Operational Guide - 1. Introduction & System Overview

Purpose of the Monitoring Solution

The GreaseBoss Manual Greasing Monitoring Solution provides visibility of manual lubrication activity by recording what grease was delivered, to which point, in what quantity and at what time.

The solution helps maintenance and reliability teams confirm that scheduled lubrication work is being completed correctly, identify where lubrication requirements are not being met, and build confidence that critical grease points are receiving the grease they require.

Rather than relying on paper routes, sign-off sheets or the assumption that a scheduled grease run was completed as planned, GreaseBoss captures each grease event at the point of delivery and compares it against the lubrication requirements configured for that point.

This guide has been developed for personnel responsible for operating, monitoring and improving a manual lubrication program supported by the GreaseBoss Monitoring Solution.

Typical users include:

• Lubrication Technicians and Operators
• Maintenance Personnel
• Maintenance Supervisors
• Maintenance Planners and Schedulers
• Reliability Engineers
• Asset Managers
• Other personnel responsible for asset health and lubrication performance

Using This Guide

This guide is intended to help users understand what the GreaseBoss Monitoring Solution is telling them and how to respond when lubrication requirements are not being met.

Detailed instructions relating to system configuration, installation, tag mapping, dashboard operation and device maintenance are available within the GreaseBoss Knowledge Base. This guide links to those articles rather than repeating them.

Monitoring Philosophy

The Manual Greasing Monitoring Solution is designed to guide the operator in the field and to verify the outcome afterwards.

In the field, the Head Unit tells the operator which point they are connected to, whether lubrication is due, how much grease is required and whether the grease assigned to that gun is correct for the point. Operators are warned, not physically prevented, when a condition is incorrect.

Away from the field, the GreaseBoss Cloud compares the activity that was actually recorded against the lubrication requirements that were configured. The result of that comparison is compliance.

For most users, compliance reporting and task status will be the primary reason for accessing the system. The dashboard is then used to investigate exceptions, understand their cause and confirm that corrective actions have worked.

The system also provides value beyond day-to-day exception management through periodic reviews of lubrication performance, asset health and developing trends.

System Benefits

Monitoring data helps verify that grease has been delivered, confirms the correct grease and volume were used, reduces reliance on manual record keeping, identifies gaps in route execution, supports better maintenance decisions and increases confidence in the manual lubrication program.

System Components

The Manual Greasing Monitoring Solution consists of four primary components working together to identify grease points, capture activity, transfer it and analyse it.

• GreaseTags

  • Passive RFID tags fitted to each grease point, giving the point a unique digital identity that the Head Unit can read.

• Head Unit

  • Fitted to a dedicated grease gun. Reads the GreaseTag on connection, identifies the point, displays the scheduled task, meters the volume of grease delivered and stores the recorded activity.

• Gateway

  • Transfers recorded activity from the Head Unit to the GreaseBoss Cloud, and transfers account configuration from the Cloud back to the Head Unit.

• GreaseBoss Cloud

  • Holds the lubrication program configuration, analyses recorded activity against lubrication requirements, and provides visibility of task status and compliance performance.

  • The GreaseBoss Mobile App is used alongside these components to map GreaseTags to grease points and to make field corrections such as replacing a lost tag. The app communicates with the GreaseBoss Cloud directly over its own connection, not through the Gateway.

Detailed component information is available in Hardware Explained.

How the System Works

Each grease point that is to be monitored is fitted with a GreaseTag and configured in the GreaseBoss Cloud with a location, asset, point name, grease type, required volume and lubrication schedule.

The Head Unit downloads that configuration from the Cloud through the Gateway.

When the operator connects the grease gun to a point, the Head Unit reads the GreaseTag, identifies the point and displays whether lubrication is due and how much grease is required.

The Head Unit meters the grease delivered and records the event.

When the Head Unit is returned to its charger within range of the Gateway, the recorded activity is uploaded to the GreaseBoss Cloud.

In the Cloud, recorded activity is compared against the configured lubrication requirements and presented as task status and compliance reporting.

How Information Flows

Configuration flows down and recorded activity flows up through the Gateway. Tag mapping follows a separate path, through the GreaseBoss Mobile App.

Tag mapping does not pass through the Head Unit or the Gateway. When the Head Unit reads a tag it does not recognise, it displays that tag's RFID number as a QR code on screen. The Mobile App scans the QR code and associates the RFID number with the correct grease point, then uploads that association to the GreaseBoss Cloud over its own connection. The mapping reaches the Head Unit on its next synchronisation, as part of the configuration coming down from the Cloud.

When the Head Unit synchronises

The Head Unit must be within range of the Gateway to synchronise. Within range, it behaves as follows:

Returning the Head Unit to its charger at the end of each run is what makes activity available promptly and keeps configuration current. A Head Unit left off its charger will still synchronise overnight if it is in range, but a unit that is out of range cannot upload the activity it has recorded, cannot receive changes made to the lubrication program, and cannot be remotely supported.

For this reason, the Gateway, the Head Unit charging point and the operator's normal end-of-run location should all be in the same place.

Related Articles

• Manual Lubrication Systems Solution - Introduction
• Hardware Explained
• Data Communications Architecture Options - Manual Greasing Monitoring System