November, 2018 | POLARIS Laboratories®

Dirty Dozen: 12 Types of Contamination

The life of components in automotive, industrial and other equipment is reduced when contaminants circulate through their systems. Water, solid particles, varnish and even air can lead to a decrease in drain intervals and an increase in foaming, oxidation, sludge and varnish formation—potentially causing serious damage and catastrophic failure.

What’s causing damage? Below are the four main categories of contamination:

Air Contamination
- Air causes foam to form and it may be a sign that the antifoam additive may be depleted and the oil needs to be changed out. Air causes the oil to look cloudy – often mistaking it for water contamination.
- An easy way to visually tell the difference between air and water contamination: take a small oil sample in a clear container and allow it to sit undisturbed for 24 hours – air will rise to the top while water will settle to the bottom.
Water Contamination
- Water can get into your system through vapor in the air – but it can also come form rain, splashing, leaking fittings or power washing the equipment.
- Measuring the current moisture level in your equipment’s oil, and then finding ways to reduce the moisture level, can significantly extend your machine’s life.
Particle Contamination
- Particle contamination can be caused by particles entering the system via air movement or oil degradation.
- Here are some powerful facts for you:
  - Greater than 80 percent of machine wear is caused by particle contamination.
  - The industry spends upwards of $200 billion annually filtering fluids to prevent mechanical problems caused by hard particles.
Varnish Contamination
- Varnish buildup, whether it be hard or soft, can occur in reservoirs and throughout lube and hydraulic systems on components and filter elements. Once varnish formation begins, the equipment becomes unreliable and potentially unsafe.

Discover all 12 types of oil contamination, by reading my featured article in Lubes ‘N’ Greases’ October 2018 edition: Dirty Dozen: 12 Types of Oil Contamination by clicking below.

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

Published November 27, 2018

Preparing Your Program for 2019

How do you not only discover, but maximize the services and benefits by partnering with a fluid analysis laboratory and ensure it’s a positive addition to your preventive maintenance program? If your organization is partnering with a fluid analysis laboratory, it is important to examine what value-add services they offer and what you are actually paying for.

What software applications (technology) they offer?
What test packages are available?
What training services are offered?
Do they have industry accreditations?
Is there accessibility to communicating to relevant service personnel?

Having support from a trusted laboratory partner can help maximize these services and at the same time, educate members your maintenance team to utilize the available resources. At the end of day, you want to maximize the return on your investment which means your equipment’s of fluid’s life.

Steps to a Successful Program

A successful preventive maintenance program requires the following:

Leadership | We call this a Program Champion. A Program Champion is preventive maintenance professional who provides buy-in about the wellbeing of their equipment – while providing leadership and accountability for a successful program.
Goals | Establish realistic goals and an organized plan on how to achieve them in a timely manner.
Education | Train your maintenance team on what is to be expected and what results need to achieved.
Testing Capabilities | Access to the available test packages – and knowing what packages you need – will benefit your maintenance program.

Regular Routine

After your program is established – you need to maintain it.

Continuous Training | Have scheduled conversations with key members of your maintenance team and use the information or resources the laboratory has available.
Transparency | Ask for input from your maintenance team – this will generate interest in the program and foster an atmosphere for everyone to contribute and succeed.
Celebrate | Share your success stories and celebrate wins with your team.
Utilize Resources | If you have additional questions, contact a representative from your fluid analysis provider and remember this is one of the value-add services available to you.

Positive Program Standards for 2019

When you start planning for 2019, it’s important to re-evaluate and establish your program goals, provide continuous training, ensure you have all the requirements for a successful program and are utilize the value-add services available to you. By working together with your maintenance team, upper management and your fluid analysis provider – your program will succeed. Utilize this practice with other service providers who are components of your preventive maintenance program moving forward in the new year.

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

Published November 13, 2018

HORIZON Mobile Update Release

What’s New

After seeing a high demand of customer requests to add this feature, we’ve released an update to the mobile application that will put more power into your mobile app. The app update allows you to edit your equipment – you can now add, duplicate and edit components in equipment management in the HORIZON mobile app.

The Power is in Your Fingertips

Update your mobile app today to experience the convenience of editing your equipment – right from your fingertips. You now have the power to:

Add new components
Duplicate existing components
Edit fields including:
- Component ID
- Fluid type
- Component type
- Manufacturer
- Model
- Filter type
- Application
- And more

Empower your fluid analysis, leverage the mobile app capabilities and maximize your fluid analysis program by downloading the latest version of the HORIZON Mobile app in the App Store or Google Play Store.