8 Tips for Setting Flagging Limits

Our customers often ask us to display the condemning limits for the tests performed on their sample, on the actual sample report they receive. Believe it or not, there is a reason why we exclude the limits from the report. It’s not a simple case of we are unable to, or we do not want to. The real reason relates to the complexity of using the correct limits for each parameter, based on several pieces of equipment and application information; as well as looking at trends of historical samples from the same unit, rate of change and any other applicable information relating to the sample and component. These differentiating factors result in limits changing dynamically on a sample by sample case, dependent on this information.

When setting limits, the following information must be taken into consideration on each sample, below are some examples:

  1. Equipment Type: (e.g. hydraulic)
  2. Specific Application: (e.g. Injection Moulding Machine)
  3. Equipment Manufacturer: (e.g. ARBURG)
  4. Equipment Model: (e.g. 1120H)
  5. Industry Type: (e.g. industrial manufacturing)
  6. Filter Type: (e.g. INLINE)
  7. Filter Micron Rating: (e.g. 10 micron)
  8. Sump Capacity: (e.g. 1000 litres)

Once limits are set, it’s best not to use them exactly. If for example, the iron ppm condemning limit for a hydraulic oil sample is set at 30ppm, customers may not expect the iron result to be flagged until it exceeds 30ppm. However, if historical samples from the same unit have consistently shown iron results of less than 5ppm, and on the latest sample the results are 22ppm, this is considered an abnormal trend, and exceeds expected Rate of Change values. In this instance, the result of 22ppm would be flagged as abnormal for these reasons, but is still below the statistical condemning limit level of 30ppm. So, if we did display this limit of 30ppm on the sample report, the customer may ask why the result has been flagged at 22ppm as it is under the threshold, which would in turn lead to more confusion and questions. Another important point to note is that combinations of metals present also affect the limits used, as they may indicate abnormal wear to a specific component.

Most OEM’s will provide some form of condemning limits in their technical bulletins or operational guides, but often come with the caveat that ‘these fixed limits should only be used if the laboratory cannot provide limits based on robust statistical analysis of previous results’, which further confirms the need for an accurate statistical model to be used on all samples tested.

Click here to read more information on setting limits

 

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

Published April 24, 2018

POLARIS Laboratories® + Reliable Plant 2018

POLARIS Laboratories® experienced succesful networking and visibility at the NORIA Reliable Plant Conference and Exhibition April 17-19. The conference welcomed hundreds of lubrication, oil analysis and maintenance professionals to Indianapolis. POLARIS Laboratories® was proud to be a premier sponsor of the event and provided many opportunities for attendees to network and learn about proven fluid analysis services.

The pre-conference workshop, Identifying the Causes of Contamination and the Actions That Mitigate Them, presented by POLARIS Laboratories® technical business consultants, Randy Clark and Henry Neicamp, proved to be a great success.  The workshop dived deeply into what causes fluid contamination and the actions to take to reduce equipment maintenance costs.

Contamination control also was the focus of four POLARIS Laboratories®-sponsored learning sessions during the conference taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday of the conference. Each of these learning sessions sparked interest in many of the conference attendees and resulted in a high attendance rate.

The POLARIS Laboratories® facility tour brought more than 60 Reliable Plant attendees to our Indianapolis laboratory location to tour our state-of-the-art, accredited laboratory, participate in a discussion panel and engage in timely networking. Reliable Plant attendees arrived at the POLARIS Laboratories® facility Wednesday evening and were guided, by our Chief Executive Officer, Bryan Debshaw, through our laboratory facility and office space. Attendees learned the ins and outs of how our laboratory and support operations help our customers achieve greater maintenance success and save more of their equipment.

We would like to thank all the Reliable Plant attendees who participated in one of our sponsored conference opportunities! If you’re interested in learning more about how our fluid analysis services can reduce maintenance costs and generate proven results contact us!

Data Extraction Made Easy

It’s not just fluid analysis, it’s what you do with it” is something we say a lot here at POLARIS Laboratories®. We strive to help our customers extend the life of their equipment – we do this through not only laboratory testing, but extensive data generation and analysis. While some consider us just “the laboratory”, we pride ourselves on being more than that. By providing you with in-depth analysis and maintenance recommendations, you can address any maintenance issues early.

Data Overload

We test and analyze thousands of samples daily, each generating dozens of individual data points. With different types of components, fluids and severities potentially spread out over multiple accounts, the amount and complexity of data can be hard to decipher. This is especially true if the extent of your data management is simply just receiving sample reports in your email inbox. What do you do with all of that data?

There’s a Solution

Fortunately, our information technology department has developed a number of helpful and innovative tools within our online data management tool, HORIZON®, to help with this. Along with real-time dashboards, we have a number of pre-made reports that most likely can answer most of the questions you may have regarding your sample data. But what happens when there is not a pre-made report available? If you are the analytical-type and know your way around Microsoft Excel (everyone’s go-to Business Intelligence tool), you might just want the raw data so you can do your own analysis. The tool in HORIZON that gives you the ability to do that just that is called Data Extraction.

Customize

Data Extraction is a simple tool within HORIZON that gathers data based upon customized criteria you set and exports it into an Excel-compatible file. Let’s say you wanted to compare two different locations that had severity 3 and 4 rated components for the last quarter. With Data Extraction, you can easily generate this report in Excel so you can go filter or use Pivot Tables to see what is potentially driving those severities.

How It Works

We have recently made some changes in the way the Data Extraction queries are processed and the results are impressive, with reports being generated in seconds. Give Data Extraction a go and see for yourself.

  1. Go to HORIZON and log in
  2. Click on the Management Reports tab
  3. Select Data Extraction Tool from the left-hand navigation
  4. At this point, you can easily select the filter criteria for the report you want to generate
  5. When you have finished selecting your criteria, click Run and the file will generate and download

If you would like to see a walk-through demonstration on how to run a Data Extraction report, click here to watch the video in our Technical Library.

Our goal is to help companies like yours save more of their equipment and strive to provide the resources to do so. We welcome any feedback on the functionality of this report and any other features you’d like to see in HORIZON.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

Published April 10, 2018

Fluid Analysis 101: 5 Tips to Collect the Best Sample

Obtaining a truly representative fluid sample from your equipment or machine is the most critical part of a successful fluid analysis program. Without a true, accurate representation of what is going on inside your equipment, the analysis conducted may prove to be of little value in determining the condition of the machine at the time of sampling.

The particles and elements of wear, corrosion, fluid degradation and contamination provide the necessary diagnostic information concerning both the fluid and the machine. These particles can settle or separate out from the fluid, causing an uneven distribution throughout the system. So, choosing the right sampling point is very critical. Below are five tips to follow to ensure you collect the best sample possible.

  1. Take the sample from a point that provides plenty of turbulence in the fluid to ensure the particles are well mixed. 
  2. If you’re sampling from a filtering device, samples should be taken upstream.
  3. For trending, it is best to take the sample from the same location, depth etc. on the equipment – every time.
  4. Where possible, take the sample while the equipment is in operation or within 30 minutes of shut-down.
  5. The best sample points to collect the fluid are different depending on the type of equipment. The chart below outlines some of the best sample points:

To achieve a successful, effective fluid analysis program, the sample has to be truly representative of the equipment or fluid condition. This can only be accomplished if samples are taken from the same proper sampling points each time – this also helps to establish maintenance trends. To ensure you get the most value from your fluid analysis program – and to experience increased uptime and cost savings – follow these easy sampling tips.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

Published April 3, 2018