New European Collection & Shipping Points

National Collection Points now available in UK, Belgium & Germany

POZNAN, POLAND – POLARIS Laboratories® Europe now offers National Collection & Shipping Points in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany. These collection points allow fluid analysis users in these countries to easily send their samples to a local address for transit to the laboratory in Poland.

Samples received at these hubs will be consolidated on a daily basis, shipped overnight to the laboratory and tested the next day. This greatly reduces the cost of shipping individual or small batches of samples to Poland without increasing the shipping time.

To find out more information on this new service or discuss your Fluid Analysis requirements in Europe, please contact Gwyn Simmonds on +44 (0) 7766 073860 or at gsimmonds@polarislabs.com.

New HORIZON® App Feature Eliminates Paperwork

Sample submission makes sampling quicker, easier, more accurate

INDIANAPOLIS – The latest feature offered on the new app for HORIZON – online sample submission – will improve how users collect and submit oil, coolant and diesel fuel samples. Now sample data can be entered into the app and linked to the barcode on the sample jar, eliminating the need for sample paperwork to be filled out and shipped.

“Giving customers the ability to submit samples from a phone or tablet means they can stand next to the equipment while they enter the numbers,” POLARIS Laboratories® Chief Executive Officer Bryan Debshaw said. “Going digital greatly improves accuracy and speeds up the process, too. It’s a positive change for everyone.”

The process is simple. Customers use the app to select a component from their equipment list, enter required information and link the data to the barcode on the sample. Common paperwork mistakes can prevent a sample from being tested, so a data validation process immediately tells users if information is missing or incorrect.

The app uses the mobile device’s camera to automatically scan barcodes, eliminating the need to type in long strings of numbers and characters. In addition, customers can create QR codes of their equipment’s ID numbers and use the camera to find the component in the app.

Since August 2015, the initial version of the HORIZON app has been downloaded on more than 1,300 mobile devices. Users employ the app’s customizable alerts to notify them when testing is complete. A few taps can bring up a testing result summary and recommendations, and another tap will download the full report as a PDF. With the addition of the sample submission feature, users can perform oil analysis from start to finish without using a computer, email account or written paperwork.

The HORIZON app places the power of the web data management application in the palm of your hand. The app allows users to quickly submit sample data and read reports from mobile devices. Available now on iOS devices, the app will expand to Android platforms in the near future.

POLARIS Laboratories® Adopts New Test Methodology

Initial pH test (ASTM D7946) available now 

INDIANAPOLIS – Maintaining their reputation for continued innovation and cutting-edge fluid analysis, POLARIS Laboratories® adopted the new American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) test method to measure the acidity of oils.

“We test pH at each of our laboratories around the globe, so transitioning to initial pH required collaboration and coordination,” POLARIS Laboratories® Chief Executive Officer Bryan Debshaw said. “However, the benefit to our customers was obvious, so we worked quickly to adopt ASTM’s new method.”

Released in December 2014, ASTM D7946 was designed to test the Initial pH (i-pH) of in-service lubricants. Compared to the previous method (ASTM D664), i-pH is superior for measuring the acidity or alkalinity of lubricants.

POLARIS Laboratories® uses pH to evaluate the strength of the acids present in compressors, natural gas engine and biogas engine lubricants. Typical operations (oxidation, blow-by of combustion gases) and environmental contamination increase the acidity of lubricants (which decreases the pH).

Most oils contain detergent and antioxidant additives to neutralize acid. As these additives are depleted, the lubricant no longer protects the internal components from corrosion. Oil analysis uses i-pH and acid number tests to determine if the lubricant is suitable for continued use and the oil drain can be extended, which saves time and money.