How Oil Analysis Protects Your Equipment All mechanical equipment suffers from wear.
Even with the best bearings and highest quality lubricant, there will still be some degree of metal-on-metal wear.
As time goes by, surfaces lose metal, even if by microscopic amounts.
At some point it's possible that a bearing or gear will wear enough to affect the alignment of a rotating part which can cause catastrophic wear if not caught in time.
In addition, there is the possibility that a bearing or part has been moved out of alignment.
Anything from vibration over time, a sudden shock, or even a geological event can shift parts.
For many finely aligned parts even the slightest change in alignment can have significant effects on wear.
Oil Analysis as Maintenance The lubricant in your systems has the unique trait that it "visits" every moving part and surface.
Lubricant fluid is pumped through your equipment to lubricate and cool moving parts.
Lubricant systems are also designed to clean out the areas where parts are moving or in contact, collecting dirt, shavings and contaminants and returning them to the sump.
By testing lubricant samples from the sump you effectively "take the pulse" of the lubricated surfaces throughout your equipment.
Sending oil out for analysis provides a microscopic analysis of what is happening inside your moving parts.
A technology known as Ferrography examines the particulates individually, providing insight into where the wear particles may be coming from.
Ferrography The bearing surfaces in your equipment can be identified by the types of particles found in your lubricant.
While some minor wear is expected at all times, an increase in wear particles of a specific type can indicate a bearing out of alignment.
By tracking the quantity and type of wear particles over time, a wear profile can be developed for the equipment, making it easier to identify when a component may need regular servicing or if a component is nearing failure.
By monitoring the wear it's easier to schedule downtime to inspect or replace components in critical systems.
Ferrography can also identify foreign contaminants in your lubricant system.
Metallic particles can be the result of wear, but they can also be the result of rust or corrosion.
Once again a detailed microscopic analysis of particles found in the lubricant can indicate if the problem is a bearing surface or a corroded lubricant pipe or sump.
Routine oil analysis for equipment lubricants is an essential maintenance requirement to fully understand what is happening inside your equipment.