In recent years, I’ve been part of numerous investigations relating to expensive machine failures preceded by oil samples that registered high particle counts. Each time I asked the asset owner, my...
OEMs rarely include specific cleanliness requirements for components in operation. When they do, the recommendation is usually less than aggressive, to say the least. So why is cleanliness so important? Haven’t operations been taking place since the beginning of the industrial revolution without specific cleanliness standards in place? Why are such controlled operating parameters required today?
The ability to trend and evaluate data is essential in the proper use of oil analysis technology. By definition, the term “trend” means to show a tendency. Typically this means either a...
Sliding contacts at bearings, running surfaces of cylinders or cam transmissions have an essential influence on the mechanical operating conditions of machines, combustion engines or...
I have come across a few good on-site laboratories during my time in the oil analysis industry. Perhaps more interestingly, I have come across a couple of such laboratories that had virtually...
This article reviews tests specific to various sample test classes, as well as additional tests that are triggered in extraordinary circumstances. Debris Analysis To confirm the results of...
The products of lubricant degradation are called sludge and varnish. These products are generally unstable in the oil and, as such, are prone to form deposits or separate from the bulk oil. In certain instances, deposits form on machine surfaces at the exact location where the oil has degraded.
On-Site Analysis, Inc. (OSA) has been a leader in emerging diagnostic technologies since introducing the OSA portable laboratory to the oil analysis market in 1986. The easy-to-use high-quality...
A typical testing service laboratory, QC or R&D lab can process up to hundreds of viscosity samples a day. The lab may support the research and development of new products, test samples...