Fuel Testing | POLARIS Laboratories®

Changing Ourselves to Drive Customer Success

POLARIS Laboratories® embraces change because it is the only way to continuously improve the value of our oil analysis. Some changes are driven by feedback from employees, but often it’s the voice of the customer that drives us to become better.

Each month we send surveys to customers to discover what we are doing well and what needs improvement. Recently, survey comments requested more information in our results comments to help maintenance programs diagnose what is causing abnormal conditions in their equipment.

We took a closer look at our report comments. Wear and contamination comments contained quite a bit of information on potential causes and how to correct the problem, but fluid property comments lacked some of these details.

Our customers pointed out a valid area to improve, so improve it we did. Comments on viscosity, acid number, base number, pH, oxidation and nitration now include more details and possible root causes.

Our ultimate goal is for customers to be confident they are making the right maintenance decisions based on their analysis results. Expanding the report comments is one way we’re helping customers save their equipment.

Log into HORIZON and open a recent report to see the expanded comments for yourself.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
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Monitor Biodiesel “Shelf Life” – Test for Bacteria, Fungi and Mold

The use of biodiesel and biodiesel blends is continuing to become more prevalent in the marketplace. Implementation is easy because the fuels work with existing fuel systems with little to no effect on performance.

Yet biodiesel fuels are not without problems. They are prone to biological growth and may need special treatment for optimum cold weather performance. Regular testing can help find issues early before they develop and plug fuel filters.

Biodiesel and biodiesel blends are a natural food source for biological growth. Water contamination is a concern for any fuel because, along with corroding the storage tank, water also aids in microbial growth. Testing fuel regularly for bacteria, fungi, and mold, as well as monitoring water content, is recommended to know when treatment is needed.

Testing becomes even more critical as we approach the cooler winter months. Winter temperatures could dip below your fuel’s cloud and pour points which causes filter-plugging wax crystals to form. Biodiesel and biodiesel blends naturally have a higher pour point than #1 and #2 diesel fuel, meaning that they could present cold weather problems sooner. Thankfully, additives are available that can lower cloud point and pour points if a problem is identified.

POLARIS Laboratories® recommends testing bulk fuel tanks every three months to stay on top of filter plugging problems. Regular testing will help you know when to treat your fuel before problems can escalate.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
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What drives POLARIS Laboratories each and every day?

Everything we do at POLARIS Laboratories is rooted in helping people save time and money. Together, we look for proven strategies to get the most out of your equipment. Our people breathe life into our mission every day and are truly dedicated to your success.

How Clean Is Your Fuel?

Many people assume they’re buying quality fuel that meets the required specifications, so diesel fuel cleanliness is seldom questioned. However, fuel systems with higher operating pressures have lower system tolerances for contamination and require very tight filtration. These factors have pushed fuel cleanliness into the maintenance spotlight.

Fuel system pumps and injectors are most susceptible to contamination from micro-organisms, asphaltines, dirt, sediment and rust. These particulates will quickly clog fuel filters, erode injectors, cause valves to stick and damage or clog injector spray nozzles. This can lead to overfueling, inefficient combustion and piston wear.

How can you extend your fuel filter life and maximize injector performance?
Simple. Identify both the size and concentration of contaminant particles in your bulk diesel fuel supply and filter out unwanted contaminants.

How can you identify the size and concentration?
Perform an ISO Particle Count test on all of your fuel samples. An optical laser will count and report the number of particles present in each of eight micron ranges (spanning from 4 micron to 100 microns). An ISO Cleanliness Code is then assigned based on the number of particles present at the 4, 6 and 14 micron levels.

Engine manufacturers are realizing diesel fuel cleanliness can have great impact on overall engine performance. In fact, many are now recommending diesel fuel that does not meet an ISO Cleanliness Code of 18/16/13 should be filtered before introduction to the fuel system. Surprisingly, more than 50 percent of samples tested by POLARIS Laboratories® do not meet the OEM’s 18/16/13 ISO Cleanliness Code recommendations. By these numbers, half of the diesel fuel in your bulk storage should be filtered before adding it to an engine’s fuel tank. Now, do you know how clean your fuel is?

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
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Q&A with Keynote Speaker David Cripps

The 2015 POLARIS Laboratories Customer Summit has an amazing lineup of speakers to demonstrate how oil analysis helps drive
action inside their maintenance programs.

Likewise, keynote speaker David Cripps, chief engineer for HERTA Racing, will bring a unique perspective to the summit. POLARIS Laboratories® sat down with Mr. Cripps for a preview of what’s in store for Customer Summit attendees.

POLARIS Laboratories: At what moment did you realize the money- and equipment-saving potential of oil analysis?

David Cripps: In racing, the key performance area we’re concerned with is drag, and there’s a tremendous amount of drag within the mechanical components. Lots of R&D goes into finding bearings and coatings that minimize the drag. Mostly, it’s accomplished by lowering lubricant viscosity as much as possible without lowering the life of the equipment. Oil analysis is an important piece of the process – especially when evaluating the wear on the equipment.

PL: What is the one piece of advice you wish every oil analysis user would follow?

DC: Data is king. It’s extremely important. People will acquire loads of data thinking they’ve done their job. But data processing is what’s important. You need a data reduction process – to collate it. You need to paint longer-term pictures, to refine the data.

PL: What’s the best oil analysis “save” you have experienced?

DC: That’s actually a story I’m going to talk about during the Customer Summit. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ll give you a quick preview: Assume nothing.

PL: How did you end up coming to Indianapolis, and what do you think of the city?

DC: [Former IndyCar driver] Dick Simon personally invited me to work for him in Indy. He was a great guy and he had a growing racing team. That’s when I began laying down roots in the city. 20 years later, Indianapolis has changed a lot. It’s an impressive, well-run city. The downtown went through a huge renovation, and now it’s a clean, attractive place people want to hold events at, like this summit. The city is more than just racing – there’s a good cross-section of business with a little bit of everything.

Hear more from David Cripps during the 2015 POLARIS Laboratories Customer Summit. Register for the summit before July 16 and save $200.

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

Published July 6, 2015

New EZ Label is Available

We’ve been listening.

“This form is too complicated.”
“Do I really need to provide all this info?”
“There has to be an easier way to submit samples.”

Based on the customer feedback we’ve received over the years, we have improved our sample labels to make it quicker, easier and simpler to submit sample information, which reduces the likelihood of errors. You can request the new label be sent with your next sample jar order.

During the process of redesigning our sample information forms, much research was conducted internally and externally to thoroughly understand:

how customers complete the sample forms
how samples are packaged and shipped to us
how samples and paperwork are cleaned when fluid leaks during transit
how sample details are entered into our systems

We also tapped into our customers to serve as beta testers and confirmed the new label really does make it quicker and easier to submit samples.

The new label includes detailed HORIZON® instructions to simplify adding or updating equipment and submitting sample information online. This allowed us to simplify the required information on the form and reduce the paper size. In addition, the sample jar label features a coating to improve its resistance to absorbing oil.

Customers may or may not have access to the Internet all the time, so we left a very simple component and sample information form on the label. If a paper copy needs to be sent in with the sample, the form can be detached from the label and easily wrapped around the sample jar.

The label’s new features could benefit all our customers, so I encourage everyone to make the switch and reap the benefits. You can view the new label and how to fill it out by downloading our instructions. When you’re ready to try the EZ Label at one or more of your locations, contact our Customer Service team at custserv@eoilreports.com or 877.808.3750.

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

Setting Limits on Fluid Properties

Earlier this month, I talked about how we set limits for wear metals and contaminants. There is one final group of results Data Analysts examine to determine the health of oil, fuels, and coolants: fluid properties.

Fluid properties are the physical and chemical features that allow the fluid to perform as it was designed. Viscosity, Acid Number, Base Number, Oxidation, Nitration and Additives are the main fluid properties examined by fluid analysis.

These properties don’t have much in common. Different tests are used to determine if the fluid still has the ability to protect equipment. Viscosity needs to be run at different temperatures to match the operating conditions of the equipment, ICP is used to quantify the metals found in common additives, oxidation and nitration are measured using FTIR, and acid number and base number need to be run using different titration methods to get the measurement we desire.

Just like wear metals and contaminants, the actual flagging limits depend on what the fluid is, the equipment the fluid is being used in, and what application the equipment is doing. These factors all can change the maintenance recommendations from the Data Analysts, which is why it is important to provide as much information about the sample as possible.

To learn more about the challenges facing each fluid property and how we set our flagging limits, please download this technical bulletin.

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

Oil, Coolant and Fuel Contamination

It doesn’t matter if it came from outside the equipment, was generated inside the equipment or if it worked its way into the oil from another system in the machine, contamination is any substance that isn’t supposed to be in the fluid being tested.

Most people think of contamination as something working its way into the equipment from the outside. Water and many types of particles, like dirt, sneak in through cracks, broken seals or unprotected ports, but in equipment with physical and chemical reaction occurring inside of it, foreign substances are only part of what we consider “contamination”.

Some contaminates are created during equipment operations. Soot is a natural byproduct of diesel combustion and commonly works its way into the engine oil, which is why the oil is formulated with additives to deal with soot. Lubricant additives are designed to protect components and prolong oil life; however they can become contaminants when heat, pressure or a chemical reaction causes them to fall out of suspension.

Fluids from other systems can be contaminants, such as coolant and fuel mixing with engine oil. All three systems need to operate in conjunction with the others, and leaks happen. Small holes and cracks between the oil and cooling systems could leak fluid one-way, so testing both fluids is recommended to catch leaks early. Over-fueling or worn cylinder rings can lead to fuel entering crankcase oil. Either way, cross-contamination from other systems is a sign of a mechanical problem that needs to be fixed before it escalates into a breakdown.

The type of equipment and application will determine what contamination could affect it and what tests to perform. The Contamination Flagging Limits technical bulletin has more information on how POLARIS Laboratories® determines the severity of contamination.

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

How We Set Flagging Limits

In the Data Analysis department, one of our key responsibilities is to answer any questions customers have about fluid analysis. A lot of our calls are about what results mean. Does the fluid need to be changed? What could be causing that strange noise? We also get questions asking for testing recommendations for a specific application or issue being seen. However, the hardest questions to answer are about our flagging limits. The only easy answer for these questions is: “It’s complicated…”

Our process for defining flagging limits is actually something that we are quite proud of. It can be difficult to provide our limits because they are very dynamic and specific to the information provided about the equipment, fluid, and application. For example, one engine in your fleet may have different flagging limits than another because our limits are customized based on the specific equipment manufacturers and models. Limits are also affected by the rate of change from prior samples. Individual severities may change based on other results that are flagged. These are just a few scenarios that affect limits, but I think you can begin to understand some of the complexities surrounding our limits.

We’d like to clear up some of the confusion by publishing a series of articles to address the more common questions surrounding flagging and alarm limits. What aspects of your report flagging have you been curious about? Post your questions in the comments section of this blog so we have an opportunity to reply and use your questions to guide the topics of our articles.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
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Fluid Analysis Is Greener than You Think

We should all be aware of the impact we as humans have on the environment and want to protect our vital resources for future generations. The world population continues to grow, and for growth to be sustainable we must use less virgin products and capture more what we use for reuse. This is one of the reasons why I’m proud of the impact POLARIS Laboratories^® has on the environment.

The fluid analysis industry helps our customers conserve natural resources. We provide customers with information about the remaining useful life of the fluids so they can use their lubricants and antifreeze to the fullest. These extended drain intervals allow the customers to go much farther than the manufactures’ recommendations in some cases. This saves the energy, raw materials and pollutants needed to produce new fluids and reduces millions of gallons of used oil and coolant needed to be disposed of.

In addition, the testing extends the life of the equipment itself. By taking action on the recommendations made by our data analysts, our customers prevent wear and reduce the chances of catastrophic breakdown. They get more miles traveled, hours of productivity and tons moved from their equipment than without our maintenance recommendations. Simply put, engines, transmissions and hydraulic systems last longer. The amount of steel and other metals no longer needed to make replacement equipment is staggering.

While POLARIS Laboratories^® helps the environment through our customers; we also do our best to reduce the environmental impact of the testing we perform. We use solvents, plastic, glass and cardboard during the fluid analysis process, as well as the fluids sent in for testing. These items can harm the environment if not handled properly, so we have set up procedures to handle and dispose of these products responsibly. Nearly everything we use can be recycled.

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