POLARIS Laboratories® and i-Care Announce Strategic Integration with I-see Technology
Industrial organizations are set to benefit from this collaboration, as it promotes more cohesive data collection and analysis that deliver timely insights into equipment performance and operational longevity.
I-care, a global leader in predictive maintenance and machine health, has announced a strategic integration with POLARIS Laboratories®. This integration connects I-see™, I-care’s AI-enhanced platform for oversight of PdM technologies, with advanced fluid analysis data from POLARIS Laboratories®. The integration was developed by POLARIS Laboratories® and is now available to I-see users through the company’s API, HORIZON® Connect.
“We’re excited to partner with I-care on this important advancement,” said Randy Clark, POLARIS Laboratories’ Manager of Reliability. “Integrating our fluid analysis insights with Wi-care’s predictive maintenance sensors provides a more holistic approach to equipment reliability and strengthens the maintenance strategies of our customers.”
The collaboration between I-care and POLARIS Laboratories® brings together two critical sources of machine health intelligence, providing maintenance teams with a more complete view of equipment performance and condition. Through the HORIZON® Connect API, fluid analysis results from POLARIS Laboratories® can now feed directly into the I-see platform, which provides maintenance personnel with actionable insights into mechanical systems without the need for manual data transfer.
Using AI workflows, I-see processes millions of data points, clearly categorizing data to indicate potential issues and critical failures, generating recommendations through a centralized dashboard with asset, plant, and global views, all accessible with a user-friendly interface.
Maintenance and reliability professionals will now be able to see lubricant condition, contamination and wear data, alongside vibration and temperature trends from Wi-care™ sensors. These combined insights facilitate more informed decisions and faster response times.
“This integration marks the beginning of a new chapter in data-driven maintenance,” says Ben Detober, Deputy CEO of I-care Group. “By linking POLARIS Laboratories® industry-leading fluid analysis with the I-see platform, we’re giving customers the power to see more, know more and do more to protect their critical assets. It’s the first of many partnerships we’re enabling through I-see’s open API to elevate reliability programs.”
Both companies see this as the first step in a broader strategy to deliver seamless interoperability between reliability tools. Together, they aim to enhance maintenance workflows and reduce unplanned downtime for asset-intensive industries.
POLARIS Laboratories® Unveils Analysis Engine Powered by AI
The company has announced the launch of Aurora, an advanced AI-driven analysis engine designed to transform equipment reliability and maintenance strategies.
“These are groundbreaking times for our organization,” said Mark Westlake, Chief Information Officer with POLARIS Laboratories®. “Aurora embodies years of dedication, combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to create an intelligent, adaptable system that enhances how our customers manage equipment health.”
Leveraging their 25-year legacy of processing millions of fluid samples, POLARIS Laboratories® has one of the industry’s most comprehensive datasets for lubricant performance, equipment health trends and application-specific conditions. These insights allowed the company to develop advanced diagnostic algorithms and flagging thresholds to optimize maintenance actions.
By integrating Machine Learning, Aurora continuously refines its predictions, becoming more reliable as it processes more data. Maintenance teams can now anticipate issues, minimize downtime and make better data-driven decisions to extend the lifecycle of critical assets.
“Aurora represents a new era of equipment reliability,” Westlake continued. “It’s not just about monitoring performance—it’s about redefining what’s possible with predictive maintenance.”
Advancing the capabilities of fluid analysis and revolutionizing the future of equipment reliability, this new AI-driven system has launched across POLARIS Laboratories’ network. Aurora is here to make fluid analysis more accurate, more reliable and more timely.
POLARIS Laboratories® Announces 2024 Fluid Analysis Program Champion Awards
Each year, POLARIS Laboratories® honors exceptional customers for excellence in their fluid analysis programs. These awards signify program excellence, significant improvement efforts, impactful maintenance actions taken and appreciation of the dedicated work put into the programs.
This year’s finalists will be recognized at the 2025 Reliability Summit, the annual fluid analysis and reliability-focused conference powered by POLARIS Laboratories®, on October 7, 2025, in Indianapolis.
“A program champion plays a vital role in the success of a fluid analysis program, acting as the bridge between mechanics, management and the laboratory while driving the program’s adoption and implementation. It’s inspiring to witness the dedication these champions and maintenance teams bring to their programs. Congratulations to this year’s finalists!” – Randy Clark, POLARIS Laboratories® Manager of Reliability.
POLARIS Laboratories® awards Calfrac Well Services Ltd, as the Tier II Winner and NYC Ferry, operated by Hornblower, as the Tier I Winner of the 2024 Fluid Analysis Program Champion Award. Kokosing Construction Company and Flywheel Energy are named Tier II and Tier I Award finalists, respectively. To hear words from the program champions themselves, click below.
View the Calfrac Well Services Ltd Fluid Analysis Program Champion Award Video
View the NYC Ferry, operated by Hornblower, Program Champion Award Video
View the Kokosing Fluid Analysis Program Champion Award Video
View the Flywheel Energy Fluid Analysis Program Champion Award Video
POLARIS Laboratories® Announces Strategic Investment
POLARIS Laboratories® Announces Strategic Investment from Riverspan Partners to Accelerate Innovation and Growth
Indianapolis, IN – POLARIS Laboratories® (“POLARIS” or the “Company”), an industry leader in fluid analysis testing and reliability services, today announced it has received a strategic investment from Riverspan Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm specializing in growth-oriented investments in the industrials sector. Riverspan’s support will bring capital and expertise for POLARIS to advance its position as the independent global leader in maintenance and reliability condition monitoring services.
Founded in 1999, POLARIS provides predictive testing and analysis of oils, fuels, coolants, and greases, helping customers increase reliability and proactively prevent failures. Through state-of-the-art laboratory testing and AI-enabled software, POLARIS helps customers reduce or eliminate high-cost equipment downtime. Through its seven laboratories across the world, the Company differentiates itself by providing leading analytical accuracy, strong turnaround times, and broad geographic reach across a diverse set of attractive end markets. POLARIS is supported by its best-in-class AI-enabled software platform which allows the Company to provide accurate, insightful, and action-oriented recommendations to its customers.
Bryan Debshaw, Chief Executive Officer of POLARIS, said, “This investment is a testament to the strength of our team and steadfast commitment to constant innovation. Partnering with Riverspan will facilitate development of our cutting-edge solutions – including the launch of new HORIZON® tools and advanced automation technologies – and accelerate our expansion into new markets. We are confident that Riverspan is the right partner to help us drive meaningful advancements, foster innovation, and achieve our shared vision for future success.”
Dave Thomas, Partner at Riverspan Partners, said, “We deeply admire what POLARIS has built over the past 25 years and are excited to partner with Bryan and the team to drive continued growth. In particular, we see significant opportunities to support investment in product and service offerings and geographic expansion. We support Bryan’s vision and look forward to helping the Company accelerate its growth trajectory.”
KPMG Corporate Finance LLC is serving as financial advisor and Barnes & Thornburg LLP is serving as legal advisor to POLARIS. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor to Riverspan.
News: Celebrating 25 Years of Saving Equipment
POLARIS Laboratories® Celebrates 25 Years of Saving Equipment
The company is proud to announce its 25-year anniversary, marking a significant milestone in its journey of excellence and innovation in the fluid analysis industry. Since 1999, POLARIS Laboratories® has been at the forefront of the maintenance and reliability industry, consistently delivering accurate, reliable and timely maintenance recommendations to customers around the world.
Throughout its 25 years, POLARIS Laboratories® has achieved several milestones including opening 7 laboratories across the globe, developing an award-winning mobile app, implementing LEAN laboratory practices across all locations, expanding into additional product offerings and designing a secure API connection to sync fluid analysis to maintenance management systems. The company continues to advance innovations using machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve data analysis and interpretation. These accomplishments not only reflect the company’s growth and evolution but also reinforce the company’s position as a leader in the industry and dedication to their customers’ success. [Read our story here]
Through testing and analyzing oil, coolant, fuel and grease samples, the company has been able to provide reliable maintenance recommendations that resulted in more than 68,000 pieces of equipment saved from failure and 2,800,000 critical severity reports delivered, all equating to over $300,000,000 maintenance dollars saved for customers.
“POLARIS Laboratories® has experienced remarkable growth and advancements over the past 25 years and we thank our customers for partnering with us,” said Bryan Debshaw, chief executive officer, POLARIS Laboratories®. “Our future will focus on improving our customers’ experience, developing innovative solutions and advancing specialty testing so we can help them save more of their equipment.”
POLARIS Laboratories® Expands Texas Fluid Analysis Laboratory
POLARIS Laboratories® Expands Texas Fluid Analysis Laboratory
Company relocates Houston, TX laboratory to larger facility
HOUSTON – The Indianapolis-based company announces the relocation of the Houston, TX laboratory facility. As the company continues to grow, additional space was needed to maintain continued lean processes and workflows, support the expansion of available laboratory testing services and reduce sample turnaround times.
POLARIS Laboratories® opened the first laboratory in Houston in 2003 and has since outgrown the building space. The expanded space of more than 9,500 square feet includes a larger laboratory floor, additional conference rooms, office and breakroom space.
News: POLARIS Laboratories® Nominated for Innovation Award at 2024 Mira Awards
POLARIS Laboratories® Nominated for Innovation Award at 2024 Mira Awards
Company recognized for leveraging software to provide predictive analytics
INDIANAPOLIS – POLARIS Laboratories® is honored to be nominated as a finalist for the Conexus Manufacturing Innovation Award, presented at the 2024 TechPoint Mira Awards later this spring.
In an effort to bridge the gap between Indiana’s technology ecosystem and industrial innovators and manufacturers, Conexus Indiana partnered with TechPoint, to present the first-ever award which gives industrial companies an opportunity to showcase innovation, digital transformation and entrepreneurial success stories.
Through a Manufacturing Readiness Grant (MRG) provided by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and administered by Conexus Indiana, POLARIS Laboratories® invested in proprietary software to provide predictive maintenance and analytics for its manufacturing customers around the globe.
“We are leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to marry traditional fluid analysis with operational data to build a predictive maintenance model. We are then able to monitor and identify that a component’s real-time operating conditions could lead to maintenance issues, and proactively inform our customer.” – Mark Westlake, Chief Information Officer, POLARIS Laboratories®.
The Conexus Manufacturing Innovation Award winner will be announced during the prestigious Mira Awards ceremony on April 26 at the Old National Centre in Indianapolis where industry leaders and innovators will gather to celebrate nominations for outstanding achievements in Indiana.
View the full press release here
Published February 22, 2024
POLARIS Laboratories® Increases STLE Leadership Involvement
POLARIS Laboratories® announces leaders of the company’s Data Analysis team have been inducted into the STLE Board of Directors, the newly founded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) and OMA Committee, respectively.
Brandon Van Horn, Data Analysis Supervisor, has been named member of STLE’s OMA Committee and will serve as Vice-Chair. Brandon has held his CLS and OMA I certifications and STLE certifications for 5 years.
With his extensive industry background and involvement in the STLE organization, Brandon understand the significance of STLE’s education efforts for their members. He brings his education, experiences and learnings to both STLE’s members and POLARIS Laboratories® teams, nationally and locally.
Corporate Headquarters
7451 Winton Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46268
+1.317.808.3750
Mon 7:30am thru Fri 7pm. ET
