About this title

Practical Fluid Analysis in the 21st Century is a comprehensive description of the entire fluid analysis (Fa) process, from concept to implementation to accountability to ROI. It includes basic information, but also numerous details, both technical and practical, essential to the processes and success of Fa. Anyone who reads and absorbs the material will be able to raise up a world-class Fa program. One would also understand and realize the need to be aware of condition monitoring as an overarching practice for all forms of nondestructive testing of machinery health. The book closes with the concept of holistic condition monitoring, the uniting of all techniques with ongoing help from artificial intelligence.

This book will hopefully create a stronger, more vital awareness of the need for Fa in the industrial sector. Practical Fluid Analysis in the 21st Century is the most complete and definitive book ever written on Fa for lubricated machinery. As a career evaluator of Fa for more than 50 years, Jack Poley provides the full history and progression of the Fa industry for lubricated machinery. Get this book and seize the most from your Fa program!

About the Author - Jack Poley

Jack Poley began practicing fluid analysis in 1961 while working part-time at a lubricant testing laboratory and studying chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He has spent his entire career pioneering and contributing to one of several fields, which collectively is known as tribology. Jack was quickly attracted to and specialized in data evaluation for in-service lubricant testing to assess machine health.

Upon finishing school, Jack continued as a chemist for what was the very first laboratory fitted especially for in-service lubricant analysis, which included wear metal concentrations to assess machinery health, the very first laboratory of that ilk. He spent his first fourteen years learning and contributing to the field.

In 1975, Jack became an owner in a fluid analysis enterprise, opening a facility called Lubricon in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lubricon was highly successful, attracting a number of large customers, including oil companies and original equipment manufacturers.

Growth, however, began to choke production. Jack and another evaluator, whose job was to review lube test data and create a report with an advisory, could not keep up with all the samples arriving for testing. Luckily, computing capability for small businesses was getting into full swing.

In 1979, Jack designed and developed the first intelligent agent for in-service lubricants, a software expert system featuring pattern recognition (the backbone for artificial intelligence) for test data evaluation and reporting. Introduced in 1980, this completely resolved the bottleneck, but also resulted in much improved, better informed and more consistent reports, setting the tone for how future reports would be delivered. From that moment forward, computer-assisted data evaluation and report/advisory rendering became Jack's passion and primary focus in tribology. A new iteration of the original expert system was completed over 2005-2007 and, in addition to serving customers in all types of machinery applications, the software is currently under test and evaluation with the U.S. military.

With the advent of a new awareness for artificial intelligence, the Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, fluid analysis is poised to join with all aspects of condition monitoring to support world-class maintenance management and maximum equipment availability in a holistic fashion.

Jack continues to contribute and innovate in fluid analysis as founder and managing partner of Condition Monitoring International, LLC in Miami, Florida. Jack is a Fellow in the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers and founded its condition monitoring technical committee and condition monitoring education course. He is also a Certified Reliability Leader and an instructor with Reliabilityweb.com.

Contents

Table of Contents

Dedications and Appreciations

Preface

Chapter 1 – Introduction and History

Chapter 2 – Commitment to Implement

Chapter 3 – Lubricants and Lubrication

Chapter 4 – Tribology, Wear Modes and Failures

Chapter 5 – Lubricant Sampling

Chapter 6 – Fa Testing

Chapter 7 – Evaluation

Chapter 8 – Accountability and ROI

Chapter 9 – CODA: Where Are Fa and ACM Going?

Acronyms

Glossary of Terms in Fa

About the Author