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Articles: Oil and Fluid Analysis

Combining In-House and Outside Laboratory Oil Analysis

By Garry Sands

Most companies rely on outside laboratories to analyze there time-based oil samples. Every six months, or perhaps once per year, oil samples are gathered and sent out for routine time-based analysis. So, for instance, we will be able to say a certain hydraulic reservoir has been sampled every six months, or once yearly, and then we at least know the condition of the oil at that point in time.

Engineering an Effective Oil Analysis Program

Many organizations throughout the world have implemented oil analysis programs to better manage their equipment and lubricant assets. While some have received only marginal benefits, a few have reported substantial savings, cost reductions and increased productivity. Success in an oil analysis program requires a dedicated commitment to understand the equipment design, the lubricant, the operating environment and the relationship between the test results and the actions to be performed.

GOOD Oil Analysis Starts With GOOD Sampling Practices

By Jarrod Potteiger

Proper sampling methods are an essential part of an effective oil analysis program. In many cases, the quality of oil analysis results and the subsequent decisions that are made are no better than the quality of sampling practices. Poor sampling methods can lead to incorrect diagnoses which can initiate unnecessary corrective actions, or, they may prevent abnormal conditions from being observed.

Increasing Accuracy in Lubrication Testing

By Anne Spano, Applied Industrial Technologies

Creating ideal conditions for lubricant sampling will help eliminate misleading results.

Integrated Oil Analysis: The Key to Early Detection

By: Mark Barnes

When it comes to oil analysis, there are a number of options, from simple inspections to onsite instruments, and from basic test packages to full blown "forensic" lab analysis. But which one's the best? Which one will provide the earliest detection and the most information to successfully diagnose a failure? The answer is all of them!

New Paradigms in Oil Analysis and Condition Monitoring

By Jack Poley

It is simply coincidence, but the outset of the 21st century has witnessed numbers of very significant, even seminal events in condition monitoring (CM), particularly where oil analysis is concerned.

Oil Analysis Strategies for Problem Investigation

We have all seen the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) TV shows, and marvel at the technology used to bring the guilty to justice. I get a chuckle when I see a gas chromatograph spit out a report for the forensic investigators which are incredibly detailed- such as the time they took a swab of oily material, and identified it as a motor oil used in a 2005 Harley Davidson bike, complete with detail on where you could find it in the Florida area. Whereas much of this is make believe, it is fact based. Oil analysis is an incredible effective condition monitoring tool. Applying a little of the CSI investigative techniques to an oil sample, particularly from a suspect piece of machinery, can provide a wealth of information, and most importantly, a direction to pursue. We can apply this type of problem solving matrix when evaluating oil samples for problem solving. We will outline an approach to investigating an oil sample, used by our laboratories, and then give a few case study of problem identified by a good analysis investigation.

Oil Analysis Techniques as a CBM Assessment Tool for Plant Critical Equipment

Cary Forgeron and John Underwood

Oil analysis has long been accepted as a valid condition monitoring maintenance technique. The facts show that when properly utilized with a qualified laboratory, proper testing and a full commitment of the user, oil analysis offers the lowest cost of implementation and provides the highest rate of return on investment than any of the predictive maintenance disciplines.

Oil Analysis: What Are Your Expectations? Our Journey to Discovery

Richard Woolley

To introduce or revamp an oil analysis program is nothing new to the mining industry. Many companies have successful programs that work within their reliability and maintenance engineering groups. Many other companies have found that through the ups and downs of the economy, they constantly have to improve the oil analysis program because of employee layoffs during the down periods.

Oil Sampling: Still the Foundation for a Successful Oil Analysis Program

By Jason Kopschinsky

A decade ago, I learned the true value of an oil sample.

I was working in a steel mill, sampling roll mill gearboxes and screening them onsite for ISO particle count, ferrous density, moisture and viscosity. As you can imagine, these gearboxes get pretty beat up both inside and out, so it was not uncommon to see high particle counts and associated ferrous wear in many of the samples. On one occasion in particular, one of the gearboxes had exceeded the cleanliness target by a small margin. This too was not uncommon. Contamination control, storage and handling, and relubrication practices were all in need of improvement in this facility. What was significant was that the ferrous density for the sample from this gearbox was off the charts. Clearly, this was information that I needed to pass on immediately. To my surprise, my warnings fell on deaf ears. I wrongly assumed that when I passed along this information to the maintenance foreman that alarms would sound, maintenance staff would assemble and the problem would be dealt with. Instead, nothing happened. What eventually happened was this gearbox failed catastrophically, resulting in twenty-seven hours of lost production time and a host of associated costs and lost revenue.

 

Outsmarting Varnish Avoids Costly Downtime - Measuring Varnish Potential in Lube Oil

by Matt McMahon

Lubricating oil in gas turbines and hydraulic systems is unfortunately subject to the ravages of varnish. It is well-documented that varnish is an insoluble contaminant comprised of oil degradation by-products and sometimes depleted additive molecules. It is generally caused by some type of thermal (heat-related) stress placed on the oil. The debilitating effects of varnish include the loss of operating clearances within machinery and a loss of heat transfer due to thermal insulating. As more operators face the prospect of varnish in their lube oil systems, they are turning to oil analysis labs for answers.

PPM Distribution, Is it Better than ISO Code for Interpreting Particle Count Data?

by Ray Garvey
Emerson Process Management
Originally published in Lubrication & Fluid Power Magazine

ABSTRACT:

A brilliant new method called PPM distribution calculates precisely how much particulate debris is in the lubrication system. The systems debris values are calculated by multiplying the parts per million of debris by the lubricant volume to determine milliliters (ml or cc) of particulate debris in three adjacent size ranges: 4- to 6-microns, 6- to 14-microns, and >14-microns. Peaks in the distribution plot indicate the nominal size for each different source of contamination or wear. The proportional area under each peak reveals how much contamination or how much wear debris is in the lubrication system. This quantitative new method presents particle count information in an intuitive format. The result is easy interpretation of system contamination and realistic insight about the size of wearing defects. Examples are given showing how the PPM distribution can provide insights that might be missed by using the ISO 11171 code values for contamination control and wear indications.

Procedure for establishing an effective Oil Analysis program

Oil is often times known as the bloodline of industrial facilities. Defining oil in this manner definitely emphasizes the importance it has on the health of equipment. So just how much do you know about your oil?

The Truth Untold Not All Oil Analysis Reports Are Created Equally

By Evan Zabawski

As we see the trend of both on and off-highway heavy-duty diesel engines switching to multigrade oils, it becomes more and more important to check the 40°C viscosity, as well as the 100°C viscosity, in the used oil analysis. While both numbers may be reported on a used oil analysis report, the lab may have chosen to only measure one and merely calculate the other.

Understanding the Limitations of Oil Analysis

Brian Thorpe

It is very important to understand the limitations of test procedures used in oil analysis. If you have been in the business for awhile, you know dark oils can cause problems with laser particle counters.

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