Just as oil analysis is similar to blood testing, we can think of our bodies as a critical machine with various components which need to be monitored. If we get a fractured bone, a blood test will not help us to assess if the bone is broken or can be repaired. In this case, we may need an x-ray. Similarly, with machines, there are various types of tests to determine different aspects to be monitored.
Typically, oil analysis can provide the operator with insight into whether there has been any internal damage to the equipment in the form of wear particles which can be quantified. As with most condition monitoring methods, being able to trend the patterns over time helps the operators to identify if wear is occurring at an increased rate or whether the oil is degrading.
On the other hand, other technologies such as vibration analysis or ultrasound analysis or even thermography are not able to detect the presence of molecules. These other types of analyses focus on alignment, or other mechanical issues as they occur and can trend them over time. However, oil analysis can accurately detect the presence or absence of contaminants or additive packages which could affect the health of the oil and by extension that of the machine.
Oil analysis should not be used as the only technology in your condition monitoring artillery. Other technologies can be used alongside oil analysis to provide the user with a more comprehensive overview of the health of the asset. For instance, if the oil analysis discovered high wear, the next step would be to identify where the wear was coming from. Perhaps in this case, one of the other technologies could identify a misalignment or other mechanical issue which could be the source of this wear. Thus, these technologies should be used to work together to achieve better reliability for their asset owners.
Find the full article here on Engineering Maintenance Solutions Magazine.
