Case Study - Oil Analysis, A Powerful Tool For Maintenance
Oil analysis is the process of analyzing a sample of lubricating oil from a machine or engine to determine its condition and to predict potential problems. The analysis typically includes tests for wear metals, contaminants, and the presence of fuel or coolant. It can also include measurements of the oil’s viscosity and acidity. By regularly analyzing oil samples, maintenance personnel can detect problems early and take appropriate action to prevent costly equipment failures. This can include scheduling maintenance, replacing filters, or adding additives to the oil. Additionally, the oil analysis can help to optimize the oil drain intervals and reduce the overall cost of lubrication.
A good doctor prescribes only after proper diagnosis likewise a maintenance person monitors all the vitals of his machine. Plant-wide reliability is achieved by proactively monitoring various indicators of oil.
By analyzing oil-following are accomplished:-
When your machines are going to fail?
Early detection of incipient machine failures?
When an oil change is required?
A better understanding of contamination levels?
Optimizing machine reliability at the lowest possible cost?
THREE CATEGORIES OF OIL ANALYSIS
WHAT IS ANALYSED | FLUID PROPERTIES | CONTAMINATION | WEAR DEBRIS |
Physical and chemical properties of used oil | Fluid and machine destructive elements | Presence and identification of wear particles |
|
Particle counting | No benefit | Primary benefit | Minor benefit |
Moisture analysis | No benefit | Primary benefit | No benefit |
Viscosity analysis | Primary benefit | Minor benefit | No benefit |
Patch test | No benefit | Primary benefit | Minor benefit |
| Proactive | Proactive | Predictive |
WHAT OIL ANALYSIS CAN TELL:- YOUR ASSET CONDITION
| New/ In Service | In Service | After Failure |
|
|
What oil analysis is telling | Root cause detection | Incipient (Early) Fault detection | Problem diagnosis | Failure Prognosis | Post mortem |
Maintenance Mode | Proactive | Predictive | Predictive | Predictive | Autopsy-learning from failure |
Relative savings | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Shapes of common wear Particles
Cutting wear on a ferrogram
Adhesive wear particles
Babbitt Particle (After Heat Treatment)
Copper from ring gear on a worm drive
Surface fatigue Particle
Corrosive Wear Particles
Red Iron Rust
Dark Metallo- Oxide
VISCOSITY-REFERENCE LIMITS
How to set viscosity Limits
- *Twice this amount for oils with VI improvers
- **Crankcase of limits based on cSt @100*c ; industrial oil based on cSt @ 40*c
Note : Severe Environment oils are at high risk for thermal and oxidative degradation .
Control Contamination Oil Dehydration and Filtration System
Contamination : Damaged Caused
Data Speaks For Itself :
Data From Elemental Analysis Dominate Most Oil Analysis Reports
Summary
- Know which questions you are trying to answer
- Know what the tests can tell you and how they can answer your questions
- Don’t neglect the other oil analysis checklist items.
- Always ensure all the machine and lubricant data is on the report
- Always ensure relevant historical data is reported, such as top- ups or failures.
- Always keep a new oil baseline for references
- Sample routinely and optimize the frequency
- Know the three categories of oil analysis, how they influence each other and their significance
Costs And Benefits – Critical Machine of an Oil Analysis Program
The approximate annual cost if a well-implemented Oil ANALYSIS PROGRAM –
0.2 To 2% of equipment value
Approximate annual benefits :
5-20% of equipment value
Oil filtration machine hydraulic oil filtration machine