Communicating lubricant information eliminates costly mistakes
When you have multiple lubricants in a factory with hundreds or even thousands of lubrication points, mistakes will happen. Introducing the wrong lubricant into an application leads to unplanned downtime and costly repairs. Lubricant cross-contamination has been identified as one of the root causes affecting asset reliability. Proper lubricant identification is one way to help solve the problem. This proactive approach creates a visual, color-coded “chain of custody” starting in the lubricant storage room, making its way to the individual lubricant points found on the equipment, and reducing human error.
Lubrication Engineers can help you identify all lubrication points and then create a comprehensive approach for applying the correct lubricant identification to each point. With color-coded, informational ID tags and labels, operators will be able to reliably perform their work – time after time – without accidentally introducing errors into the system.
Xpel® Lubricant ID Benefits
- Create visual system for operators
- Help standardize processes and procedures
- Promote best practices, such as the 5S methodology
- Reduce lubricant cross-contamination issues
Creating identification standard for your lubricant system
Agreeing on and creating a lubricant identification standard can take time. LE has created the Xpel® Lubricant ID Shape & Color-Coding Guide as reference point for any organization to adopt and modify as needed for their use. This is intended as a helpful guide, something organizations can adopt as is or use as a starting point to establish their own color-coding program.
Our methodology in designing this guide is as follows:
- We identified nine of the most commonly used oil types and seven grease thickener types.
- We matched each oil type and grease thickener type with its own color.
- We determined the nine most used viscosity grades (ISO VG 32-680) and gave each of those a designated shape. (For engine oils, we used SAE grades.)
- With this standard, for example, every ISO VG 100 oil will have the same diamond shape throughout the entire plant, and the colors will be determined by what type of oil it is. For example, all the gear oils will be red and their viscosity grades will determine the shape.
- Five extra shapes (rectangle, oval, shield, hexagon and starburst) are available to use if needed, and there is one extra color (mid green) available if needed.
Feel free to download and use this guide as it is or modify for your organization. Reach out to your local LE consultant to get poster size copies (small or large) for your organization.
Information displayed on Xpel Lubricant ID Tags
Lubricant tags and labels – durable for factory use – can be customized with a wide variety of options to display the identifying information. You can create a single tag or thousands of different tags, depending on your organization’s needs.
Industrial Grade Plastic Tags or Adhesive Labels
Design & information options include:
- Color
- Lube code or shapes
- Manufacturer
- Product name
- Viscosity
- Application
- Additional critical information
Many options available with Xpel Lubricant Identification Tags
Lubrication Engineers can help you pick the right tagging and labeling options to mark everything from the lube room to the actual application. We have a multitude of products to choose from, several of which are shown below.
Create your lubrication reliability chain of custody, starting today
There’s no better time than the present to improve your lubrication reliability efforts. A color-coded systematic approach to lubricant identification can help eliminate operator errors and start your organization on a journey toward reducing costs, reducing downtime and enhancing profits.
In addition to its Xpel tags and labels for lubricant ID, LE offers customized, cost-effective lubrication reliability programs that encompass lube rooms, filtration, oil transfer containers and much more. Contact us to get started.
For more information about any of LE’s Xpel Lubricant Identification Tags, please contact us today.