How Clean Do Sample Bottles Need to Be?

There are a wide range of opinions regarding how clean an oil analysis sample bottle needs to be. While it is a fact that most oil testing equipment is sensitive enough to detect the difference between using ISO “Clean” (100 particles greater than 10 microns per milliliter), “Superclean” (10 particles), and “Ultraclean” (1 particle) bottles, the only reason to use a more expensive Superclean or Ultraclean bottle would be if the additional particles would change the maintenance recommendations.

Instead of focusing on the tests and ISO charts, efforts should be put towards figuring out the cleanliness target for each piece of equipment. Any level of cleanliness is attainable, but the particle cleanliness level should be balanced with the maintenance cost of sustaining that cleanliness. Keeping the inside of equipment clean is a long-term investment, and it’s up to you to determine where the right place to invest is.

For example, a hydraulic system sitting in a clean room with light use could easily achieve a 16/14/10 ISO cleanliness rating. Investing time and money to test the oil and then filter the sump as needed could yield significant equipment life extension. In this case, an ISO Superclean bottle might be appropriate to use because an additional 100 particles/milliliter using a “Clean” bottle has the potential to trigger an unnecessary service event.

Alternately, it would take a comparable fortune to maintain a 16/14/10 rating if that same hydraulic system was in a room surrounded by rock crushers. It would be a challenge not to contaminate a -Superclean sample jar simply by opening it in that dusty of a room. In this instance, a Clean sample bottle may be a more appropriate choice depending on your needs for equipment uptime, expected lifecycle, and maintenance costs. If samples need to be collected in locations with high environmental contamination, you might consider an alternative solution, such as relocating the sample point outside the dusty environment.

Some oil analysis users even consider using Ultraclean jars on occasion. While these yield some impressively consistent, valuable results, the need for this level of bottle cleanliness is simply beyond even high-performing maintenance programs. Outside of a research application, few would realize a benefit due to the difficulty in preventing particulate contamination when collecting samples. Aside from being exorbitantly expensive, they are frequently made of glass which can be a hazard.

It’s important to collect oil samples in a clean container, but using Superclean and Ultraclean containers may raise expenses without seeing much gain. The average maintenance program will see the most benefit from using ISO Clean jars if they are running particulate and cleanliness testing based on experience, but if you have questions about the containers you are using I’m available at ablack@polarislabs.com to help you find the best solution for your program.

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Realizing Your Return on Investment, One Step at a Time

realizing-your-roi

Whether your goal is to save money on equipment repairs or eliminate any excessive downtime, fluid analysis is an incredible diagnostic tool for enhancing maintenance programs. Used correctly, it can result in increased productivity, reduced maintenance costs and a serious boost in profits.

With the right combination of expert input and high level software, maximizing the Return On Investment (ROI) of your fluid analysis program is simple. If you’re ready to take action to discover your ROI, follow these ten simple steps.

  1. Set goals you can reach. If you’re not sure what your goals should be, our team at POLARIS Laboratories® can help you set manageable targets for your business.
  2. Designate a program champion. In addition to an experienced, well-trained team of maintenance professionals, a program champion can serve in a leadership role. Under their guidance, your program is sure to stay on track.
  3. Decide what to test. Make sure your test package reflects your maintenance needs. Whether you’re looking to extend drains or reduce downtime, your tests should reflect those predetermined goals.
  4. Establish a sampling frequency. There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to sampling frequencies. When deciding your sampling frequency, be sure to take into account the recommendations of the original equipment manufacturer, the equipment’s environment as well as well as the timing of the sample.
  5. Have a complete view of your equipment. The more you know about your equipment, the more information you can supply. This information is critical as data analysts work to provide in-depth comments and recommendations.
  6. Take action to minimize your sample turnaround time. Pre-logging your sample information online, providing clear instructions and tightly closing all sample lids are all good ways to help ensure a fast turnaround time.
  7. Once you receive your reports, take action! Receiving the reports is not enough, you must review the data analyst’s recommendations and take action to address critical reports. This could mean anything from ordering more testing, re-sampling, monitoring a unit or taking immediate action.
  8. Organize your data. Use a data management system to run reports and identify trends within your data.
  9. Continue monitoring your fluid analysis system. Make sure you’re taking appropriate action and providing feedback to the laboratory on actions taken.
  10. Choose the right laboratory. Choose an accredited laboratory that fits your program needs.

Keeping clear, detailed accounts of your management reports and your actions taken will not only help you realize the ROI of fluid analysis but also help you show others the value of your program.

For more information on maximizing the ROI from your fluid analysis program, download this technical bulletin.

scott-cherniwchan

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

We’ve Crunched the Oil Analysis Numbers for You

Many companies using oil analysis know how it benefits their maintenance program, but few take the time to quantify the impact, let alone count the savings. When the time comes to justify expanding an oil analysis program, there’s little hard data to show management. This problem is common enough that we wanted to give our customers the ammunition they needed.

We asked 600 oil analysis users about their actions and how it affected their equipment, and the results were telling:

A Bigger Impact:
 96% of oil analysis users saved time submitting sample info online
 84% fewer unexpected breakdowns

More Uptime:
•  
34% doubled their drain interval
 90% believe equipment is more productive over its lifetime

Visible Savings:
•  
63% set and adjust preventive maintenance using management reports
 87% are more confident in equipment reliability using oil analysis

What numbers do you need to prove oil analysis works? Download the 2015 Benchmark Study or one of our case studies to back up your claim with numbers.

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

Responding to Severity Reports

responding-to-severity-reports

No equipment is safe from the wear and tear that comes from operating in the harsh conditions of a mining site. The challenging environment, along with the extreme load variations and the high costs involved in equipment replacement, makes avoiding catastrophic failure exceedingly important.

Many mining companies turn towards fluid analysis as a means of avoiding the high replacement costs associated with these extreme conditions. In fact, routine testing helps maintenance professionals identify problems in their equipment before full scale failures occur. Utilizing fluid analysis allows managers to take control of their reliability programs.

Read the Full Case Study

 

Tracking Sources of Contamination

tracking-sources-of-contamination

It’s no secret contamination has a negative impact on machinery. The trouble is, potential sources of contamination can be found in a number of common locations. The key is knowing how to track down the source and drive action to limit the impact it has on equipment.

A leading manufacturer of engines, filtration, and power generation products, established diesel fuel quality, oil drains, engine oil, hydraulic and transmission, engine failure and cooling systems were hot button topics for their company as well as their customers. After identifying these pain points, they determined contamination was an issue they wanted to actively help their customers address and alleviate.

Read the Full Case Study

 

Optimizing Program Management

The backbone of every oil analysis program is the efficiency of the program’s management system. Managing equipment in an organized manner is a vital step towards saving time, reducing errors and accurately tracking the return on investment (ROI).

A leading company in the oil and fuel industry uses POLARIS Laboratories® program management software, HORIZON®, as the centerpiece of their maintenance management system. Focused on improving their program organization, they found that using this system helped increase their overall productivity

Read the Full Case Study

 

How To: Lubricant Dispensing and Transferring

transferring-lubricants

Learning to properly dispense and transfer your lubricants is an essential skill for any maintenance professional. Following the correct process to complete this task is necessary to avoid contamination and keep your lubricants well organized.

Organizing Lubricants
When dispensing or transferring your lubricants, you can avoid cross contamination by labeling all containers. Color coding your containers with labels and tags can help you ensure lubricants are not mixed. Once your lubricants are labeled, you can color code equipment with a lubricant tag.

Choosing the Right Container
When choosing a container, do not use a galvanized container to transfer the lubricants. Using this container can cause zinc to leach into the lubricant or oil. Using clean sealed plastic containers and assigning one container per lubricant type will also help you ensure that no cross contamination occurs. This is where strong lubricant organization comes in handy.

Filtering
It’s important to remember to filter all lubricants that are put into your equipment. That goes for new oil as well! Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s clean. It should be filtered along with your other fluids. A lubricant filter cart should also be used when applicable.

Rack Mount
Using a rack mount for your dispensing station is an effective tool to use for proper handling.

Rack Mount

Choosing a dispensing container that was made for lubricant analysis is incredibly important. It is essential that the instruments you use to dispense and transfer your fluids are kept at the highest level of cleanliness and quality. To do otherwise is to welcome contamination into your fluids and your equipment.

To learn more about best practices for lubricant handling and storage, check out my recent blog posts on contamination and lubricant storage.

henry-niecamp

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
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Dos and Don’ts of Sample Submission

sample-submission

In a hurry to receive your sample results? The method you use to submit your sample for analysis has a significant impact on the speed in which your samples are received and processed by our team. At POLARIS Laboratories® we are working continuously to simplify the sample submission process, introducing a simple to use label and making sample submission available online via HORIZON®.

While these new methods have helped improve the overall process, there are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your samples arrive at the laboratory ready for processing!

Following these dos and don’ts will help you improve how you send your samples:

Do:

  1. Choose the correct sample bottle for your sample
  2. Make sure the cap on the bottle is tightly secured
  3. Follow these steps to fill out your EZ label
  4. Write clearly
  5. Fill out as much information about your sample as possible
  6. Send samples via UPS or FedEx for quicker turnaround time
  7. Take advantage of your carrier’s package tracking feature
  8. Take advantage of HORIZON

Don’t:

  1. Hurry! Speeding through the sample process could lead to mistakes
  2. Use a bottle not made for sampling
  3. Leave blanks in your sample information
  4. Forget to include the EZ label with your bottle (if you did not submit online)
  5. Send via USPS if you’re on deadline

Spending a few extra minutes correctly packaging and sending your sample will help ensure you receive your results in a timely manner as well as improve the maintenance recommendations you receive from our data analysts.

If you have any questions about your sampling methods or your order, please feel free to reach out to us at custserv@eoilreports.com.

michelle-desjardins

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

Contamination: The troublemaker of oil analysis


Contamination in your fluid can be troublesome. Contaminants are all around us—in the air, water, particulates and, for maintenance personnel, in cleanup and process chemicals. As these elements contaminate your fluid, they can potentially shorten the life of your machinery.

In a study conducted by Oklahoma State University, researchers found that when a fluid is maintained 10 times cleaner, hydraulic pump life can extend by as much as 50 years! So how do we protect our lubricants from these unwanted contaminants?

The first step is understanding the symptoms that arise from different methods of contamination. The following are four common diagnoses as well as symptoms of these contaminants.

  • Symptoms: Spongy operation of hydraulics as air compresses under pressure; excessive wear; premature oxidation (especially in high pressure systems); pump cavitation and vibration; an increasing layer of foam.
  • Diagnosis: Air contamination
  • Symptoms: Premature failure or excessive wear due to reduced lubricating ability; corrosion of bearings or other machine elements; premature filter plugging; premature oxidation of lubricants.
  • Diagnosis: Water contamination
  • Symptoms: Increased wear
  • Diagnosis: Particulate contamination
  • Symptoms: Unexplained contamination
  • Diagnosis: Cleanup and process chemical issues

Performing oil analysis can help you identify exactly what type of contamination your machine is experiencing. From there, you can begin to decipher what could be causing it and how to change your maintenance practices to avoid high levels of contamination in the future.

In a recent blog post, I discussed how to best store your lubricants to avoid contamination. You can find the article here.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can improve your oil analysis program, check out our training page to learn more about our training programs.

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

Extending Component and Equipment Life

In the same way early detection is used in human health to spot damage to the body, early detection is an important part of maintaining equipment health. Embracing predictive maintenance technology is an essential part of maintaining healthy equipment, lowering the time spent performing maintenance and reducing costs.

Utilizing the reliability model and concepts associated with this method helps maintenance teams extend their component and equipment lifecycles. A leading pharmaceutical company utilizes the predictive maintenance methodology and the four major predictive technologies to improve the reliability of their maintenance program. Using the method, the team tests compressors, hydraulic systems, bearings, gears and other components

Read the Full Case Study