Go Digital with Your Condition Monitoring

As the industry continues to grow in the digital landscape, POLARIS Laboratories® is always looking for ways to maximize customers’ access to technology. With tools such as Component ID Tags, QR-Code-Only Sample Labels and the HORIZON® mobile app, our customers can digitally customize how they manage their fluid analysis programs.

QR-Code Only Sample Labels

QR-Code Only Sample Labels contain a unique barcode number linked to a specific fluid sample, made to easily apply to the surface of the sample bottle. By transitioning to QR-Code Only Sample Labels, customers can reduce the costs of kits while simultaneously improving the overall carbon footprint.

Start using QR-Code Only Samples and:

  • Eliminate handwritten submissions
  • Minimize paper waste
  • Accelerate result time
  • Manage previous submission information
  • Save on costs of kits

Read more on QR-Code Only Sample Labels

Streamline Submissions Through Component ID Tags

Registering equipment information has been made easier using Component ID Tags. Implementing the use of these QR tags minimizes time spent registering samples in HORIZON and ensures data accuracy.

Use Component ID QR Tags on equipment and:

  • Eliminate manually entered ID’s
  • Maintain component ID integrity
  • Decrease registration steps
  • Increase productivity

Get Connected Anywhere Through the HORIZON Mobile App

Implementing the use of QR codes works in tandem with the HORIZON mobile app. Customers can avoid paperwork and access fluid analysis data in HORIZON anywhere, anytime. The HORIZON mobile app gives customers unlimited access to view their equipment list, sample data history, view reports and more all within the reach of their pocket.

The mobile app allows customers to:

  • Register samples
  • Scan QR codes
  • Receive and view reports
  • Add and duplicate equipment
  • Set up custom alerts based on report severity

The mobile app allows customers to edit fields including:

  • Component ID
  • Fluid type
  • Component type
  • Manufacturer
  • Model
  • Filter type
  • Application

Stay Alert Anywhere You Go

Keeping up with the digital age and taking your fluid analysis program digital means quicker sample registration and faster response time to critical issues before they turn catastrophic.

POLARIS Laboratories® prioritizes our customers’ reliability through providing services that increase program efficiency. As we continue to innovate using technology to streamline our programs, we hope customers utilize these tools to effectively monitor their equipment.

Staying Cool for the Summer: How to Utilize Coolants During Hot Temps

With the summer months coming, assessing your cooling system is more important than ever to prevent equipment overheating.

As the outside temperatures rise during the summer months, equipment concerns come into focus. Engine metallurgy and lubrication relies on a specific temperature range while in-service. Anything outside of this range will result in reduced efficiency and prolonged exposure to high internal temperatures will increase component wear and lubricant stress. The viscosity of the lubricant is crucial for providing a fluid film to avoid metal to metal contact. Overheating will cause the lubricant’s viscosity to become too thin for proper protection. This affects lubrication, resulting in friction, wear and shortening the lubricant’s capabilities to provide proper protection to the system.

The Functions of a Cooling System

The cooling system becomes a driving reminder to the importance of regulating the engine temperature. The cooling system must be able to circulate coolant, remove heat from the system and dissipate the heat. To keep overall internal temperatures stable during outside temperature shifts, the cooling system must function correctly. However, if one of the functions cannot perform properly, this will cause a snowball effect of concerns.

The effects of temperature, pressure, flow on the cooling system operation, will noticeably impact equipment health. Corrosion in the cooling system occurs at a slower rate than engine wear; however, up to 40% of preventable engine failures are traced back to the cooling system. Concerns with the lubricant and engine performance may be a sign of cooling system issues.

Click here to read more on the effects on the cooling system

The Importance of Coolants

Coolant in the cooling system plays a critical role in the ability to transfer heat and prevent corrosion protecting the overall system health. Overheating is a common concern due to coolant property issues. Increased summer heat might also increase unexpected failures. The frequently acknowledged coolant properties that are reduce corrosion in the cooling system and lubricant concerns are:

• Glycol Concentration
• pH
• Corrosion Protection Inhibitors
• Concerns of Contamination
• Degradation Acids

Maintaining Coolant Systems for Improved Longevity

Coolant chemistry reactions occur due to mechanical issues, coolant property concerns or contamination of the system. Warmer temperatures should not keep your equipment out of service or increase lubrication costs. Maintaining your cooling system can be a simple task to avoid resulting in a neglected system. Understanding coolant and equipment demands is key to proper maintenance in the field. With consistent maintenance, the coolant and equipment health can provide adequate functions to protect and remove heat from the component parts as needed.

A proper fluid analysis program should include assessing all fluids in the equipment. Your fluid analysis program will remove maintenance guesswork for whether the equipment components are appropriately supported and protected or not. With trend analysis, you can reliably catch concerns and are able to act on the recommendations and address the issue before further damaging your equipment. Reach out to our team today to see how we can help see your fluid analysis program succeed and achieve your ROI.

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Published June 25, 2024

Seeing Proven Savings: One Report at a Time

Fluid analysis is a powerful tool in the preventive maintenance toolbox of many equipment and maintenance managers in industries ranging from construction to aggregates to mining to marine. Efficiently managed programs provide considerable benefits that translate directly into maintenance cost savings for industries who rely on the operation of their equipment.

When operating equipment, it’s inevitable to see some wear as the machine operates overtime. One of the most valuable advantages of fluid analysis is detecting early signs of wear within equipment by analyzing wear particles within the oil.

Saving $80,000 in Engine Replacement Cost

One of POLARIS Laboratories® customers in the Marine industry was able to save the entire replacement of an engine by performing recommended actions on a high severity lubricant analysis sample report. After collecting an oil sample during a break in the oil change schedule, the company’s sample report returned at a high severity. The recommended maintenance action based on the test results and interpretation was to borescope the cylinders, in which the team observed scoring on the cylinder liners.

Report showing high levels of iron with a recommendation to check cylinders

While continuing to investigate the concern, it was observed that the bottom of the engine piston crown showed signs of deterioration. After discovering this, a strategic maintenance decision was made to replace all six pistons, liners and connecting rods.

As the company shares this story with POLARIS Laboratories®, it was noted that there were no other condition monitoring indications or alarms that showed there was an engine issue – the concern was only identified based on the test results and recommendations on the lubricant analysis sample report. Without the sample report indicating abnormal wear and suggestion to evaluate the cylinders, the problem would not have been identified and would have led to a total engine loss and $80,000.

Avoiding Lost Production, Downtime and $260,000+ in Engine Loss

For a POLARIS Laboratories® customer in the Aggregates industry, equipment downtime can be detrimental to production, customer satisfaction, labor costs and operations. The company had coolant analysis report came back indicating a high freeze point which, if not addressed, would have caused the engine block to freeze resulting in a complete engine replacement of $135,000 (this does not include the downtime if the asset was out of production for repairs).

In another instance, the company was able to avoid a full axle rebuild that would have cost $50,000 by addressing a simple issue and replacing the oil after a lubricant analysis report came back with results indicating a leak in the axle which had resulted in dirt contamination causing wear.

Report showing high levels of sodium with a recommendation to check cooling system for leaks

A very recent equipment save through oil analysis for the company involved receiving a report back that indicated high levels of lead. The team was able to proactively replace the NRS coolers before the engine could experience failure – a failure that would have cost the company $75,000 to repair, plus the additional downtime loss.

Fluid analysis is a proactive, preventive, predictive and cost-effective condition monitoring tool proven to minimize unexpected and un-budgeted maintenance costs by detecting signs of early wear and contamination. Through interpreting test results and maintenance recommendations provided by the data analysts, maintenance and equipment managers can take action before failure even has a chance.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.

Let us prove it to you.

Published November 14, 2023

Revolutionized Maintenance Training at INTEGRATE

Where can you find education and training designed to give you the tools you need to see success along your reliability journey?

The answer: at the 2023 Reliability Summit | INTEGRATE. 

We’ve revolutionized our annual maintenance training conference to provide all-encompassing training on every aspect of your fluid analysis program. From expanding your use of the HORIZON® platform, to understanding how to grow your program, learning how sampling can be made easier, to increasing understanding of result interpretation, to eliminating silos by integrating fluid analysis data into your maintenance management system, INTEGRATE is the one place you need to be.

View this year’s line up of speakers and learning sessions

In one trip to Indianapolis in October, you and your maintenance teams can gain new ideas, insights and knowledge to kick your maintenance into high gear and see your reliability program reap the benefits of effective, impactful fluid analysis.

Gain New Perspectives

Not only will you gain education, but you’ll also gain new perspectives. During this 2-day exclusive event, hosted by POLARIS Laboratories® at The Alexander in Indianapolis, you’ll have the chance to:

  • Meet one-on-one with your account representative
  • Ask subject matter experts your questions
  • Learn what others are doing to improve their reliability program
  • Network with fellow maintenance professionals to learn and grow from their experiences

See Operations in Action

When you attend INTEGRATE, you get more than education through learning sessions, you get a first-hand look at not one, but two facilities through exclusive tours – and a chance to see inside POLARIS Laboratories’ headquarters laboratory in Indianapolis.

Cummins Augmented & Virtual Environmental Lab

Experience a tour of Cummins technical center and environmental lab and see what Cummins engineers and scientists are creating, testing and evaluating to prepare for the future of manufacturing. See processes and devices, including 3D printers, tomography x-ray systems and Cummins’ use of virtual reality.

 

U.S. Aggregates Facility & Mine Tour 

Get a glimpse of U.S Aggregates’ 460-acre facility and see a glimpse into their mining operations. See how U.S. Aggregates mines and processes limestone, while getting a first-hand look and feel of a raw material reduction with the use of explosives.

 

POLARIS Laboratories® 

This tour gives you a first-hand look inside our state-of-the art laboratory and headquarters facility in Indianapolis. From the time your sample hits the facility doors, to laboratory testing, to data analysis and customer support, and everything in between, this tour gives you an exclusive look into our laboratory daily operations.

These tours have limited spots, first come first served – register early if you want a seat on the tour. See the available tours and information here.

Discover New Solutions

Our annual training conference would not be possible without our event sponsors. We’ve teamed up with several industry solutions providers (lube manufacturers, filter solutions, sampling supplies, data integration) to give you tools to advance your programs and expand your maintenance practices. Each sponsor will have an exhibitor booth at the conference as well. Please feel free to stop by their booths to see what they have to offer your program!

It’s All Here in Indianapolis

I’ll leave you with this question, where else can you find lube manufacturers, OEMs, testing experts, reliability professionals, integration solution providers and everyone in between? At INTEGRATE October 2-4 in Indianapolis.

From the Data Analyst: How Sample Information Affects Limits and Analysis

Two questions our Data Analysis team often receives from fluid analysis customers are “What information is necessary to analyze our samples?” and “Why is this information so important?”

Whether your sample is defined as a grease, diesel fuel, lubricant or coolant, there are complex interpretation factors accounted for each test result of the respective application. Aside from establishing the appropriate testing slate applied to a fluid, test limits may also vary and be comprised of SAE, ISO, POLARIS Laboratories®, OEM, industry charter and/or fluid manufacturer standards. Due to these reasons, it is imperative to supply as much relevant equipment and fluid information as accessible to your laboratory when submitting the sample for testing.

Here are a few scenarios… Without fluid information, a laboratory may not be able to see abnormal fluctuations for additive content or viscosity. The fluid’s basicity may become essentially depleted prior to detection, or the acidic levels may be too high for neutralization efforts. Without the specific equipment model, a laboratory may have to rely on generic data points to extrapolate typical wear accumulation. These limits may be too aggressive or not aggressive enough for the type of equipment tested. These are all exact scenarios we have previously experienced with customers.

For example, we may factor the following information when establishing statistical trends for wear metal content, lubricant properties and interpreted recommendations:

  • Equipment Type (e.g. engine)
  • Specific Application (e.g. diesel)
  • Equipment Manufacturer (e.g. Cummins)
  • Equipment Model (e.g. ISX)
  • Industry Type (e.g. logistics/transportation)
  • Lubricant Manufacturer (e.g. Chevron)
  • Lubricant Product (e.g. Delo 600 ADF)
  • Lubricant Viscosity (e.g. 15W40)
  • Filter Type (e.g. Full Flow)
  • Filter Micron Rating (e.g. 10 micron)
  • Sump Capacity (e.g. 14 gallon)
  • Time on Lubricant (e.g. 13,598 miles)
  • Time on Equipment (e.g. 124,600 miles)

While some equipment manufacturers have a ‘fixed’ wear limit table for operational guidelines, laboratories typically provide a more objective and literal statistical significance of normal wear accumulation. These statistics may reduce unnecessary calls for maintenance, which would otherwise lead to costly downtime or premature use of materials.

Read more in the Technical Bulletin

If you are unsure what information may be required to appropriately identify abnormal trends for your equipment samples, reach out to the laboratory for a list of the requisites and additional guidance. To receive an improved return on investment out of a lubricant, fuel, or coolant maintenance program, avoid delays or guesswork the laboratory may experience due to absent sample information.

Coolant Condition Monitoring: Comparing Testing

Include Cooling Systems in Regular Maintenance

Coolant testing is an important aspect of maintaining the cooling system. Part of your normal maintenance schedule should include inspecting the cooling system at every maintenance interval. During operation, the cooling system must 1) circulate coolant, 2) transfer heat away from the engine and 3) dissipate the heat through the radiator to the atmosphere before circulating back through the engine again. These three functions must occur efficiently to maintain the proper operating temperature. If the lubricant is showing increased wear, increase in viscosity and or oxidation, the cooling system should be tested. Cooling system health effects how well the equipment will operate and ensures the ability for the fluids in the system to protect the equipment metals from damage.

To verify the coolant properties are adequate, testing becomes a critical part of system maintenance. Field testing conducted on-site should be a used as a screening tool to determine if laboratory testing is required earlier than scheduled. Laboratory testing is a critical part of any fluid analysis program in addition to field testing.

Field Testing & Laboratory Testing

Field testing includes monitoring visual characteristics of the coolant using test strips to determine corrosion protection levels, pH and or freeze point. A handheld refractometer for testing glycol percent is another useful tool. Some limitations with field testing include: coolant with a normal appearance could be misleading, low precision and limited scope of testing. Most laboratory testing will report results in parts per million and detect various materials smaller than the eye can see. Laboratory testing can be used to determine the validity of concerns with corrosion of system metals, hard water contamination, early degradation breakdown of the glycol and other chemical properties. Laboratory testing is typically recommended to be conducted twice a year for normal use engines (Spring & Fall) and every quarter for high-hour or extreme duty engines.

There’s more to coolant analysis than testing coolant formulations – it’s about identifying problems within the cooling system that can be detrimental to engine performance and lead to premature engine failure. Below are some advantages and disadvantages of using coolant test strips and laboratory testing.

 

 

 

 

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.

Let us prove it to you.

Published February 9, 2023

Impact of Cold Temperatures on Your Cooling System

Coolant analysis can shed light on developing internal problems and catch concerns early before harmful problems can occur. Making the proper adjustments, when needed, is critical for maintaining proper cooling system performance.

How do Temperatures Affect Coolant?

When outside temperatures drop, proper freeze protection is required to avoid freezing or lack of coolant flow within the cooling system. When coolant freezes, it is most likely due to improper water-to-glycol ratio in the cooling system. Freezing can cause cracking and damage to the engine block and/or cooler allowing coolant and lubricant to mix. Once lubricant and coolant mix, further damage to the asset will occur leading to an expensive unexpected repair.

Finding the Proper Glycol Mixture

The proper glycol mixture with the water is crucial. Testing and maintaining the proper dilution provides a lower freeze protection, while also maintaining proper coolant properties. Water by itself has a freeze point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). Using only water or too much water dilution will lower other coolant protection properties and can lead to system corrosion and lower than desirable pH control. However, too much glycol can cause the coolant to become too viscous, slow down coolant flow within the system and an over-saturation of corrosion inhibitors resulting in a precipitation concern. Plugging and/or inadequate coolant flow will impact proper protection for the cooling system and increase the time needed for the engine to reach proper operating temperatures. Lubricant not reaching proper temperatures allows for more metal-to-metal contact and engine wear concerns.

Routinely Test Your Cooling System to Avoid Problems

Overall, roughly 40% or so of preventable engine failures occur due to the cooling system not functioning properly. Most concerns in the cooling system are created by improper maintenance of the cooling system and coolant in service. Coolant chemistry reactions occur due to mechanical issues, coolant properties not being maintained and/or contamination of the system.

Learn more and find answers to your coolant testing and analysis questions here.

A proper fluid analysis program should include testing all fluids in the asset to have a better understanding of the fluid and equipment health. With trend analysis, you can catch concerns easier and faster and be able to take action on the proper recommendations to identify and address the issue before you have expensive, unexpected equipment downtime.

Winter temperatures should not keep your equipment out of service. Reach out today and pull a coolant sample to take out the guesswork out of knowing if the coolant in the system meets requirements for properly protecting your cooling system.

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

Published January 10, 2023

How to Ensure Optimum Performance of Wind Turbines

With the increase of greener energy production, wind turbines are playing an increasingly important role. It is vital that these energy producing turbines operate at optimum capacity for extended periods of time. To do this, a high level of equipment reliability is critical and, due to remote locations or access difficulties, all maintenance needs to be planned at optimum intervals to ensure maximum uptime and reductions in total cost of ownership (TCO).

The operating fluids inside a turbine, including lubricating oil in gearboxes and hydraulic systems, fluids used in cooling systems and greases all play a significant role in optimizing operation of the wind turbine. All of these operating fluids should be monitored closely to determine the condition of the fluid, identify contamination and measure the levels of wear metals generated within each system.

Monitoring conditions through routine fluid analysis allows you to avoid unplanned downtime and perform necessary maintenance based what is actually happening within the unit rather than on the hours in operation or calendar days. Planned, predictive maintenance will get you to optimum energy production.

See the recommended testing for power generation equipment here.

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

Published January 5, 2023

Addressing Industry-Specific Coolant Concerns with Analysis

Maintaining your cooling system does not have to be a complicated task or result in a neglected system. Understanding the fluid and equipment needs are key to proper maintenance in the field. With proper maintenance, the fluid and equipment health can provide the adequate functions to protect and remove heat from the component parts as needed.

Different applications and environments play a critical role and can exacerbate potential problems that may hinder the cooling systems ability to circulate, remove heat and then dissipate the heat before circulating again through the system. These functions are critical for the cooling system to maintain and protect the equipment. Adequate coolant testing based on industry can identify possible issues and/or concerns. Because the fluid chemistry plays a critical role in the cooling system’s ability to transfer heat and prevent corrosion which protects overall system health.

Off-Highway/Construction

In today’s market, there is a high demand to maintain equipment. The average life for most fleets is 3.5 to 4 years, however, due to supply issues and current economic conditions, many are looking to extend the life of their fleet. Common coolant system concerns that can result in issues are often overlooked until failure occurs. These concerns can be monitored as part of an effective predictive maintenance program:

  • High Temperature Issues
    • Glycol concentration
  • Chemistry Issues
    • Corrosion inhibitor
    • Mixing
  • Contamination
    • Scale hardness
    • Glycol degradation

Manufacturing

Higher ambient temperatures in different equipment types may require different fluids to maintain system temperatures. Monitoring and knowing the fluid types are key for proper maintenance. Common coolant system concerns to monitor include:

  • OEM Requirements and Coolant Supplier Support
    • Understanding equipment recommendation for glycol to water concentrations
  • Contamination Issues
    • Scale hardness
    • Glycol degradation

Power Generation

The duty cycle for this industry is “long term, low maintenance” requiring a focus on the coolant chemistry. Typically, fluids in the system are in a state of inactivity. Operating only when needed, when serviced or when demand is required. Common coolant concerns to monitor are:

  • Contamination
    • Degradation acids
    • Grounding concerns
    • Air leak
    • Scale
  • High temperature
    • Glycol concentration
      • Maintain proper OEM glycol to water concentration
    • Chemistry issues:
      • Corrosion inhibitor
      • Mixing

Marine

The marine industry encompasses a large range of coolant systems; however, these systems will be deployed with very little access to repair parts or facilities for extended times. Increasing the system’s integrity is critical. There is a wide variety of coolant formulations to meet proper regulations and knowing the coolant formulation is key for making adjustments when needed.

  • Chemistry issues
    • Mixing
    • Maintaining proper fluid corrosion inhibitor levels
    • Understanding equipment recommendation for glycol to water concentrations
  • Contamination issues
    • Air leaks
    • Internal/External contamination concerns

Transportation

With concerns of raising inflation, high fuel prices and changes in supply availability demands, keeping equipment in operation and extending all fluid life are becoming more of a necessity. Common coolant system concerns (often overlooked until related failure occurs) can be monitored as part of an effective predictive maintenance program.

  • High Temperature Issues
    • Glycol concentration
      • Freeze point and boil point protection
    • Chemistry issues
      • Corrosion inhibitor
      • Mixing
    • Contamination
      • Scale hardness
      • Glycol degradation

Learn more about test methods for coolants here.

Overall, all industries will have similar goals to maintain equipment and get the full life from the equipment as expected, if not longer. With proper fluid analysis and monitoring, concerns can be identified early before further damage internal causes a premature failure.

If you’re interested in learning more about recommended coolant testing and analysis for different industries, sign up for our upcoming webinar What Coolant Testing is Right for You? on August 25, 2022 at 11 a.m. ET.

Register Here

Reach out to our team to see how we can support your fluid analysis program and help increase uptime in your fleet.

Contact Us

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

Published July 28, 2022

Monitoring Extended Life Coolant with Testing

Using heavy-duty Extended Life Coolant (ELC) within your equipment means the coolant can reach a longer service life, according to coolant manufacturer guidelines. However, issues may arise during extended use. As these issues persist, the coolant’s ability to properly protect internal components can diminish over time.

Monitoring Coolant Properties and Conditions

Coolant manufacturers recommend monitoring engine coolant properties while in the system. Condition monitoring is a key tool and can assist with reaching the indicated lifespan of the coolant and identifying preventable problems like:

  • Contamination
  • Dilution
  • Evaporation
  • Degradation
  • Mechanical issues

Early detection of these problems with regular coolant sampling will provide maintenance personnel with proper recommendations and suggested corrections to address abnormal fluid conditions and can result in fewer failures.

Monitoring ELC with Testing

Monitoring ELC corrosion inhibitors require different test methods compared to test methods used for conventional supplemental corrosion additives (SCAs). Proper laboratory testing and fluid information are important when submitting ELC samples to the laboratory for routine testing. Some ELC formulations that only contain carboxylic acid corrosion inhibitors may utilize a different curve for determination of glycol concentration and ELC fluids require additional testing to monitor carboxylic acid. Understanding the proper testing needed, performing regular fluid analysis and making proper adjustments will assist with reaching the coolant’s extended lifespan.

Learn More About ELC Testing

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

Published January 21, 2022