IMC Presentation (44:06)

Jorge Alarcón, OCM

Without realizing it, we have entered a loop where everything that is not sensitized (term that applies to any element that has a sensor capable of measuring any of its intrinsic variables) does not have an updated added value, it tends to be considered obsolete, and probably an opportunity to be "sensitized." The field of the industrial lubrication is not far from the world of sensors.

Although the first pilot projects in this area date back to the 1980s, it was not until the early 2000s that their introduction to the industrial market took on much force.In most cases the essential objective of the sensors is to give an early warning of the state or condition of either the oil or the lubricated component. In this sense, the technology of measurement and subsequent transformation of the information transported by the lubricant comes into play, which must, by means of algorithms or numerical transformations, give as a final result a value that is easy to understand and interpret from the point of view of maintenance. A high percentage of sensor manufacturers focus on determining the particle count in oil.

On the other side of the coin, the industrial market demand is focused precisely on sensors that are able to determine the concentration of particles in the oil. Particle count (CP) is a fantastic tool, in the hands of those who know how to use it and especially in those who know how to interpret it. Unfortunately, this valuable tool has been overshadowed by the lack of applied knowledge on the subject, especially in power generation equipment, the CP not only provides the cleanliness level, it goes much further than that, it is directly related with the generation and cycle changes of these types of equipment. The industry still has a long way to go to really understand the meaning of this parameter.