Category: Oil Properties

Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

Interpreting the Oil Analysis Report in Practice

Now, we will actually read a report to help put all of these into practice.

Here is a sample report from Eurofins for a turbine oil. In this report, the various types of tests are classified according to wear metals, additives, and contaminants, as shown in Figure 2.

According to the report, samples have been collected over a period of time. This helps with the trending of the data, so we can spot when the values start varying from the “normal levels”. The reference values are also provided in the first column to help users determine whether these values fall within tolerance limits or not.

Figure 2: Sample Turbine Oil Analysis Report

Typically, the lab will provide some type of traffic light system where:

  • Red – indicates there may be an abnormal reading or the oil should be changed immediately, as certain values have surpassed the critical limits.
  • Amber – shows that the values are approaching the warning limits, but there is still some time to investigate and fix the problem.
  • Green – tells us that all values are within the tolerance limits and the oil is performing normally.

For this report, they also include additional tests as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Additional Tests for Turbine Oils
Figure 3: Additional Tests for Turbine Oils

For turbine oils, understanding the demulsibility of the oil is important, as this is the oil’s ability to separate from water, or rather, not to form an emulsion. Excessive water in the oil can lead to rust or even a washout of the additives.

The Foam test is also administered to detect the oil’s ability to release air from the oil, ensuring that the air doesn’t get trapped. If air is trapped, it can lead to microdieseling and cavitation on the inside of the equipment.

RPVOT – Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation test is also performed, as it indicates the expected oxidation of the oil. MPC (Membrane Patch Colorimetry) and Ultracentrifuge detect the potential of the oil to form varnish, and the RULER® values give the actual quantity of antioxidants present.  These values are all critical for monitoring the health of the turbine oil, as it is very susceptible to oxidation and the formation of varnish.

In essence, reading the oil analysis report involves understanding what the tests are meant to measure, knowing your equipment and its operating conditions, and having a history of your equipment.  These factors all contribute to trending the data to ensure that there are no surprises with unplanned downtime due to wear or oil degradation.

References

Eurofins. (2025, September 06). Annual Turbine Analysis. Retrieved from Eurofins Testoil: https://testoil.com/services/turbine-oil-analysis/annual-turbine-analysis/

Find out more in the full article, "How to Read Oil Analysis Reports and translate Data into Reliability" featured in Reliable Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
November 15, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

How to Interpret Your Oil Analysis Results

Have you ever received your bloodwork results from your doctor, only to be more confused than ever? With all the long names and numbers just sitting on the piece of paper, Google (or ChatGPT) becomes your best friend to help interpret what they mean. However, even with these tools of reason, there is usually a disclaimer that states, “Please consult your doctor for a more accurate interpretation”.

Numbers alone don’t tell the whole story – context is what makes oil analysis meaningful.

One of the reasons for constantly looping your doctor back into the mix is that they have your history, they know how your body responds to certain things, and values which may get flagged because they are outside of the limits may be waived away by your doctor because it is normal for your body based on your history and DNA.

The same applies to oil analysis. Depending on the application and operating environment, certain conditions may be met that can be interpreted as unusual. Still, if you’re familiar with your system, you will understand the reason behind the numbers.

Figure 1: DIN 515519 table showing viscosity limits
Figure 1: DIN 515519 table showing viscosity limits

Viscosity

As mentioned earlier, viscosity is the most important characteristic of a lubricant. If it is too thick for the application, this can lead to efficiency loss, increased heating, and a slowdown of the system. Essentially, a significant amount of work needs to be done on the oil to make it compatible with the application.

On the other hand, if it is too thin, then we run the risk of improper lubrication. Therefore, we increase the chances of wear occurring in the applications.

Viscosity is usually measured at either 40°C (for industrial applications) or 100°C (for engine applications). However, most labs put a ±5% tolerance limit for many oils. But why use such a random figure? The DIN 51519 table is used to determine ISO viscosity, with each value within a 10% range, as shown in Figure 1.

When you see an ISO VG 100 oil, the chances are that the actual viscosity of that oil varies between 90-110cSt. Therefore, if we start seeing our results vary by around 5% or trend towards the outer limits of any viscosity class, we know that something is going on with our oil.

Presence of Wear Metals

Wear metals prove that some type of wear is occurring. However, depending on their quantity, they can also provide some more insights into what is actually wearing away and whether it is normal wear or abnormal wear. Wear is reported in parts per million (ppm) or as a percentage. Here’s how to convert those percentages to ppm:

100% = 1,000,000ppm

1% = 10,000ppm

0.1% = 1,000ppm

The most common wear metals tested include Aluminum, Iron, Chromium, Copper, Lead, and Tin. Depending on the application, there are varying levels at which these will be flagged.

Table 1 provides an example of various applications and their respective limitations. These will vary based on your OEM and environment, but can be used as a general guideline. All numbers in Table 1 are in ppm.

Table 1: Wear metal limits for various applications
Table 1: Wear metal limits for various applications

AN/BN and the Presence of Contaminants

Contaminants are any foreign material in the system. Sometimes, lab tests may not be able to detect contaminants in a system because they are not specifically designed to identify that particular contaminant.

In these cases, users would need to specify what additional contaminants the lab should look for, or perform a broader FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) analysis to identify all the components in the oil and then determine which of them are contaminants.

The most common contaminants tested include Silicon, Water, and Fuel. Although AN/BN (Acid Number and Base Number) may not be considered a contaminant, it helps quantify the acid in your system, which shouldn’t be there; therefore, in some ways, it can be viewed as a contaminant. However, it is primarily a physical property and is listed separately.

Acid and base numbers act like an early warning system for oil health.

Table 2: Tolerance limits for some contaminants
Table 2: Tolerance limits for some contaminants

For diesel engines, BN is measured as having high base numbers, which will decline over time as acids accumulate. If the BN value declines to around 50% of its original value, then we have an issue with the acids increasing too quickly in the oils. On the other hand, AN is used for all other industrial oils (gears, hydraulics, etc.). There are varying limits for AN depending on the application, as shown in Table 2.

Silicon usually indicates the presence of sand, which is highly abrasive. This can accelerate wear in any equipment by essentially turning the oil into sandpaper and wearing away the insides of the equipment. Some of its limits are shown in Table 2.

Water in any form is highly destructive to all assets. However, some systems can tolerate a bit more water than others. This can be due to the nature of the oils (good demulsibility) or the nature of the systems, where heat is involved to help remove the water. Water in the system can lead to an increase in viscosity and disrupt the oil layer.

As such, the lubricant will not be able to form a full film to protect the asset. Water can also create an emulsion in the oil or lead to corrosivity issues. Table 2 gives some examples of limits for various systems.

Fuel contamination is an issue for most diesel engines. The presence of fuel in your oil can lead to a lower viscosity (hence the oil can no longer protect the components) and an increase in the flash/fire point of the oil, which can be particularly dangerous. We have some limits noted in Table 2.

 

Presence of Additives

It is more challenging to place these tests in a one-size-fits-all table, as oil formulations are consistently changing. The best way to interpret these additives would be to compare them against the initial values for the finished lubricant.

For your oil analysis program, always have a representative sample of the new oil so that comparisons can be made against it as the oil ages in the system. Additionally, the presence of additives in your report when they shouldn’t be there is also a sign of contamination, likely with another type of oil.

Find out more in the full article, "How to Read Oil Analysis Reports and translate Data into Reliability" featured in Reliable Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
November 15, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

Why Different Oils Require Different Tests

Oil analysis reports often wear an invisible cloak, and only if we have a wizard capable of revealing what the numbers mean, they will more than likely end up in a drawer or file on the computer. There are many similarities between oil analysis and blood tests, as they both serve similar functions.

They both test fluids, quantify the results according to different categories, and provide envelope limits within which these values should exist. If the values fall outside these limits (either below or above), we need to take action to prevent failure of the critical asset (or human organ accordingly).

An oil analysis report is less about numbers and more about the story they reveal.

In this article, we will focus on understanding the basics of reading an oil analysis report, interpreting the results, and developing action items based on the information collected. We will take a closer look at reports on turbines (rotating equipment), gear, hydraulics, and engine oils, and what this all really means for your equipment.

Why Different Oils Require Different Tests

Before we dive into the report, we need to establish that not all oils are the same! As such, different oils are required for various types of applications. Therefore, each type of oil will require slightly different tests to determine whether it is performing optimally or not. However, there are a few tests that remain the same for all oils.

The most critical characteristic of an oil is its viscosity. As such, all oils are typically tested to determine whether their viscosity meets the requirements. Another function of the oil is to prevent wear. Thus, most oils are tested for the presence of wear particles, as this can help the user identify if any wear is occurring in the asset.

Oils should be kept clean; therefore, tests are performed to determine the presence of any contaminants, and these are carried out on most oils. Similarly, additives help oils perform their functions; hence, their presence or absence should be quantified to determine if they are indeed achieving their functions for all oils.

Tests for viscosity, the presence of wear metals, contaminants, and additives are the standard sets of tests that should be performed on any oil. There are more detailed tests that examine the specifics of various types of applications, but we will delve into these later in the article.

Find out more in the full article, "How to Read Oil Analysis Reports and translate Data into Reliability" featured in Reliable Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
November 15, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

Sensors vs Traditional Oil Analysis

In this age of AI, it seems that everyone is moving towards sensors and online data. Oil analysis sensors aren’t far behind in this revolution. There are mid-infrared sensors that have been engineered to relate their findings to those of regular oil tests (developed by Spectrolytic). While sensors are the way of the future, the fundamental concept remains the same. What are we doing with the data, and what data are we trending?

Sensors deliver speed, but proven lab methods still set the benchmark for accuracy.

Traditional oil analysis labs trend data, albeit the frequency of the data points is not as high as that of an online sensor. Hence, subtle/instant changes may not be readily noticed or detected. The methods used in these labs have been tried and tested over the years (and approved by various standards committees) to reflect conditions that the oil is facing in the field.

On the other hand, in the sensor world, not many of them (with the few exceptions) correlate exactly to what is being seen in the field. Hence, some lab tests, especially for the specialty tests such as RULER, MPC, and TOST (mainly for turbines), still need to be done by the lab. This is a great opportunity for traditional labs and sensor companies to collaborate and provide customers with collated data.

Moving Towards Sustainable Maintenance

While this article explicitly discusses extending the oil drain intervals for your assets, it underscores the importance of working alongside maintenance and condition monitoring to achieve these results. There is no clear cookie-cutter routine to achieve this, as each fleet of assets will be different and require varying levels of complexity for analysis. One thing is clear, though: we need to move towards sustainable maintenance.

Performing maintenance in the traditional way of just waiting for the appointed interval may be costing us increased labor and parts. However, by working alongside maintenance and condition monitoring, we can get more value from our assets and even increase our ROIs. Sustainable maintenance is the way forward for most asset owners as we move into a new era of maintenance.

Find out more in the full article, "How to extend oil Drain Intervals Safely using Condition Monitoring" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

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August 23, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

How do you set oil-analysis limits for diesel fleets?

What Baselines should you use?

Global oil suppliers have baseline or tolerance limits that are used when providing guidelines to customers about their equipment. The limits for a gearbox will differ from those of an engine. For instance, an iron content level of 3000ppm is normal for an automatic transmission gearbox but highly irregular for a diesel engine! Hence, it is important to know the limits associated with the application.

Some labs have also developed their own set of limits based on years of collecting hundreds of samples and liaising with their customers in the field. OEMs have also developed their own sets of limits (usually displayed in their manuals) based on their testing in the lab and on the field.

Knowing your own “normal” is more valuable than any generic industry limit.

Ideally, when developing your target levels, you should trend your data and find out what “normal” looks like for your equipment. In some cases, what is normal for your environment may be abnormal in a different environment. But it is important to note when normal varies from standard operating tolerances. This is where you would want to work together with your oil supplier, lab, and OEM to develop tolerances that align with your equipment.

Depending on your maintenance program, you can also adjust the tolerance accordingly. If you are aware that maintenance may not act on a threshold limit right away, it may be a good idea to add some padding to those limits. This ensures that the equipment does not suffer by pushing it to the limits.

What are the Oil Analysis Limits for Diesel Fleets?

Let’s explore how to set the limits for a diesel engine fleet of trucks.

Here is a step by step guide on developing an oil analysis program for diesel fleets.

First, let’s categorize the trucks into critical, semi-critical, and non-critical.

The critical ones are those that, if they break down, there is no replacement; the downtime hurts us financially and can delay the project. These need to be available 24/7.

The semi-critical ones are those that still have an impact on the operation if they break down, but it’s not quite as disastrous. These can be trucks that are not on tight deadlines, can afford to have some leniency or delays with their workload.

The non-critical trucks are those that can be easily swapped out for another truck without causing any delay or impact to the project, but they are still important.

Now that these are categorized, we need to find out what types of engines are being used and what the recommended diesel engine oils are for these units. Typically, most operators have mixed fleets. Thus, one may see a wide age/mileage gap in the engines. This gives us an idea of the reliability of the engines, which can impact the setting of the tolerance limits.

Since it’s a diesel engine fleet, it would be worthwhile to consider the type of fuel being used for this fleet. With diesel engines, there are varying levels of sulphur in the fuel, which can impact the oil drain intervals as well.

For this fleet, we may need to establish varying oil drain intervals to ensure maximum reliability, based on the categories outlined by their criticality. Before adopting set oil drain intervals, it is important to execute a pilot project with the fleet to anticipate any rollout challenges for the future. We will discuss these in more detail in the case study section.

 

Real-World Results from a Diesel Fleet Oil Analysis Program

Fleet: Mixed long-haul trucks of various ages/mileages

Predominant oil: Mineral 15w40 Diesel engine oil (CI4 spec)

Regular Oil Drain Interval: 3000km (based on best practice over time)

Approach: An engine asset list was first compiled for every truck in the fleet. This follows the table below:

Table 1: Sample of Engine Asset listing for Mixed long-haul fleet
Table 1: Sample of Engine Asset listing for Mixed long-haul fleet

It’s important to have a column for comments as this can capture some data that we may not be aware of, such as a recent engine overhaul done to the unit, or the driver has regularly lost power over the past few weeks, or the driver tops up the oil every time he gets back to the yard.

These little details may not be captured in the CMMS (if one exists) or the maintenance logs, but they are crucial in determining whether we can safely extend the oil drain intervals or not. For units that require special attention or are under warranty, these may have to be excluded until more favorable conditions exist.

Based on the fleet (15 trucks), they were categorized into three main groups:

Critical – these units were being used every day on projects that had tight deadlines. They were often unavailable to return to the yard for maintenance or oil changes, as each hour away from the job affected the project deadline.

Semi-critical – these units were utilized by various customers at distant locations and often spent most of their time at the customer site (due to the distance). Hence, basic maintenance was usually performed at the customer’s site, causing minimal disruption to the operation.

Non-Critical – these units are often deployed in situations where extra assistance is required, or they are the standby units if one of the critical units is in trouble.

Even though they had these three groupings, the engine types and mileages were very varied. Hence, a matrix was formed for this fleet.

Table 2: Criticality Matrix – Long-haul fleet
Table 2: Criticality Matrix – Long-haul fleet

The majority of the fleet falls within the 20-100,000km range, spanning across the critical, semi-critical, and non-critical categories.

A pilot test was done on the following:

  • 3 of the critical units within the 20-100,000km range
  • 1 semi-critical unit in the >100,000km range
  • 1 non-critical unit in the > 100,000km range

Since the typical oil drain interval was 3,000km, we took samples at 1500, 2000, 2500, and then again at 3000km. Based on the trend observed from the first 3 samples, we had a fair indication of the condition of the oil before it got to 3000km.

None of the samples showed any unusual signs of wear, excessive additive depletion, or ingress of contaminants. For these samples, we kept a close eye on maintaining the following parameters:

Table 3: Suggested Parameters to monitor for fleet
Table 3: Suggested Parameters to monitor for fleet

Samples were then taken at 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000, 5500 & 6000km. Then, another set of samples was taken at 6500, 7000, 7500, and 8000km once the oil analysis values were still within range. The aim was to at least double the oil drain interval for this fleet.

Intervals of 500km were used as a cautionary value to allow enough time for any anomalies to be caught. The critical engines got to these values faster than the semi-critical and non-critical units.

All of the critical units easily got to 9000km without any of the oil analysis values entering the warning zones. However, the semi-critical unit, which had exceeded 100,000km, only made it to 8,500 km before the TBN and fuel dilution values entered the warning zone. The non-critical unit, which exceeded 100,000km, also reached 9,000 km without any issues.

Since the owner wanted to be on the side of caution (and allow some wiggle room between the intervals for trucks which could not get maintenance done at the specified interval), they chose to change the oils across the fleet at the 7500km mark but keep the oil analysis program where they perform samples at 4000 & 7000km.

They will now work alongside oil analysis, and for some trucks, where they believe they can have an even longer interval, they will extend it accordingly.

What does this mean?

These engines take approximately 44 quarts or roughly 42 liters of oil and are changed every 3000km or roughly 2 months (critical units) with an average of 3 hours downtime for the oil change.

Hence, one unit undergoes approximately six oil changes per year:

  • An average of about 3 hours x 6 times = 18 hours downtime
  • An average of 42 liters x 6 times = 252 liters changed per year
  • Thus, for six critical units that would be:
  • Downtime => 18 hours x 6 units = 108 hours
  • Oil consumption = 252 liters x 6 units = 1,512 liters

The new oil drain interval of 7500km resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in the interval.

This means that the new interval would be every 5 months instead of every 2 months.

Thus, these six units would only do oil changes twice for the year.

New downtime = 3 hours x 2 times/year x 6 units = 36 hours / year

New oil consumption = 42 liters x 2 times/year x 6 units = 504 liters

The following table summarizes the changes.

Table 4: Comparison with extended oil drain interval (ODI)
Table 4: Comparison with extended oil drain interval (ODI)

This is just for part of the fleet, and a dollar value has not been assigned to these, but clearly, there are lots of benefits to extending the oil drain interval through guided oil analysis.

Find out more in the full article, "How to extend oil Drain Intervals Safely using Condition Monitoring" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
August 23, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

Which parameters should you track in oil analysis?

 

 

 

Every type of equipment will have different tests that should be performed to monitor its health. We will break down a few common types and the associated basic and some specific oil analysis tests that should be performed.

 

Here are the key parameters you should track — and why each matters.

Diesel/Gasoline Engines (can be further broken down into on-road, stationary, aviation, landfill, and marine)

These are some Basic (monthly tests) and why they matter.

diesel-gasoline-engins

Gearboxes (can be broken down into industrial or automotive). These are the tests and why they matter.

gearboxes

Hydraulics

These are the tests for hydraulics and why they matter.

hydraulics

Turbines and Compressors

Here is a list of tests and why they matter for turbines and compressors.

turbines-compressors

We did not dive into Electrical oils, heat transfer oil, circulating oils, metalworking fluids, or seal oils, but these will have similar type tests and some special tests as well.

Find out more in the full article, "How to extend oil Drain Intervals Safely using Condition Monitoring" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
August 23, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

What are the risks of pushing oil drain intervals beyond manufacturer limits?

Pushing drain intervals can lead to increased wear, contamination buildup, reduced lubricant efficacy and much more. There is always a danger in pushing limits; that’s why limits exist. They serve as guardrails to ensure that things remain within the standard envelope. As it applies to oil analysis, there are some dangers if the limits are not addressed.

Typically, maintenance intervals are determined by the number of hours worked or the mileage of equipment. These guidelines were developed by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) based on lab and, in some cases, field tests. Usually, these limits are set with some tolerance for “marginal error,” where the oil may not be changed exactly at the specified interval. However, nobody states what those margins are or what tolerance limits can be used.

In these cases, the oil, whether it has reached the end of its useful life or not, is changed in an attempt to protect the equipment from failing in the future. Hence, OEMs always recommend staying within the limits, as those are what they can guarantee / warranty. Pushing the limits may mean getting in a bit of trouble with your OEM, and they may void your warranty. However, if the benefits outweigh their concerns, then it may be time to push those limits.

Find out more in the full article, "How to extend oil Drain Intervals Safely using Condition Monitoring" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

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August 23, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

What are the safety and environmental benefits of extending oil drain intervals?

Apart from the financial benefit of extending the oil drain interval, there are also safety and environmental benefits. If these pieces of equipment are in high-risk areas, then the humans involved in changing the oil would be placed at risk during these times.

If the oil drain interval is extended, then the humans performing these operations will have reduced hours spent in these high-risk areas. As such, it will limit the number of risk-hours and possibly lower the LTI (Loss Time Injuries) or occurrence of any such safety incidents.

Fewer oil changes mean fewer hours in hazardous zones – and fewer chances for accidents.

Every time the oil is drained from the sump, it must be disposed of safely. Typically, worksites have a dedicated area in which the used oil is stored until it is collected by a disposal provider. Some providers may charge based on the volume they collect or the frequency at which they service their customers. However, the oil must still be disposed. With longer oil drain intervals, there is a reduced volume of used oil collected by these suppliers.

Additionally, longer oil drain intervals also impact the consumption of new oil for these systems. Therefore, equipment owners would likely see a decline in the volumes of oil purchased. This also translates to a saving on the environment as resources used to create new oil are also now reduced, or rather, the demand may be reduced overall.

Another benefit of extended oil drain intervals is that the equipment is available for a longer time. This can become critical in some jobs where the equipment is needed 24/7 or even for an emergency. The availability of equipment can also translate into the potential saving of a life (depending on the equipment).

Overall, there are financial, safety, and environmental benefits to extending the oil drain interval for equipment.

Find out more in the full article, "How to extend oil Drain Intervals Safely using Condition Monitoring" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
August 23, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

How much money can you save by extending oil drain intervals?

Before diving further into the condition monitoring aspect, we need to answer the question, “Are there any real benefits to extending the oil drain interval of a piece of equipment?” The answer depends on the criticality of the equipment and the cost associated with its downtime.

Financial Gains from Extended Oil Drain Intervals

For critical equipment where maintenance downtime hampers production or availability, extending oil drain intervals offers tremendous financial benefits. For every oil drain interval, there are associated costs such as manual labor, cost of supplies (filters, new charge of oil), and disposal of used oil, to name just a few.

Every unnecessary oil change wastes labor, materials, and money that could be invested in reliability.

Depending on the size of the sump, costs can escalate, particularly if cleaning is required before the new oil charge is placed into the equipment. Different types of applications will advise the draining of the sump and refilling with new oil, while others recommend that the sump be flushed or manually cleaned before the new oil is administered.

Additionally, if the used oil becomes heavily contaminated during use, the sump and entire system would need to be cleaned thoroughly before new oil is used.

Find out more in the full article, "How to extend oil Drain Intervals Safely using Condition Monitoring" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
August 23, 2025
Oil Properties / Used Oil Analysis

What is condition monitoring and why does it matter in lubrication systems?

Condition monitoring began as a way to detect anomalies in our equipment using various types of technologies. These include: vibration, ultrasound, infrared, oil analysis, and even temperature.

These were all conditions that were “aligned” with what was happening on the inside of the machine. As such, changes in their values usually indicated that something was occurring, but it was up to the trained analyst to determine if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The most effective reliability programs blend multiple condition monitoring technologies to catch failures before they happen.

For this article, we will focus heavily on oil analysis, but this does not mean that it’s the only technology that should be used for monitoring your equipment. It has been proven that a combination of technologies can maximize the opportunity to detect an impending failure earlier and allow the maintenance team to act/plan accordingly. This can save millions of dollars depending on the industry and the type of equipment.

 

How to use Oil Analysis as a Core Condition Monitoring Tool

Stated, oil analysis can be any test performed on the oil that has been in use in the system. It is essential to note that the oil sampled should be representative of the system; otherwise, the results can lead to operators making inaccurate decisions.

For instance, oil taken from a dead leg of the equipment or in a stagnant zone does not truly represent the oil in the system. This can give a false representation of the system and cause misdiagnosis.

Depending on the equipment being monitored, specific tests would be required to determine the health of those systems. For example, with a turbine oil, one specific test would be the RULER® test to determine the remaining useful life (in the form of antioxidants).

However, if this test were performed for a transformer oil, it would not provide the operator with the necessary information, and more aligned tests such as Viscosity, Dissolved Gas Analysis, or Flash point would be more suitable.

Find out more in the full article, "How to extend oil Drain Intervals Safely using Condition Monitoring" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

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August 23, 2025