitoring
5. Plant 5 – Comprehensive turbine assessment

The oil testing bundles to be picked depend on the objectives of the oil investigation
program and the reasonable approach for the palm oil manor and the test bundles which have
been chosen are including Plant 1, Plant 2 and Plant 3.
Plant 1 and Plant 2 are suitable for palm oil mill, which has fixed equipment installation.
Plant 1 package identifies any abnormal component wear by indicating the presence of potential
failures, while Plant 2 package is used to measure total system contamination using ISO particle
counts. Plant 3 package is suitable to be applied in palm oil plant with large critical assets which
the company cannot afford to have unplanned downtime.

v. Select a lubricant testing laboratory that can accurately test the parameters chosen
and report the results in a comprehensive manner on a timely basis.
There are certain parameters to consider in oil analysis programs for palm oil mill, which are:
1. Oxidative and thermal degradation of oil.
 2. Wear pattern and trend.

The lubricant testing laboratory that can accurately test the parameters chosen is
including the FTIR oil analysis and Ferrography test.
FTIR oil analysis method or ASTM E 2412 is used to measure the degradation of oil due
to the operating conditions of the equipment and breakdown of additives in the lubricant or oil.
Increase in the oxidation of oil increases the acidity of the oil. The result of the FTIR analysis
can be seen as in Figure 13. 0 where the plots of measured vs theoretical data for the clean and
used oil blends indicating that the spectral reconstitution does not compromise the proportionate
responses expected.

Figure 13. 0: ​Plots of measured vs theoretical data. Source: Sedman, (2005)

Ferrography or wear debris analysis determines the type of wearing and analyses sample
for wear pattern, size and shape of wear elements and also any external contaminants present in a
lubricant. The result that can be obtained from the test is the debris in various shapes and give
specific information about the condition of the moving surfaces of the machine elements from
which they were produced, the mechanism of their formation, and the mode of wear in operation
in the system from which they were extracted.

vi. Develop the sampling procedures and modify equipment as necessary to extract
representative samples while the equipment is in operation.
Before starting the oil sampling process, the container to insert the oil sample into it must
be correctly labelled with:
1. Company name.
2. Equipment Name.
3. Oil Type. (Gearbox, bearing or etc.)
4. Oil Make & Grade (Shell Omala S2 G 320, Mobil SHC Gear 220 or etc.)
5. Oil Sampling Point.
6. Running hours.
7. Running hours since last oil change if known.
8. Any known problems.

To ensure the sample is presentational:

1. Only sample well-mixed oil after running at least 15 minutes.
2. Only sample oil at normal operating temperatures.
3. Do not allow external dirt to enter the sample.
4. Ensure the oil is hot when sampling from the drain.
5. Check remaining oil level and top up as required.

The sampling point of gearboxes is at the sump or in the mid point of the equipment. This
is to avoid sump floor sludge and sidewall deposits
The oil sampling procedures using suction pump methods:

Figure 14. 0: ​Oil sampling using a suction pump. Source: Fitch (2004)

Procedures involves are:

1. Install the sample bottle on the suction pump.
2. Insert pump hose into the dipstick tube to the same depth as the dipstick or into
the storage tank sufficient to reach the centre of the fluid store.
3. Operate the pump until the bottle is at least 1/3 full.
4. Forward the sample to the lab.
5. Discard the hose correctly on completion of sampling. Do not reuse.
6. To avoid contaminating the pump do not operate it on its side or overfill sample
bottles.

vii. Establish sampling, testing, and reporting schedules.

Table 6. 0: ​Oil sampling, testing and reporting schedules.

Oil Analysis Activity Planned Schedule

Sampling Normal Use Sampling

Frequency (Calendar):

Quarterly
 Testing Analysis Time (Volume):

1.5 min (~20ml)

Reporting Every 6 months

viii. Develop procedures and lines of communication to report results and to initiate
actions dictated by the test results.
Lines of communication from collecting oil samples to reviewing the report is as shown below:

Figure 15. 0: ​Oil analysis flow chart.

e. Fluids management
i. Storage
● All lubricants stored in a room or building designed for the purpose.
● The place is lighted and ventilated sufficiently with dust-free air. T
● he location not exposed to extreme hot or cold temperature.
● The storage location is under lock and key and has fire extinguishers.
● The floor of the storage area is sealed and flat.
● New drums are stored vertically on pallets or laid down on racks that are purpose made.

ii. Receive
● Use platform or forklift to unloading the lubricant drum
● Ensuring the lubricant received is the lubricant ordered
● Sample and test new oil to ensure the oil received is the oil ordered
● Lubricants are manufactured and packed in clean and closed packages and have labeled
with the necessary markings

iii. Dispensing
● Used different jug for each grade of lubricant and the jug has labeled to identify the
lubricants with which it is used for delivery
● Preferred used plastic jug because metal jugs can rust and it will cause the lubricant has
contaminant
● The jug has lid to prevent pollution by dust between storage and use in the equipment
● Use a different grease gun for each type of grease. Label each grease gun with the
reference of the grease being used.

iv. Usage
● Avoiding over lubrication. For example, when too much lubricant is put into the bearing
housing, pressure builds up and can lead to an increase of heat, which can create stress
and deformity of the bearing or it can break the bearing seal allowing lubricant to spill
out into unwanted areas or allow contaminants to enter the raceway. All of which can
lead to bearing failure.
 REFERENCES

Cereals and Oils Machinery (2017) Palm Oil Mill Processing Machines. Available at:
http://www.palmoilmills.org/products/palm-oil-mill-plant/palm-oil-mill-machine.html​.

Press Station (2012) Model 3D Digester, 3D Model Collection Palm Oil Mill Machinery The
Actual Size & General. Available at: ​http://tengbot.com/model-3d-digester.html​.

Corporation, N. (2017) How To Establish Oil Analysis Frequency, Machinery Lubrication.

Available at: ​http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/31009/improve-lubrication-program​.

Equipment Reliability Services (2014) Selecting The Right Oil Analysis Test Package For
Industrial Plant Applications, Fluid Life. Available at:
http://www.fluidlife.com/industries/industrial-plant/industrial-plant-test-packages/​.

A, F. R. V. D. V. et al. (2005) ‘FTIR Condition Monitoring of In-service lubricants : Ongoing

Developments and Future Abstract ’:

Fitch, J. and Troyer, D. (2004) The Basics of Used Oil Sampling, Machinery Lubrication.
Available at: ​http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/650/used-oil-sampling​.