Improving Reliability with Oil Analysis

One of the greatest benefits of effective reliability practices is the impact on the total cost of ownership for equipment. There are many obvious savings, such as increased production, uptime and lower maintenance costs. Unfortunately, once a piece of equipment is out of the design phase, there is a fixed upper limit to the level of reliability that can be achieved without modifying components of the equipment. That doesn’t mean that once you’ve made the investment, you are powerless to do anything to improve reliability. Oil analysis can give you information that may be used to influence OEM designs and your future purchases.

Oil analysis can provide insights to influence decisions

A customer participating in oil analysis has a mixed fleet of on-highway trucks and used the HORIZON® Problem Summary Report to compare their different engine manufacturers. They found that an OEM was showing a high percentage of samples with coolant contamination issues. They reviewed their various models of engines from the OEM and found that one specific model was the biggest culprit, with 15 percent of all samples showing at least the beginning signs of coolant ingression.

The customer provided the engine OEM with the findings from the maintenance observations recorded in their CMMS as well as the data from the problem summary report. The OEM reviewed the data, realized that they had an issue and began investigating the EGR cooler design. The OEM redesigned the EGR cooler which reduced coolant ingression issues to less than 5 percent.

In this example, in addition to oil analysis reducing downtime for the customer, reliability was improved for all users of that engine. Warranty costs for the OEM were reduced and the communication with the customer and subsequent research will also improve future engine design.

Would you rather be in a cycle of warranty claims and repairs or do you change your mindset regarding reliability?

Accepting failures and predictive maintenance as a part of normal operation and having maintenance personnel focused on repairs rather than upkeep will keep you from having a truly reliable operation.

Talk to our experts at POLARIS Laboratories® today to find out how we can help you harness the full potential of your data.

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

Published April 2, 2019

Harsh Environments Halting Production?

Harsh operating conditions, extreme load variations and the high-dollar costs involved in downtime and equipment replacement make fluid analysis a necessary part of doing business in the mining industry. Routine testing identifies small problems before they become major failures allowing you to meet the high demands of your customers on time and on budget.

The heavy-duty equipment required by mining applications is often exposed to extreme, uncontrollable environmental factors for long periods of time, yet is still expected to maintain maximum performance levels. Contamination and wear are imminent and when left unchecked, can halt production in a heartbeat.

Condition Monitoring

Monitoring the condition of both the fluid and the unit through analysis identifies wear-causing contaminants and their effect on component performance. Monitoring the condition of coolant along with engine oil creates a clearer picture of what’s occurring in the engine. Sampling frequency should be based on the unit’s criticality to production, as well as the costs involved in replacement or repair.

  • Is Your Diesel Engine Protected?
    • Routinely monitoring a diesel engine oil’s viscosity, as well as its ability to neutralize acids and disperse and suspend soot particles produced during combustion, can indicate if anti-wear additive and dispersant/detergent levels are providing sufficient engine protection.
  • What’s Wearing on Your Gear Systems/Wheel Motors?
    • Although contamination by dirt and water should be closely monitored in manual/auto transmissions, electric wheel motor bearings, differentials, final drives and planetaries, the biggest concern for these systems is the type of wear occurring.
  • Is Your Hydraulic System Adequate?
    • Hydraulic systems, including automatic powershift transmissions, require the fluid’s viscosity to be low enough to minimize friction loss, yet high enough to prevent fluid leakage and provide satisfactory protection against wear. It should have good oxidation stability to prevent sludge from forming, sufficient water separability and air release properties and resistance to foaming.

Learn how you can reduce the risks of unexpected failure by better protecting your equipment:

Maximize asset reliability and regain control of your production schedules with an effective fluid analysis program and partnership with POLARIS Laboratories®.

It costs so little to protect so much.

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

Published March 12, 2019

Keeping the Coast Clear from Safety Issues

Nothing derails your equipment reliability more than a critical failure or accident whilst in operation. Performing maintenance is a perilous activity, and lack of inadequate processes can also lead to dangerous situations for engineers to work in. Adding maintenance to an already high-risk operation can lead to serious safety issues for your team.

Marine Operational Safety

Failure or unplanned maintenance in the marine industry puts the vessel and crew members at a greater risk. Quickly addressing unplanned problems usually means tasks being rushed and compliant procedures not being followed, in order to complete the task as soon as possible – and to get back on track. One of the largest causes of maintenance-related accidents in the marine industry is unidentified equipment failures – and the required maintenance to fix the issue. So, how can you keep the coast clear from safety issues for your team and identify these failures before they happen? Using lubrication analysis as a reliability tool and taking action on the maintenance recommendations provided on the report can:

  • Resolve unplanned, rushed maintenance
  • Improve equipment reliability
  • Provide a safer operating environment

Go Beyond Your Report

We see many companies utilize oil analysis as part of their condition monitoring program, but not efficiently act on the results and recommendations we provide on the report. Simply reacting to sample reports that show critical results does not improve reliability – because the problem has already occurred.

Vessel operators and fleet managers should look beyond the standard sample report and utilize all of the Data Management Reports and Statistical KPI’s available in HORIZON®. Using the management reports provides an overview of all of the sample data and recommendations provided by the laboratory to be analyzed, allowing operators to plan accordingly, perform maintenance at a safe, suitable time, improved vessel performance and reliability, and ultimately, reduce risk of accidents.

Want to learn more about our solutions for the marine industry? Download our solution sheet:

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

Published March 5, 2019

One-Stop Shop for Maintenance Management

Fluid analysis data is a key component to a successful asset reliability and maintenance tracking program. Do you and your maintenance team feel the frustration of accessing multiple systems just to manage your fluid analysis data and equipment information? Is utilizing multiple systems for program management starting to cause inefficiencies resulting in lost production time for your team? Looking for a one-stop shop for accessing and managing your equipment maintenance that will save you time and money?

The solution: DataConnect

This advanced solution allows all of your HORIZON® sample data to be automatically imported into your internal maintenance tracking program. By doing this, frustration, inconveniences and inefficient practices are eliminated. Organize your equipment data, submit samples and evaluate the testing results – all within one system.

  • Increase visibility
  • React quickly to high severity results
  • Cut maintenance costs
  • Prove the value of fluid analysis to leadership

Contact us for more information on how to set up DataConnect for your fluid analysis program!

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

Published February 26, 2019

How to Optimize Your Off-Highway Performance

Operating off-highway operations means exposing your expensive equipment to harsh conditions daily, including moisture, abrasives and temperature. Despite these harsh conditions, the equipment is still expected to perform at high levels and complete jobs on time. When it comes to off-highway equipment, there are four major issues to be aware of that could affect your equipment performance:

  1. CONDITIONS | operating in extreme environmental conditions can cause excessive wear and shorten the life of your equipment
  2. DIRT | dirt and silica can contaminate your oil, causing excessive wear on the engine
  3. WATER | water can wreak havoc on the operating performance and cause severe damage to the equipment
  4. OVERHEATING | operating under the above circumstances will result in overheating of the equipment- causing your equipment to fail

Breakdowns usually occur far from any mechanics shop, meaning repairs are slow, expensive and they put projects behind schedule. Be aware of these four issues to optimize the performance and preserve the life of your off-highway equipment – and be able to predict problems before they occur.

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

Published February 5, 2019

Equipment Reliability: How to Ensure Your Success

The Number One Objective

The American Society for Quality (ASQ) defines reliability as:

The probability that a product, system or service will perform its intended function adequately for a specified period of time, or will operate in a defined environment without failure.

Equipment reliability is the number one objective of any predictive maintenance program, but often times programs are started without completing the first, most important step – know the age and performance of the equipment you have.

Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse

Often preventive maintenance programs are kicked off without having enough asset knowledge to be successful. As they say, “don’t put the cart before the horse.” Before you launch your program, it’s important to:

  1. Survey | Take inventory of all of mechanical components you own.
  2. Organize | Make sure that they are cataloged in a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or other organized system.
  3. Rank | Put together a team to rank the criticality of the equipment.

Criticality rankings can be based on a number of different criteria. There is no one right way to do it, but the important thing to keep in mind when assessing criticality is risk – primarily safety, quality, and cost. For example, at POLARIS Laboratories®, we have a preventive maintenance schedule for all of our laboratory instruments, but if our air circulation system experiences downtime then none of those instruments can be operated. It’s a piece of equipment that is often taken for granted, but the risk associated with any downtime is catastrophic and impacts safety and cost.

Once you know what equipment you have and how critical it is to operations, then you can start to assess your fluid analysis program and other predictive tools.

Are you getting the right testing?

If the cost of failure for a specific asset is high, it might be worthwhile to pay for more advanced testing or do analytical ferrography routinely. If the cost is low, you may be able to reduce the sample frequency of some of your equipment. We often talk about preventive maintenance optimization – talk to POLARIS Laboratories® about how we can help you optimize your predictive maintenance intervals.

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

Published  January 22, 2019

Making a Difference in the Transportation Industry

There are numerous elements that go into a fluid analysis program achieving operational efficiency and program success. For the transportation industry, that could be compliance with consistent sampling, seeing the return on investment, saving on fleet maintenance costs or gaining buy-in from leadership. But, what really makes the difference for a transportation company when participating in a fluid analysis program is a program champion. A transportation company could have anywhere from just one single maintenance facility handling all samples, to more than 100 locations. The program champion provides effective communication, ownership and consistency – all affecting the success of the program.

Communication | managing all shop or facility managers can be time consuming – the program champion makes certain that any updates, changes, etc. are communicated properly to the appropriate people.

Ownership | having one individual own the fluid analysis program helps the program stay compliant

Consistency | the program champion ensures everyone is on the same page and is meeting compliance goals

A program champion who communicates effectively, owns the fluid analysis program and consistently checks in to see if the team is meeting their compliance goals, will lead their teams to the ultimate goal: success of the fluid analysis program.

What does it take to be a program champion? Check out our checklist:

 

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

Published  January 15, 2019

Shipping Samples: How to Guide

So you’ve successfully taken your oil sample, what next? Ship it to the laboratory, of course. It’s important to ship the sample as soon as possible after you collect it – don’t let your samples pile up and ship a large amount at a time.

After you’ve submitted the sample’s information via online sample submission in HORIZON (or hand-written paper form), use the corresponding label to place on the sample bottle.

  1. Take the sample from our equipment while it’s running or within 30 minutes of shut down and do not overfill the jar.
  2. Close the sample jar as soon as you collect the sample.
  3. Hand tighten only – the bottles have a wedge seal so no tools are needed.
  4. Depending on what kit you ordered, place the sample jar(s) into the appropriate shipping container.
    1. Appropriate sized box, envelope mailer or hard plastic mailer.
  5. Label the outside of the package with the laboratory address, your return address and apply the appropriate postage.

It’s that easy! Check out our latest Technical Bulletin for more detailed, step-by-step instructions:

Want more helpful shipping tips? Check out our blog 4 Tips for Shipping Success.

 

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

Published December 11, 2018

Dirty Dozen: 12 Types of Contamination

 

The life of components in automotive, industrial and other equipment is reduced when contaminants circulate through their systems. Water, solid particles, varnish and even air can lead to a decrease in drain intervals and an increase in foaming, oxidation, sludge and varnish formation—potentially causing serious damage and catastrophic failure.

What’s causing damage? Below are the four main categories of contamination:
  1. Air Contamination
    • Air causes foam to form and it may be a sign that the antifoam additive may be depleted and the oil needs to be changed out. Air causes the oil to look cloudy – often mistaking it for water contamination.
    • An easy way to visually tell the difference between air and water contamination: take a small oil sample in a clear container and allow it to sit undisturbed for 24 hours – air will rise to the top while water will settle to the bottom.
  2. Water Contamination
    • Water can get into your system through vapor in the air – but it can also come form rain, splashing, leaking fittings or power washing the equipment.
    • Measuring the current moisture level in your equipment’s oil, and then finding ways to reduce the moisture level, can significantly extend your machine’s life.
  3. Particle Contamination
    • Particle contamination can be caused by particles entering the system via air movement or oil degradation.
    • Here are some powerful facts for you:
      • Greater than 80 percent of machine wear is caused by particle contamination.
      • The industry spends upwards of $200 billion annually filtering fluids to prevent mechanical problems caused by hard particles.
  4. Varnish Contamination
    • Varnish buildup, whether it be hard or soft, can occur in reservoirs and throughout lube and hydraulic systems on components and filter elements. Once varnish formation begins, the equipment becomes unreliable and potentially unsafe.

Discover all 12 types of oil contamination, by reading my featured article in Lubes ‘N’ Greases’ October 2018 edition: Dirty Dozen: 12 Types of Oil Contamination by clicking below.

 

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

Published November 27, 2018

Fluid Analysis: Cost vs. Price

Customers and potential customers often ask “what is the cost per sample?” This information is important for purchasing and supply chain reasons, but what is even more important is the savings a well-managed fluid analysis program can bring to any organization. Organizations that associate items with only cost will have little or no Return on Investment (ROI) – whereas those utilizing a complete fluid analysis program with value-added services can see an average ROI of 20:1, with some experiencing levels as high as 45:1.

Where Can You Save More?

Many fluid analysis program decisions are based solely on cost or price per sample as the major factor used to decide a supplier. What is often not considered are some of the unknown costs associated with a fluid analysis program. These include:

  • Day-to-day operational coordination to manage the program
  • Chance of incorrect or inefficient reporting
  • Manual, traditional, handwritten sample submission

It’s important to know these additional costs, how to leverage available solutions and maximize your ROI. Traditional handwritten submission forms can take up to five more minutes than submitting your sample online for via the mobile app or automated submissions from CMMS systems (check out DataConnect).

Take Advantage of Value-Add Services

True savings can only be measured by monitoring the efficiencies that your fluid analysis provider can offer you in your maintenance and reliability programs, and the services they provide integrate and enhance your strategies. POLARIS Laboratories® offers many value-add services included in the sample price – to help you decrease your operational costs.

  • Documented, transparent turnaround time
  • Sample status notifications and online tracking
  • Mobile app and online sample submission
  • CMMS integration (DataConnect)
  • Certified, experienced data analysis team
  • Automated, customizable data management reports
  • Hierarchical report structure and asset watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Published October 30. 2018