GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Glossary
A reference guide to common lubrication, reliability and maintenance terminology used throughout the industry.
A
Asset Care Excellence (ACE)
A structured framework developed to improve maintenance performance, asset reliability and operational efficiency. ACE combines lubrication strategy, condition monitoring, training and continuous improvement to reduce downtime and extend asset life.
A
Availability (in manufacturing)
A measure of how often equipment is operational and available for production when required. High availability indicates fewer breakdowns and better maintenance performance.
B
Breakdown maintenance
A reactive maintenance approach where repairs are carried out only after equipment fails. This typically results in higher downtime and increased maintenance costs compared to proactive strategies.
C
Condition monitoring
A maintenance strategy that tracks equipment health using techniques such as oil analysis, vibration monitoring and performance data. It helps detect early signs of failure before breakdown occurs.
C
Contamination control
The process of preventing dirt, water, air or particles from entering lubricants or machinery systems. It is essential for maintaining equipment reliability and extending lubricant life.
C
Corrective maintenance
Maintenance carried out to fix a fault after it has been identified or after a failure has occurred. It sits between reactive and preventive maintenance strategies.
E
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)
A framework used to assess a company’s sustainability and ethical impact. In maintenance, improved lubrication practices support ESG by reducing waste, energy use and equipment failure.
E
Equipment reliability
The ability of machinery to perform its required function consistently without failure over time. High reliability reduces downtime, maintenance costs and operational risk.
F
Failure modes
The specific ways in which equipment can fail, such as wear, contamination, overheating or lubrication breakdown. Understanding failure modes is essential for reliability-centred maintenance.
F
Food-grade lubricants
Lubricants specifically designed for use in food, beverage, pharmaceutical and packaging environments where incidental contact with food may occur. They are typically NSF H1 registered and help ensure compliance with food safety standards.
H
H1 lubricant
A classification of food-grade lubricant approved for use in environments where incidental food contact may occur. These lubricants meet strict safety and regulatory standards.
H
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)
A food safety management system that identifies and controls hazards in food production. Food-grade lubricants support HACCP compliance by reducing contamination risks from machinery.
I
Incidental food contact
A scenario where a lubricant may unintentionally come into contact with food during production. This is why food-grade lubricants are required in regulated environments.
I
Industrial lubricants
Lubricants designed for general machinery applications where food contact is not a concern. They are not suitable for food manufacturing environments due to contamination risk.
K
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
A measurable value used to track maintenance and operational performance. Common KPIs include OEE, MTBF, MTTR and maintenance cost per asset.
L
Lubrication audit
A structured review of lubrication practices, including storage, application, product selection and contamination control. It identifies risks and improvement opportunities.
L
Lubrication excellence programme
A structured improvement initiative designed to optimise lubrication practices across an organisation, improving reliability, compliance and cost efficiency.
L
Lubrication management
The systematic control of lubricant selection, storage, application and monitoring to ensure equipment reliability and performance.
M
Maintenance strategy
A structured approach to managing equipment upkeep, including reactive, preventive, predictive and reliability-centred maintenance models.
M
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
A reliability metric that measures the average time between equipment failures. Higher MTBF indicates better equipment reliability.
M
Mean Time To Repair (MTTR)
A measure of how long it takes to repair equipment after a failure. Lower MTTR indicates more efficient maintenance response.
N
NSF registration
A certification indicating that a lubricant has been independently assessed for use in food-safe environments. NSF H1 is the most common classification for incidental food contact applications.
O
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
A manufacturing performance metric that combines availability, performance and quality to measure how efficiently equipment is operating.
O
Oil analysis
A diagnostic process that examines lubricant condition and contamination levels to assess machine health and detect early signs of failure.
P
Predictive maintenance
A maintenance approach that uses condition monitoring data to predict equipment failures before they occur, enabling planned intervention.
P
Preventive maintenance
Scheduled maintenance carried out at regular intervals to reduce the likelihood of equipment failure.
P
Proactive maintenance
A maintenance strategy focused on preventing failures through monitoring, analysis and continuous improvement rather than reacting to breakdowns.
R
Reactive maintenance
A maintenance approach where repairs are only carried out after equipment fails. It is typically the most costly and disruptive maintenance strategy.
R
Reliability-centred maintenance (RCM)
A structured methodology for determining the most effective maintenance strategy for each asset based on risk, function and failure modes.
R
Root cause analysis (RCA)
A structured problem-solving method used to identify the underlying cause of equipment failure rather than just treating symptoms.
S
Sustainability (in maintenance)
Practices that reduce environmental impact through improved energy efficiency, reduced waste and extended equipment life.
S
Synthetic lubricants
Engineered lubricants designed to perform better than conventional mineral oils, especially under extreme temperatures or demanding operating conditions.
T
Total productive maintenance (TPM)
A maintenance philosophy that involves operators in equipment care to improve reliability, reduce downtime and increase productivity.
T
Tribology
The science of friction, wear and lubrication between moving surfaces. It is fundamental to understanding how lubricants improve machinery performance.
U
Unplanned downtime
Unexpected equipment stoppage due to failure or malfunction. It has a direct impact on production efficiency and cost.
V
Vibration monitoring
A condition monitoring technique that measures machine vibration to detect imbalance, misalignment or mechanical issues early.
W
World-class maintenance
A benchmark level of maintenance performance characterised by high reliability, low downtime, strong planning systems and proactive asset care practices.