In the world of industrial lubrication, the misconceptions surrounding RPVOT (Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test) have, unfortunately, cost companies millions of dollars. Imagine being faced with the daunting decision of prematurely replacing a substantial...
Articles
The Clean Oil Imperative: Why You Can’t Afford Dirty Lubricants
The online resource Dictionary.com defines the word "clean" as "free from dirt" and "free from foreign and extraneous matter." To most, "clean" is a subjective term, the interpretation of which depends on the subject matter and the interpreter's standards for "clean."...
5 Things Every Leader Should Stop Doing Now
With the increasing pressure to do more with less, the need bombards us to change how we think. To lead organizational change, you need to figure out what you should stop doing. The difficulty is that this process is more challenging than it appears. For many of us,...
Improving Safety Through Lubrication Best Practices
I recall starting my career in the mines in the late 1980s when Health and Safety was beginning to become a huge priority. I remember the sign at the entrance with the target and actual hours worked without incident. Since then, whatever the industry, every site visit...
7 Ways RAM Models Boost Organizational Performance
The fundamental purpose of Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) modeling is quantifying system performance, typically in a future interval of time. A system is a collection of items whose coordinated operation leads to the output, generally a...
Hydraulic Oil Questions Answered: Practical Knowledge for Industry Applications
Many questions surround hydraulic oil selection, from viscosity grades to base oil types to additives. This article answers pressing questions like: How do temperatures influence oil choice? Should you use zinc-based or non-zinc fluids? Should engine oils be used in...
How Oil-Soluble Cleaners Can Redefine Lubricant Degradation Management
The mention of lubricant varnish in an industrial setting frequently evokes concerns regarding unscheduled equipment shutdowns, reliability challenges, and consequent extended downtime. However, a facet that often remains overlooked is the concept of 'solubility.'...
Why Varnish May Plague Your Gearbox Really Soon
Gears are everywhere. These versatile machine elements are present in all industries and used in pumps and drives of all sizes as a reliable way to transfer power. Industrial gear oils are a vital component of that reliability, helping to maintain separation between...
Particle Counting in Condition Monitoring – Managing Expectations
In my previous articles, I have written about online sensors and the fact that some see these as not being accurate nor matching the standards applied in laboratory testing of used oil samples. To counter this, I have stated that the reproducibility and repeatability...
Advanced Methods for Detecting and Measuring Soluble and Insoluble Varnish
As a fluid analysis laboratory, our ongoing mission is to improve the quality of our analysis and interpretation. To do this, POLARIS Laboratories® performs statistical analysis on our test methods and results to evaluate typical parameters and establish thresholds...














