Blog | POLARIS Laboratories®

Realizing Your Return on Investment, One Step at a Time

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Organize your data. Use a data management system to run reports and identify trends within your data.
Continue monitoring your fluid analysis system. Make sure you’re taking appropriate action and providing feedback to the laboratory on actions taken.
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.

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

2016 Customer Summit Keynote: Oliver Luck

Have you registered for the POLARIS Laboratories® 2016 Customer Summit? If so, you might have noticed a highly successful NFL quarterback on our program lineup.

This year’s keynote address will be presented by Oliver Luck, a noted college athletic director, the Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs with the NCAA and a former Houston Oilers quarterback with five back-to-back seasons in the NFL.

Since his retirement as a NFL player, Luck has worn a number of hats including, the CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, WVU’s Director of Athletics and, currently, the Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the NCAA.

Embracing this position, Luck has gathered together all the regulatory functions of the NCAA under one umbrella – enforcement, academic, and membership affairs and the eligibility center.

An in-demand speaker on leadership and success, Luck will be sharing his own personal experience with building program champions. Trading his Oilers helmet for oil analysis, he will also touch on the benefits of compliance and the importance strong leadership has on organizational success.

If you’re interested in hearing Luck speak, be sure to register for the 2016 Customer Summit!

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

Published August 9, 2016

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.

2016 Customer Summit: Featured Opportunities

We’re not lying when we say the POLARIS Laboratories® Customer Summit is a one of a kind experience. Featuring a wide variety of events and a diverse speaker lineup, we’ve taken every step to ensure that you leave our summit with all the tools and tactics to apply oil analysis best practices to your program.

Read on for a complete breakdown of what our summit has to offer!

General Sessions
From a dynamic keynote address to presentations from leaders in the industry, our general sessions are packed full of information to help you become an oil analysis program champion.

Facility Tours
As you register, you’ll have the option to choose between attending one of two different company headquarters: POLARIS Laboratories® or Allison Transmission. Both tours offer a behind the scenes look at the company’s business.

Pre and Post Summit Workshops
If you’re looking to maximize your summit experience, pre and post summit workshops, presented by our technical business consultants, are available. Whether you’re looking to learn more about advanced data interpretation or building successful metrics, we can help you with these sessions!

Networking
You’ll have the opportunity to meet and greet with industry peers.

Breakout Sessions
In between our general sessions are a number of breakout sessions led by experts in the industry. As you register, you’ll have the option of choosing which event is the best fit for your needs.

Customer Appreciation Event
The customer appreciation event will take place at the NCAA Hall of Champions, featuring a fully interactive space where visitors can compete both virtually and hands on through sports simulators, a 1930s retro-style gymnasium, a ski simulator and more.

Packed into just three days, our program offers you and your team all the information you need to transform your maintenance program. For more information on our event speakers and workshop topics, check out our schedule of events!

Register today to join us in Indianapolis September 19-21 and grow your equipment maintenance expertise with POLARIS Laboratories® this year.

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

Published August 2, 2016

Summer Troubles: Testing Your Coolant

summer-troubles
Do you have problems with your equipment’s coolant? While addressing coolant issues may seem as easy as changing your coolant, it’s actually a bit more complicated than that.

Even if you change your coolant frequently, issues with your equipment can and will persist without any visible indicators. If your equipment has inconsistent levels of fluid properties, you’re not addressing the root cause of the issue by changing the fluid. Only routine fluid analysis can direct you to the real cause of the problem.

When it comes to improving your equipment health, it’s essential you have all the information. Not convinced? The following consequences may be enough to change your mind.

Antifreeze/Glycol %:
Too high or low of a percent can cause issues, including: boiling coolant or the block may freeze, cavitation and corrosion, loss of heat transfer, pitted liners, and seals may fail.

pH:
If your coolant becomes acidic, it could cause corrosion on iron components, electrolysis pitting through liners, corrosive attack on engine block and possible corrosion protection chemicals precipitate out of solution.

Specific Conductance:
When this level is in excess, your coolant may lose the ability to resist carrying an electrical current between the dissimilar metals of an engine’s cooling system.

Total Metals:
Abnormal levels of metals is a sign of metal corrosion, liner pitting, and corrosion or erosion of any metal components.

By using fluid analysis to find the root cause of the problem, you can directly address your equipment issues. Learn more about how diagnosing coolant issues through fluid testing can help you protect your equipment by downloading this technical bulletin.

If you’re interested in adding coolant testing to your fluid analysis program, contact your account manager or speak with our customer service team.

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

How To: Lubricant Dispensing and Transferring

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.

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.

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

Dos and Don’ts of 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:

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

Don’t:

Hurry! Speeding through the sample process could lead to mistakes
Use a bottle not made for sampling
Leave blanks in your sample information
Forget to include the EZ label with your bottle (if you did not submit online)
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.

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.

Register for the Customer Summit Now!

Don’t forget! The POLARIS Laboratories® 2016 Customer Summit early registration closes July 31. This is your opportunity to save $200 off of your event registration fee while signing up for a summit unlike any other you’ve ever attended.

Why register early? So you can join our all-star line-up. Learn how to build a quality oil analysis program from companies such as Cummins Filtration, Chevron, RelaDyne LLC, Aggreko, Valvoline® and even the NCAA. These industry leaders have a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can help you make a champion impact on your maintenance program.

Former NFL quarterback and current NCAA Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Oliver Luck, will deliver the keynote. An in-demand speaker on leadership and success, Luck will share his own personal experience with building program champions. Connecting college athletics with oil analysis, he also will touch on the benefits of compliance and the impact strong leaders can have on long-term organizational success.

Registering for the event is easy!

Visit our summit page to learn more about what the event has to offer and stop by our registration page to save your seat. As you register, you have the option to:

Add additional workshops
Choose which workshops you would prefer to attend
Choose between one of two great tour options

I know, I know. This will be a tough call! If you need any additional information to help you decide, visit our programming page.

Be sure you register soon to take advantage of this deal and secure your spot! I look forward to seeing you in Indianapolis September 19 through 21!

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

Published July 9, 2016

The HORIZON® Mobile App is Available for Android

Android users, we didn’t forget you! After unveiling the HORIZON® app for Apple in 2015, we have spent the last few months working diligently to develop the same easy-to-use app for Android devices. After all this hard work, I’m happy to announce the HORIZON app for Android is now available in the Google Play™ store!

The application, an extension of our award-winning fluid analysis software, is designed to make submitting your samples easy and reliable. No matter what device you’re using, a smartphone, tablet or computer, the HORIZON app and web versions are capable of syncing in real time, which means you can always rely on the app to keep you in the loop.

Whether you’re using Apple or Android, this app is designed to make your day easier. Using the mobile app allows you to stand right next to your equipment and enter fluid time, mileage and other information directly into HORIZON. This eliminates the need for paper submissions and the inevitable errors that come with it.

In addition, the app helps you manage your alerts, notifying you when your sample is complete and allowing you to adjust the alerts based on fluid
type and severity. The sample submission function also shows you the status of the sample (waiting, received, completed) in the sample submission list.

Don’t worry, if your phone battery is low, you can still access HORIZON on your web browser.

As we continue to identify ways to make your sample submission process easier, stay up-to-date on everything HORIZON through our monthly newsletter.

Download for Android
Download for Apple

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

Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc.