Oil Testing | POLARIS Laboratories®

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.

Sampling Devices: Find the Right One for Your Program

Sampling devices are used to pull samples of lubricant, coolant or fuel out of system components. There is a range of sampling devices to fulfill specific needs, but they can be grouped into two basic categories – 1) vacuum pumps and 2) installed sampling devices.

Vacuum Pumps

vacuum pump

Vacuum pumps pull fluid from a component’s reservoir. Disposable tubing is fed through the pump and into a sample jar screwed onto the pump. The other end of the tubing is used to reach into the component’s reservoir. The vacuum from the pump pulls fluid out of the reservoir and into the sample jar without contacting the pump itself. Oil residue in the tubing would contaminate future samples, so it must be thrown away. The pump itself never touched the fluid and can be reused without cleaning.

Installed Sampling Devices

Commonly referred to as “valves,” small sampling devices are installed on components to create a permanent, easily accessible port for drawing samples. Using valves to pull fluid is typically faster than using vacuum pumps alone. The valves also minimize the chances of environmental contamination entering the sample or the fluid system. These permanent devices collect the most representative samples possible in the least amount of time. The two most common types differ based on if the system is pressurized or not.

Push Button (4-100 PSI) – Pushing a button on the device opens the port. The pressure from the system pushes fluid through the port and into an open sample jar held below the valve.

push button valve

Push Pin (4-1000 PSI) – Inserting a “pin” or “needle” into the device opens the port. System pressure or a vacuum pump moves fluid through tubing attached to the pin. A cap is screwed onto the sample jar to secure the other end of the tube when a vacuum pump isn’t used. The pin, tubing and cap cannot be easily cleaned and must be thrown away.

push pin valve

Installed Sampling Devices Save Time And Money

One vacuum pump can draw samples from multiple components, but it pulls samples slower than an installed sampling device. Generally, the reduced sampling time pays for the device and its installation after five samples.

So what are you waiting for? Order your sampling devices (i.e. Push Button or Push Pin) via the HORIZON Store, install them as soon as possible to start saving even more money with your fluid analysis program!

Maximize asset reliability and regain control of your production schedules with an effective fluid analysis program by POLARIS Laboratories^® . . . it costs so little to protect so much.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.

Let us prove it to you.

Published March 16, 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.

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

Published January 5, 2023

Are You Certified in Oil Analysis?

Today’s oil analysis capabilities offer a great deal more than just monitoring component health. With today’s technology, along with performing the proper tests, we can:

Monitor the condition of the oil
See if it is suitable for continued use
Reduce the amount of used oil disposal
Adjust maintenance intervals
Adjust component replacement schedules
Improve forecasting and budgeting
Increase component life hours

With all of this in mind, it begs the question, are you able to maximize the return on investment from your oil analysis program? I believe the answer to this question would be for you to become certified as an Oil Monitoring Analyst (OMA I) via the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE).

What is an Oil Monitoring Analyst (OMA I)?

Predictive maintenance professionals who oversee the oil analysis program for a shop/plant would be suited for OMA I certification. At POLARIS Laboratories^® we call this person a Program Champion. At POLARIS Laboratories^® we believe the single most important ingredient in a successful oil analysis program is the Program Champion inside it. OMA I certification might also be beneficial for other members of a maintenance team to obtain as well (i.e. mechanics, operators, engineers, etc.). Anyone with the following core responsibilities would be a viable candidate for OMA 1 certification:

Responsible for oil sampling
Reviews oil analysis reports and performs the correct tests
Maintains overall care of equipment and maintenance actions

Becoming OMA I Certified

OMA I certification is obtained by scoring 70 percent or higher on the designated exam that standardizes the body of knowledge for an Oil Monitoring Analyst. Once obtained, the certification is valid for three(3) years, after which individuals are required to recertify to maintain their OMA I status.

OMA I Exam Topics

Sampling
Application/Test Methods
Data Interpretation
Troubleshooting
Lubrication Fundamentals

Requirements

16 hours of training in oil analysis-related courses, which may include company training programs
- Check out our Training and Consulting Services
One year of experience utilizing oil analysis in the field of lubrication

Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers (STLE)

So what are you waiting for? Get your Oil Monitoring Analyst I (OMA I) certification today. Visit the STLE website for a list of recommended reading materials for certification.

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

Published December 23, 2022

Program Insights: Time to Make Adjustments and Improvements

How many times have you heard “in these unprecedented times” since 2020? Well the precedent has been set, times have changed and they are not going to change back…

The reality is: labor shortages are requiring staff to become more creative, oil supply has forced companies to extend their drains, equipment availability lead times are so far out that new equipment is not an option (even if you could, interest rates are continuing to rise). In addition to these challenges, parts and service are driving downtimes to be longer and longer. The truth is, these challenges are not going away anytime soon. So, what can you do now to solve some of these challenges?

Your Maintenance Program Isn’t the Same Anymore

You simply cannot hold on to the maintenance program you had in the past. Your program needs to be proactive – even world-class preventive maintenance programs are changing. Programs are finding new ways to drive efficiency, reduce rework and keep expenses down – all while keeping production up. These programs regularly turn to the experts at POLARIS Laboratories® to learn how they can keep being the best.

What Can You Do Today?

Programs that are seeing positive improvements and big impact aren’t making groundbreaking changes, they are making small, incremental changes that result in big impact, such as:

Participating in our extended drain comments program to prolong the life of their oils
Adding sampling valves to equipment to provide an accurate, consistent sample in half the time
Scheduling quarterly Program Enrichment Reviews to learn what issues occur the most and on what pieces of equipment
Discovering new tools and ways to integrate data to drive efficiency and effectiveness

Slow Down to Speed Up

In business it has been said “sometimes you need to slow down to speed up”. When was the last time you asked for expert advice on how to improve your program? We know how busy you are, we understand the pressures of outside factors on your daily workload. The good news is, even though you may have hundreds of things to worry about and take care of, POLARIS Laboratories® has one focus: your preventive maintenance.

Call us today and talk to our experienced Reliability team. Ask their advice what you can do to make an impact and alleviate your maintenance challenges. They are here to help you implement a better program. As mentioned at the start of this blog, the unprecedented times are now precedented. Things will only change if we do. Call us at 877-808-3750 or fill out our contact form – we’re here to help.

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

Get Connected: Data Integration Platform Partnerships

DataConnect, a free service offered by POLARIS Laboratories®, allows customers to integrate their fluid analysis data into their existing maintenance management platform, such as an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) or business analytics system. Integrating data allows customers to view critical information within a single platform to make informed maintenance decisions, including auto triggering work orders, online sample data submission, equipment list updates and more.

This service uses a secure Application Programming Interface (API) and is easy for customers that have the time, resources, and skills to pull data from the API and integrate with their existing preferred maintenance management platform. For others, a ‘turnkey’ solution may be desired.

For the ‘turnkey’ solution, this is where POLARIS Laboratories® Integrated Partners come in. The partners, working with POLARIS Laboratories® and the end user, develop the integration from the API and the customer’s system.

Today’s existing integrated partners fall into several different categories:

Equipment OEMs
Telematics Services
Maintenance Service Providers
ERP/CMMS service providers
On-Board Sensor Providers

If your company falls in to one of the above categories, or any additional category pertaining to equipment reliability and monitoring, we would love to talk with you about becoming an integrated partner. We see this as a benefit of promoting your company and increasing your revenue stream while also promoting the services offered by POLARIS Laboratories®. Most importantly, we see this as providing value-added service solutions to our mutual customers.

If you are interested in learning more about POLARIS Laboratories® Integrated Partner solutions, please contact:

Randy Clark, Manager of Reliability, at rclark@polarislabs.com.

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

Published May 3, 2022

Go Green with POLARIS Laboratories®: New QR Sample Labels

In the coming months, POLARIS Laboratories® will focus on improving its environmental footprint. With a constant increase of fluid analysis users submitting samples online through HORIZON®, users are less dependent on paper sample label forms to

provide the laboratory with equipment, component, manufacturer and fluid information.

As a laboratory, POLARIS Laboratories® operates under a Lean environment. This means we are constantly looking for improvements to eliminate waste – whether it be energy waste or actual paper waste affecting the environment.

Launching in July 2022, as part of our Green Initiative to help protect the planet, POLARIS Laboratories® will provide users the option to order QR-code only sample jar labels. These labels are small 2″ x 1″ labels that function similarly to the sample jar label found on the Sample Information Form today – just without the paper.

See How QR-Code Labels Work

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

Published April 18, 2022

Oil Analysis: Why You Need it Now More than Ever

Today’s oil analysis capabilities offer a great deal more than just monitoring component health. With today’s technology, along with performing the proper tests, we can:

Monitor the condition of the oil
See the oil is suitable for continued use
Reduce the amount of used oil disposal
Adjust maintenance intervals and strategies
Adjust component replacement schedules
Improve forecasting and budgeting
Increase component life hours

Why Testing Now is Crucial

In today’s world, there’s another reason for oil analysis and why you need to do it now more than ever. Over the past many months, lubricants have been and continue to be in short supply. This is being caused by increased demand, additive shortages, logistics delays and a shortage of delivery drivers. Unfortunately, many companies are on allocation and only receiving partial amounts of their lubricant delivery. If you can’t get the lubricant supply you need, it might be a good time to look at how to get more out of the lubricant you already have.

Condition-Based Monitoring

Oil analysis is the tool to extending and optimizing drain intervals without compromising your equipment reliability. Many customers are still doing a preventive maintenance (PM) program, rather than a condition-based monitoring program. Often times, when a used oil sample is sent to the laboratory, the oil has already been disposed of. Now is the ideal time to look at moving to a condition-based monitoring program and let the laboratory’s data guide you on how much farther you can safely go with the lubricant you have in service. Ultimately, optimizing drain intervals reduces cost and waste, and helps lower maintenance costs when done correctly.

So, with finished lubricants in short supply right now, plus the ever increasing price of crude oil in today’s world (which ultimately raises the price of finished lubricants) one of your best options might be to consider extending your oil drains with “extended drain comments” from the data analysts and subject matter experts at POLARIS Laboratories^®. Please see below an example of a used oil analysis report with “extended drain comments”:

Click to View the Entire Report

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

Published March 14, 2022

Tips to Confidently and Safely Extend Your Oil Drains

Short on lubricants? Lubricant supplier has your company on volume allocation?

Want to save on costs? Want to keep equipment running?

Look no further than the lubricants you have on hand.

Lubricants can be safely extended past the recommended oil drain. This requires testing of the lubricant to verify its physical properties and to evaluate its ability to continue properly protecting the equipment. A routine, consistent Fluid Analysis Program can determine any unusual wear pattern in the equipment, identify and control any contamination present and determine the suitability of the lubricant for continued use.

Therefore, if you follow the appropriate guidelines and participate in fluid analysis, you can squeeze a little more from your lubricants during these challenging times. For additional information on how to successfully achieve this, take a look at this infographic:

Five Tips to Optimize Oil Drains

If you would like additional information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact POLARIS Laboratories^®.

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

Published February 15, 2022

Submit Daily Component Meter Readings with Your Samples

With POLARIS Laboratories® data integration solution, DataConnect, you can sync your sample data and submit samples through your CMMS. DataConnect now comes with a feature to sync daily component meter readings from your maintenance management system or telematics with your sample data.

Before this new functionality, POLARIS Laboratories® provided sample schedule reports in HORIZON® based on an assumption of the number of days it would take to reach your ‘sample due date’. Here’s an example: your last sample was performed at 2,000 hours and your sample interval is 500 hours, we would forecast, based on interval days that you provided, the date the next sample was due (sample interval 500 hours, equipment operated 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, number of days to reach 500 hours = 88 days, hours on component at last sample + 88 days = next sample date).

In a perfect world, this would suffice for optimal use of your maintenance data, but very few companies run equipment on a predefined number of hours per day. In reality, run time is dependent on many factors.

When you connect your data together through DataConnect and provide the laboratory with daily meter readings, we can forecast your next sample due date with much greater accuracy. Our team is working on additional functionality to send you alerts when your equipment is approaching the next sample due date based on these real-time meter readings.

We’re on the journey to help you achieve optimal equipment reliability – are you? Get started with DataConnect today.

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

Published February 10, 2022