Traditional fluid analysis relies on pre-set flagging limits to evaluate the severity of a sample. These limits, refined over time through statistical analysis, provide a baseline for assessing whether test results indicate any maintenance needs. If a sample falls...
Oil analysis is critical to any reliability program, serving as an effective predictive tool for potential equipment failures. When properly deployed, oil analysis has the power to enhance maintenance practices within industrial and fleet settings. This article will...
One of the first theoretical lessons you learn when you dive into the world of lubrication and lubricant analysis is that temperature generally harms these compounds. This is true, and many trainers in the area have at least a few slides dedicated to this point in...
As temperatures drop in the winter, the impact on equipment performance can be substantial. In extreme cases, such as remote mining operations in Alaska, where temperatures plunge to dangerous lows, equipment can experience immediate oil thickening within minutes of...
Lubricants encounter negative influences throughout their working life, including load-induced shear stress, thermal degradation, water contamination, aeration, wear metal catalyzing, and contamination from dirt, chemicals, and incompatible lubricants and fluids....
Developing a robust oil sampling program can be a rewarding effort when these essential foundations are put in place: Meticulously selecting equipment to monitor with oil analysis, using a suitable criticality assessment. Setting the initial oil sampling frequency for...
In my experience, flash point is one of the most misunderstood numbers on a product data sheet. Most people ignore it, as it is rare for oil system temperatures to approach the flash point range (typically >200°C). When it does become a concern, there is often...
Have you ever wondered how a launched-from-scratch vibration program can require investment ranging into the mid-six figures, pull the most talented and skilled repairmen, and disrupt other condition-based agendas? I used to wonder. The answer boils down to the most...
Examining oil analysis programs – both off-site and onsite programs across various industries- it is observed frequently that oil analysis abnormal alarm observations and recommendations are not being acted upon promptly. The ability of reliability teams to ignore the...
It is often stated that viscosity is the most important property of a lubricant, and with good reason. Film thickness—the separation between moving machine surfaces—is primarily dictated by the lubricant's viscosity under operating loads, speeds, and temperatures. For...
