Tagged: used oil analysis

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. 

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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. 

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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

How should you store and dispose of hydraulic oil safely?

Hydraulic oils are easily contaminated, particularly during storage and handling. Due to the tight clearances in hydraulic systems and their function of transmitting power, any contaminant can cause an issue with the system’s efficiency. As such, it is crucial to store and dispose of these oils properly.

Every ounce of contamination prevented during storage saves hours of troubleshooting later.

Proper storage of hydraulic oils includes keeping the containers closed and protected from the elements, as this prevents dirt particles from entering easily. These oils should not be stored in an area that is not covered or exposed to the elements, as this increases the risk of contamination. For any oil that is decanted into smaller containers, filters should be used during decanting (into a clean container) and upon decanting into the equipment to minimize the transfer of particles from the outside.

When hydraulic oil reaches the end of its life, it must be disposed of properly. In different countries, various rules and regulations govern this disposal. In many countries, a certificate of custody and chain of transfer is required when moving used hydraulic oils from the equipment site to the site where they are disposed of. Some waste oil removal companies ask that the hydraulic oils be separated from other oils, especially in cases where these will be re-refined to create new oils.

Find out more in the full article, "Hydraulic Oil Basics: Functions, Types, and Performance Factors" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

Oil Properties

Maintenance and Testing of Hydraulic Oil

Keeping hydraulic oils clean is critical to their operation, as any contaminant can interfere with the amount of power that they can transmit. These oils are also subjected to harsh conditions, so monitoring their quality will help to ensure that they provide the maximum efficiency for the system in which they are working.

Importance of Regular Maintenance

Hydraulic oil systems are notoriously known for leaks. Sometimes this revolves around failed seals or the improper use of material for the actual system, which cannot tolerate the existing conditions. Despite the root cause of the leak, it is essential to perform regular inspections on hydraulic equipment, as a leak can lead to a loss of power, potentially delaying or causing work in progress to come to an unexpected halt.

Hydraulic leaks are also detrimental to the environment, particularly if they seep into the ground or waterways. Hence, it is crucial to perform regular checks and maintenance on hydraulic systems to prevent harm to the environment.

A single unnoticed hydraulic leak can halt production and harm the environment.

Some other factors to consider regarding the maintenance of hydraulic fluids include maintaining the temperature and oil levels at the expected system values, as well as keeping the hydraulic oil clean to avoid contaminants.

Users should also be performing routine oil analysis (to catch any changes to the oil, which may lead to detrimental effects). Additionally, routine inspections can include checking noise levels, shock loads, filtration, vibration, leakage, fluid odor, color, and the presence of foaming. These additional methods can prove beneficial for intercepting early failures.

Common Methods for Monitoring Hydraulic Oil Condition

When monitoring hydraulic oils, several key characteristics to pay attention to include viscosity, AN (Acid Number), Water content, the presence of wear metals, and contaminants.

Any change in viscosity can affect the transfer of power, while an increase in Acid Number (AN) can indicate the degradation of the oil. On the other hand, the presence of any contaminant can also impact the performance of the oil, possibly leading to its degradation while acting as a catalyst.

Alternatively, the presence of wear metals can also indicate that wear is occurring on the inside of the hydraulic equipment. It may initiate a physical maintenance check to determine the extent of the wear.

Steps for Changing Hydraulic Oil

When changing hydraulic oil, it is important to note the previous condition of the oil. If there is a high concentration of contaminants, the system should ideally be flushed before introducing a new batch of oil. This prevents the new oil from also becoming contaminated and degrading at an accelerated rate.

Additionally, some physical contaminants may have also become lodged in the tighter clearances. Hence, it is always a good idea to perform a flush on the system, ensuring that it is clean before a new batch of oil is used.

Proper Storage and Handling

Hydraulic oils must be clean, and depending on the system, they have very specific cleanliness requirements. As such, when storing hydraulic oils, special care should be taken to ensure that the rooms are clean, the decanting equipment is clean (free from dirt or other contaminants), and a filter cart is used when decanting new oil into a system. Hydraulic oils do not mix well with other oils, and dedicated systems or equipment are required for decanting these oils.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

One of the main issues with hydraulic oils is their susceptibility to contamination. Contaminants can be in the form of physical particles, liquids, or gases.

In the case of gases, this usually leads to cavitation (one very common challenge with hydraulic oils) or an increase in the presence of foam. Hydraulic oils can also become contaminated with water, which affects their ability to transfer the required amount of power.

If your pump sounds like marbles, air or cavitation is already stealing performance.

Typically, technicians have reported hearing the “sound of marbles” within pumps that are experiencing cavitation. In these cases, there is usually an air leak or air entering the system where it is not intended to. This can be an issue with the intake or suction part of the pump, where the oil levels are low enough to allow for air to enter the system and then become trapped. In these cases, a baffle plate can be placed inside the reservoir at a 60-degree angle to trap some of the air bubbles.

On the other hand, when water is present in the hydraulic oils, depending on the concentration, a vacuum dehydrator or regular filtration system can be used to help remove the water.  Subsequently, for hydraulic oils that contain a high level of physical contaminants, a filtration system can also be used to help remove them from the system.

Find out more in the full article, "Hydraulic Oil Basics: Functions, Types, and Performance Factors" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

Automotive / Oil Properties / Storage & Handling of Lubricants / Storage and Handling / Strategic Tips

How to Properly Dispose of Used Engine Oil

Changing our motor oil is important and must be done regularly, but how do we dispose of the used oil in a safe and environmentally friendly manner? Approximately 42 gallons of crude oil are required to produce 0.5 gallons of new oil for lubricants. However, only one gallon of used oil needs to be converted into 0.5 gallons of new oil.

Hence, recycling used oil significantly reduces the number of resources required to produce new oil. There are numerous benefits to recycling used oil, which can help in the fight against declining resources. Let’s dive into this a bit more.

What is the Environmental Impact of Improper Disposal?

When motor oil reaches the end of its life, it can become contaminated with harmful pollutants, which can negatively impact the environment if improperly disposed of. Some of these can be toxic to plants, and it only takes the used oil from one oil change to contaminate one million gallons of fresh water!  Therefore, we need to be mindful of the disposal of our oils.

Used motor oil can typically contain metal fillings (from engine wear), chemicals from by-products, and possibly fuel. Improper disposal, especially into waterways, can disrupt the supply of clean drinking water for many people. If this used oil seeps into the soil, it could also contaminate the water table and negatively impact plants and, by extension, humans who may consume these plants at some point.

Laws and Regulations for Disposing of Oil

The EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) provides guidelines in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, specifically CFR part 279, regarding the disposal of used oil. In the UAE, there are strict guidelines for the disposal of used oil; otherwise, individuals may face severe fines and legal action. These used oils should never be poured down drains, onto the ground, or into bodies of water.

Community Recycling Programs

Some communities have a local collection point for used motor oils, which they then take to the larger refineries. This way, a larger volume of oil is collected and recycled by the refineries.

Tips for Safe and Responsible Oil Disposal

Motor oils contain 30% additives; therefore, mixing them with other used oils may not be the best option for those trying to recycle them. Ideally, these oils can be reconditioned (where they are cleaned up) or re-refined (where they are reused as base stock). Collecting your used motor oil in a clean container and taking it to your local recycling facility, where it will be properly disposed of.

Some facilities may burn it to process it for energy recovery, using it as fuel after removing the water and contaminants. One gallon of used oil processed for fuel contains about 140,000 British thermal Units (Btus) of energy. Regardless of the method you choose to dispose of your used motor oil, ensure you do not harm the environment.

Find out more in the full article, "Engine oil types and how to choose the right one" featured in Precision Lubrication Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

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April 13, 2025
Used Oil Analysis

How to measure the Success of an Oil Analysis Program?

In a world where budgets rule the day and any additional program is shut down if merit cannot be found in it, being able to prove the success of your oil analysis program is critical. But how does one go about proving that the implementation of a program has stopped or reduced failures when there isn’t a big incident to compare it against? Simple, we start in the past to get to where we need to be in the future.

Documentation is always critical especially when we’re trying to build a case to implement some new measures. If previous failures have been documented, then the associated downtime and expenses such as additional labour, parts or expedited shipping and handling should also be taken account of. By detailing the costs associated with a failure or unplanned downtime from a lubrication issue, we can use this data to help determine the ROI of implementing the oil analysis program.

We need to then identify the times that the oil analysis program alerted the maintenance team about an upcoming issue or something that didn’t seem right which turned out to be a failing part or perhaps something that would cause some unplanned downtime. In these cases, we need to note what challenge we stopped or reduced the risk of occurring. By assigning a value to the failure that we prevented, we can then develop the ROI on the implementation of the oil analysis program.

Oil analysis can be a game changer for our maintenance teams in our fleets. It can help them to make more informed decisions allowing them to plan maintenance activities better and even reduce unwanted downtime. Oil analysis can be that hidden tool in our utility belt if we make use of it and implement it to help our fleets.

 

References

Bureau Veritas. (2020). The Basics of Oil Analysis Booklet. Retrieved from Bureau Veritas: https://oil-testing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Basics-of-Oil-Analysis-Booklet-2020V_compressed-1.pdf

Rensselar, J. V. (2016, January). Unraveling the mystery of oil analysis flagging limits. STLE TLT magazine.

Find out more in the full article, "Oil Analysis - A Hidden Tool in your Utility belt" featured in Equipment Today Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
December 23, 2024
Used Oil Analysis

How to Implement Oil Analysis for a mixed fleet

Now that we understand the value that oil analysis can bring, we need to be able to implement it, especially in mixed fleets. It is critical to clearly define the objectives of this program to ensure that we can monitor the value that oil analysis brings to our operations.

Ideally, the main objective of this program is to be able to monitor the health of the assets and prevent or reduce the possibility of a major failure or unplanned downtime. While it would be great to monitor the health of all the assets, this may not be entirely necessary.

Assets can be broken down into three main categories: critical, semi-critical and non-critical. The critical assets are the pieces of equipment which if they fail, can negatively impact the business. Semi-critical assets are those which if they fail, may have some impact on the business while non-critical assets are those whose failure do not impact on the business.

Depending on the nature of the business or the operations / projects which are ongoing at any point in time, your critical assets can switch in terms of priority to become semi-critical or a non-critical asset. For instance, if there was a job which required the use of a crane, then this would be our critical asset. However, if there was a job which did not require the use of a crane, then this asset becomes non-critical.

If we were dealing with the manufacturing industry where there are stationary pieces of equipment and a standard procedure, then the criticality of assets will not change as compared to a mixed fleet operation where contractors may have different jobs and require varying pieces of equipment.

Now that we’ve identified the critical assets / pieces of equipment, the sampling frequency must be determined. For critical assets, these may require some specialty tests as we want to ensure that we are alerted at the earliest possible time about an impending failure.

(Bureau Veritas, 2020) provides some guidelines for oil sampling as per figure 4 below. However, the OEM guidelines should be adhered to once they exist. Even though the sampling intervals state 250 or 500 hours, these must be in accordance with the OEMs guidelines regarding maintenance as well.

Figure 5. Guidelines for sampling as per Bureau Veritas, 2020
Figure 5. Guidelines for sampling as per Bureau Veritas, 2020

Typically, some OEMs may require an oil change at around 500 or 1000 hours (depending on the unit). If we only take the oil sample at the end of the life of the oil, then we are monitoring and trending how the oil ages at this point in time. However, if we’re trying to extend the oil drain interval of a component, then we would need to develop shorter intervals to monitor how the health of the oil is progressing and if it can indeed last for a longer time. If we’re attempting to extend the oil drain interval, then this should be done at increments of about a quarter of the usual interval.

Find out more in the full article, "Oil Analysis - A Hidden Tool in your Utility belt" featured in Equipment Today Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

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December 23, 2024
Used Oil Analysis

How to read an Oil Analysis report

While oil analysis can help our teams identify more information about the condition of the oil, we still need to ensure that they can read the oil analysis report and put measures in place to deal with the issues which may arise. In the example below, we will look through a typical diesel engine report as provided by ALS Tribology lab featured in STLE’s TLT magazine as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. First page of Diesel Engine oil report adapted from Rensselar, 2016
Figure 1. First page of Diesel Engine oil report adapted from Rensselar, 2016

Most labs try to make it very easy for the report readers to assess the health of the oil, at a first glance. They usually implement a traffic light system where the status of the oil is highlighted. In this case, this oil has a normal rating indicating that the oil is still in good health and there isn’t anything to be concerned about yet as shown in Figure 2.

However, one of the main premises of oil analysis is the ability to spot trends over time and from this report, we can see that the oil may not have always been in a good condition as shown in figure 3. Each column represents an oil sample from a different date, so at a quick glance we can see that for two of the results, the oil was not in a good state whereas for the other results they remained in the normal region.

Figure 3: Changing condition of the oil
Figure 3: Changing condition of the oil
Figure 2: Current condition of the oil
Figure 2: Current condition of the oil

One question that often gets asked is, “What is the normal region?”. Most oil analysis labs have collected data from OEMs which explicitly state the alarm limits for their pieces of equipment. As such, for each component, a lab should have matching data for alarm limits for the oil in that component. If none exists, then the lab may use a general industry guideline for these limits.

Therefore, if the actual value of the oil either exceeds or is below the limit, then this value will be flagged and the user notified. As seen in the report, there are basic sections into which these values are broken up, namely; metals, contaminants, additives and physical tests. Depending on the OEM, there will be different limits for these values.

However, our teams need to be able to identify what the presence or absence of the elements mean for different components.(Bureau Veritas, 2020) compiled a listing to help report readers understand this better as seen below.

fig4-et
fig5-et
fig6-et
Figure 4. Identify what the presence or absence of the elements mean for different components (Bureau Veritas, 2020)
Figure 4. Identify what the presence or absence of the elements mean for different components (Bureau Veritas, 2020)

Armed with this information, our teams can make more informed decisions. If they start seeing the quantity of Chromium increasing in their engines then this could be a sign of wear on the Liners and rings, shafts, valve train, bearings, shafts and gears, seals. Therefore, some investigations can begin on these components and possible wear can be addressed before the component gets damaged to the point that it can no longer function. Similarly, if they notice particular additives decrease over time such as zinc, then this could indicate that the antiwear additive is being depleted at a faster rate. These tables can guide report readers on what is actually occurring in their oils allowing them to properly plan for maintenance activities.

Find out more in the full article, "Oil Analysis - A Hidden Tool in your Utility belt" featured in Equipment Today Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

by
December 23, 2024
Used Oil Analysis

What is Oil Analysis?

When we think about the various tools available to our maintenance team, we often think about physical tools such as a screwdriver, wrench or possibly even a hammer (if used in the right circumstances!). However, we don’t think about some of the methods we could employ which can make our maintenance teams more efficient or our equipment more reliable.

One such method is oil analysis and while it may not be at the forefront of our minds when thinking about increasing the reliability of the fleet, its impacts can be very significant once utilized properly. In this article, we will talk about the implementation of oil analysis for a mixed fleet of equipment, the impact of this program and the ways that the success of this method can be measured.

What Is Oil Analysis?

If you’ve ever drained the oil from the sump of a diesel engine, then you would know that it’s a messy process. Typically, when this oil is drained, the mechanic can tell you a few things about what happened on the inside of the engine without going to a lab.

For instance, some mechanics may place a magnet in a sealed bag and drop this into the drained oil. When they remove the bag, if there are metal filings stuck to the outside of the bag with the magnet, then that means there is some significant wear occurring on the inside of the engine. Similarly, if there is a tinge of a rainbow colour on the surface of the drained oil, that could mean that fuel is getting into the oil system and there may be an issue with one of the fuel injectors.

While these methods may not be able to precisely tell us how much fuel or wear (or what type of wear metal was present), they do provide some indications of what’s happening on the inside of the equipment. This is where oil analysis can be the game changer for our mechanics and our teams leading the reliability initiative.

With oil analysis, we can accurately and quantitatively trend the presence or absence of certain characteristics of the oil and what it contains. In this instance, we are able to correctly identify the wear metals present in the oil and trend whether these values increase or decrease over time. This can help our mechanics to figure out exactly where the wear is coming from as they would be able to identify the parts of the engine which are associated with the increase in the particular wear metal from the report.

Additionally, they can become more aware of other important parameters such as viscosity or TBN (Total Base Number) which they would not have been able to quantify without oil analysis. They can also get information on the decreases in additives or increases in contaminants which can allow them to identify or troubleshoot these issues in advance.

Find out more in the full article, "Oil Analysis - A Hidden Tool in your Utility belt" featured in Equipment Today Magazine by Sanya Mathura, CEO & Founder of Strategic Reliability Solutions Ltd. 

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December 23, 2024