4 Tips for Shipping Success

Whether you’re submitting oil, coolant or diesel fuel samples for testing, mailing the samples can be tricky, especially if the sample jar lid is not tightened securely onto the sample jar. Loose lids can cause leakage and delay the processing of your sample. Here are some helpful tips to not only ensure your samples arrive at our laboratories in a timely manner, but improve your testing experience too.

1. Secure Sample Jars

Make sure the sample jar lids are closed tightly. Fluid pulled from equipment will likely be hot, and this may cause the lid to loosen after the fluid cools down. Also, too much fluid in the neck of the bottle will also cause the lid to loosen as well. Be sure to only fill the sample bottle to the designated Fill Line and make sure the jar is closed tightly by re-tightening the lid by hand until snug. You may also use a strip of silicone tape to secure the lid, but it is not required.

2. Shipping Container

If a hard or soft plastic mailer was provided with the sample jar, place the sample jar inside it and close it securely. The sample can be shipped in that container or protected further by placing it inside a box. Insert packing material to make sure the samples do not shift during the shipping process.

             

3. Commercial Invoice

International shipments to the United States require a commercial invoice to categorize the items being shipped. Oil and coolant samples should be categorized as Non-hazardous lubrication oil/coolant samples. Tested to destruction. Not Restricted by I.A.T.A. No commercial value. Flash Point >200°C. It is recommended to declare the value of the entire shipment as $10.00. Below is a sample of a commercial invoice.

 4. Shipment Services

Listed below are some of the more common shipping carriers that deliver packages to our testing laboratories. In order to receive your results back in a timely manner, we recommend using services that can track the location of your package so you are able to track down your sample if shipping errors occur.

  • Canada: Canada Post, Loomis, FedEx, UPS and independent couriers
  • Guatemala: DHL, FedEx, Guatemalan Post, UPS and independent couriers
  • Poland: DHL, FedEx, Polish Post, UPS, and independent couriers
  • United States: DHL, FedEx, UPS, United States Postal Service (USPS) and independent couriers

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

Published January 30, 2018

Can Your Equipment “Weather” the Cold Temperatures?

Dropping Temperatures Equals a Drop in Health

Our winters in Canada, and those in other countries will agree, are often a time of increased health risks. As temperatures drop and winter sets in, so do a whole host of circulating bacteria and viruses. A virus or illness usually starts with a trip to the doctor to assess the symptoms and typically, the doctor uses both a physical exam and potential blood tests to determine how to restore our health and get us back on our feet.

Cure Your Suffering Equipment

Similar to the human body, another winter phenomenon involving cold temperatures is the health of the equipment you use to keep your business running. Mechanical problems or symptoms often arise during the cold temperatures and can cause your equipment to suffer. Similar to the steps the doctor takes, analyzing the critical fluid inside the machine allows you to understand the causes of the problems. Fluid analysis can also allow you to see what actions need to be taken in order for the equipment to get back on it’s feet and be able to “weather” future cold temperatures.

A Prescription for Coolant Analysis

Coolant analysis is one area that is often undervalued or overlooked. But, coolant analysis goes well beyond checking the freeze protection offered by the coolant in cold temperatures. In fact, more than 40% of engine failures are caused by issues that can be traced to the cooling system, the coolant itself holds clues that appear long before any imminent danger. Coolant analysis can shed light on developing problems caused by:

  • Cavitation corrosion
  • Leaking combustion gases
  • Breakdown of the coolant chemicals
  • Overheating
  • Electrical ground problems

A Clean Bill of Health

It’s easy to see that sampling coolant isn’t just a winter activity. But, just like that trip to the doctor when the sniffles set in, sometimes the best course of action is to look within and proactively, to understand what we’re experiencing with our machine health and to begin to save your equipment, before a failure happens.

Let us prove how POLARIS Laboratories® can provide these same benefits to your equipment health.

 

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

Published January 30, 2018

Kick Off the New Year With A Review of Your Program

As we move into 2018, could you answer these questions?

What was the return on your fluid analysis investment in 2017?

Did you meet the goals of your program in 2017?

Beginning a new year is a great time to reevaluate your program and its goals. Outlined below are a few aspects of your fluid analysis program that should be reviewed:

Feedback

Did you provide feedback regarding the accuracy of recommendations in the sample reports? This can be a vital part of a continuous improvement program. For those of you using HORIZON®, you are probably familiar with the “Take Action” function. This is a great place to record your findings and communicate with the data analysis team and let us know if:

  • Were the recommendations spot-on?
  • Did you find additional issues?

By providing this feedback to the lab, future recommendations will be more detailed and accurate and will start you on the path of continuous improvement. Take a moment to capture the cost savings associated to the report in the “Estimated Savings” field. This will allow you to run a report later to determine the return on investment of your program.

Training

The need for training goes beyond the person who reviews reports or oversees the program. Everyone that handles fluids, repairs equipment, obtains fluid samples or is in any way accountable for the cost of the program should receive formal training on fluid analysis.

  • Have you included proper training of personnel as part of your goals for 2018?
  • Has everyone in your organization received training?

Transparency

As we kick off 2018, I encourage you to share with all your team members the goals of your fluid analysis program and where you are today in relation to the goals. In order to maximize your current program, continue sharing the progress with your team. You will truly be surprised at how quickly you will obtain your goals when everyone on the team is aware of the progress and realizes what a vital part each of them plays in achieving the goals.

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

Published January 16, 2018

It’s All In The Equipment List

Did you know that reviewing and updating your overall equipment list is a simple way to make your fluid analysis program more effective and efficient? Cleaning, updating and organizing your equipment list can also alert you of problems early before they can turn critical or cause a catastrophic event.

Overall Review

It’s good to do an overall review of your entire equipment list often, this ensures everything is up-to-date and accurate. It’s simple to do – just follow these steps:

  1. Using the data extraction tool under the “Data Management” tab on HORIZON®, download your list of equipment.
  2. Review the list for any updates that need to be made. While reviewing your equipment, here are some things to look for:
    • Equipment that needs to be merged together
    • Equipment that needs to be marked as inactive
    • Any other information that needs updated
  3. Once you have completed your review and filled in any information that is missing or any equipment that needed merged, send the equipment list to our Customer Service team at custserv@eoilreports.com. We will work on getting those changes made within our system in time for them to be reflected in your next round of sampling.

Making Updates

One thing to note – the above steps can be used for doing an overall equipment review. At any time, you can go under the “Equipment Management” tab on HORIZON and click on “Equipment List” and make updates to your equipment within HORIZON as well.

Adding Equipment

Do you have a new group of equipment to add to your account? You can go to the Technical Library and download the Equipment List template. Once you have filled this out, send it to us and we will get everything loaded and updated in our system for you.

Staying on top of your equipment list can help you maximize the benefits of your fluid analysis program and make sure your program as efficient as it can be.

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

Published January 9, 2018

Out With The Old and In With Advanced Coolant Testing

“Out with the old and in with the new.” To help start 2018 new and free of problems – and engine failure – make sure your cooling system is operating correctly with advanced coolant testing.

Prevent Engine Failures

Approximately 50 percent of preventable engine failures can be traced back to problems in the cooling system. Advanced coolant testing can be used not only when trying to detect the root cause of cooling system issues, but can be added to testing anytime to help make sure the cooling system is working correctly before issues arise. With regularly performing advanced coolant testing on the cooling system early, concerns can be addressed before a snowball effect of corrosion, loss of heat transfer and ultimately, engine failure occurs.

Ion Chromatography

Advanced coolant testing will involve Ion Chromatography, or “IC” testing. The IC test detects degradation acids that can form naturally as the glycol breaks down with age or may form due to issues with the cooling system. The IC will also detect contaminates, chloride and sulfate that may have entered the system without you knowing of an issue. Contaminates found by IC testing can form acids and create corrosion to the system rapidly. Once degradation acids form, the glycol will continue to break down, creating more and more acids that can cause severe corrosion of the cooling system components and will lead to engine failures. Two of the most common issues seen on the engine side due to issues with the cooling system include exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) failures and oxidized oil, shortening the life of the oil and increasing wear contamination.

See Trends

Performing advanced coolant testing regularly will also let you see trending results. This will help indicate possible issues such as air leaks, combustion gas leaks, hot spots or even electrical ground issues. With the ability to trend results, an increase in contaminates or degradation acids would indicate an issue or issues are occurring in the system.

For more information, view our Technical Bulletin and reach out to your laboratory to have advanced coolant testing added to your coolant sample.

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

Published January 2, 2018

Spend Minutes Today: Save Hours Tomorrow

In today’s world, everyone wants to get more done in less time, and the HORIZON® technical library can help you do just that. It doesn’t matter if you started fluid analysis sampling today or have been looking at reports your entire career, we’ve created 100+ videos and informational documents to help you maximize your HORIZON experience and get the most out of your sample data.

For Beginners

The “How To” section is great for beginners (though veterans may discover a few tips while they’re there). These instructions focus on the nuts-and-bolts of fluid analysis – collecting samples, filling out labels and reading reports. You can learn the basics quickly, so you can get back under the hood.

Mastering Your Data

HORIZON is designed to be intuitive to new users, but its free-form fields may take time to master through trial-and-error. Skip ahead by exploring the technical library and take advantage of the resources available to you. There are 12 different instruction sets just to help you run the management report features! Each one will save you time (and sometimes, headaches) filtering and sorting spreadsheets, and they can be scheduled to run automatically to save time in the future, too.

Turning Results into Action

Finally, the technical library has detailed information specific to the fluids we test and best practices for fitting fluid analysis into your maintenance programs. Our OMA and CLS-certified staff collected their thoughts from decades of testing and consultation to help you turn your sample results into maintenance recommendations and program improvements.

The best part? The technical library is available 24/7 in HORIZON. Log in today and start saving time tomorrow.

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

Published December 26, 2017

The “Aha!” Moment: How to Track Your ROI

It’s safe to say it’s every company’s goal, no matter what industry, to see a positive return when investing money. Investing in a fluid analysis program is no different. HORIZON® has a feature that allows you to track the action taken based on your sample recommendations. This feature also allows you to see an estimated cost savings vs. running to failure for each action taken. Customize the Action Taken Summary Report with date ranges, severities and fuel types and the report will give you a summary of your actions and cost savings for a given period. Using this report, you can provide your upper management with the ROI of your fluid analysis program.

For more information on how to use the Action Taken feature in HORIZON:

The “Aha!” moment: The Fleet Maintenance Director of a global logistics company tracked the action taken in HORIZON® based on the sample recommendations and discovered the company saved more than $650,000. The company only invested just more than $14,000 in a fluid analysis program. That’s a 45:1 ROI!

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

Published December 19, 2017

Tips For Getting Your Sample Results Timely

We know how important it is to get your sample results back in a timely manner. Once we receive your package, we strive to achieve a sample turnaround time of 1 to 2 business days for most routine oil, diesel and coolant testing. If you haven’t received your sample results within a week, please contact us. Your customer service team is here to help! If you are concerned with not receiving your results, there are several factors that come into play.

Where in the world is your sample? (quite literally)

A good place to start is to make sure your package containing your sample was delivered to our laboratory. Here are a few tips on shipping, depending on which service you choose:

  • UPS or FedEx: If you sent your package via one of these services, check to see the status using the carrier website. UPS and FedEx deliver packages right to our laboratory doors several times a day and we sign for all packages received.
  • United States Postal Service (USPS): This service does not track deliveries to our door. Their tracking service will show when the package was delivered to the post office, but it may take significantly longer to process our packaged mail for pickup.

The best way to ensure your samples have been received is to be proactive with your HORIZON® account and set up alerts for when your samples are logged and are awaiting laboratory testing. Setup up this alert under “My Settings” and know exactly when your sample arrives. Check out the video tutorial in the HORIZON technical library, it demonstrates how to setup real-time, daily or weekly summary Sample Receipt Alerts.

You’ve confirmed we have your sample in our laboratory, what else could it be? 

  • Make sure your HORIZON account is activated and you have set up your password (your welcome email might be stuck in your email spam filter.)
  • Ensure we have the correct email address on file, there might have been an error due to a typo in your email address when processing your sample.
  • Double check to see if you have access to the account the sample was logged in to.
  • For various reasons, your sample may have been placed on hold and you did not receive the email notification (samples are only held for 30 days, so don’t wait to contact us!)

Please contact us to check in on your sample and sample results and we will do our best to assist you.

4 Reasons to Start the New Year Right

2018 is just around the corner, start off on the right foot and re-start your fluid analysis program.

If you aren’t doing fluid analysis, you should be. And you should be doing it with POLARIS Laboratories®.

We provide insights into your maintenance by testing your equipment’s engine oil, hydraulic oil, coolant and diesel fuel. Extend your drain intervals to save money in your maintenance budget by starting fluid analysis program with us. I’ve highlighted four key reasons to start your year off with POLARIS Laboratories®:

  1. Sampling on The Go: The HORIZON® mobile app places the power of the web data management application in the palm of your hand. The app allows you to quickly submit sample data and read reports from mobile devices.
  2. DataConnect: Conveniently have all your data in one system with an automatic import of your HORIZON sample data into your own data system.
  3. Trusted Laboratory: POLARIS Laboratories® is accredited in accordance with the requirements of ISO 17025:2005.
  4. 24-Hour Assistance: Our customer service representatives and data analysts are available 24-hours a day, Monday through Friday to assist you.

Learn more about managing an effective fluid analysis program by partnering with POLARIS Laboratories®.

Ready to get started? Fill out this form and we will contact you.

 

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

Published December 5, 2017

Compliance is Key

Being compliant is not only important to properly manage your PM’s, but also to uncover issues within the equipment before it becomes catastrophic. Compliance is key when it comes to managing an effective fluid analysis program.

Not taking a timely sample from each actively-used equipment will lead to performance issues and potentially downtime, which will result in more expensive repair costs and lost revenue.

Samples should be taken on time and while the equipment is in use to get the most accurate assessment of the overall health of the equipment. This will lead to extended equipment lifespans and more uptime and savings, increasing your overall ROI.

One way to ensure your program is compliant and you’re getting the most out of your ROI is by participating in a Program Review. We take your existing data and compare it to our recommendations and industry averages to give you a clear look at the compliance of your program.

The Program Review looks at:

  • Component Compliance – How many components do you have on file and, of those, how many are you actively sampling?
  • Frequency Compliance – How frequently are you submitting samples?
  • Sample Severity – How many of your samples fall into a high-severity ranking?
  • Shipping Time – What is the average time it takes for us to receive your samples?
  • Goals, Tools and Training – Are you getting the most out of the available trainings and technology?

For more information, check out our Blog on Program Reviews.

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

Published November 28, 2017