Turn Up the Heat on Your Turnaround Time


The speed of business has accelerated in today’s on-demand, instant-access world. This makes me wonder why some of our customers don’t take advantage of the shortcuts and speed-ups HORIZON® offers. There are simple ways to have your samples tested faster, but only a small portion of our customers take advantage of them. Now you can avoid unnecessary delays before your samples are tested.

Online Sample Submission: Customers have the ability to enter sample information directly into HORIZON instead of shipping paperwork with the sample. Sounds easy, right? Well, it is! When this information already exists in the system, it accelerates our internal process and reduces errors. Handwriting equipment and sample information is not fun for your technicians and reading that handwriting can be quite challenging for ours. With HORIZON, all your account and component information is there from previous samples so all you have to do is scan a barcode, enter is a few fields of sample information and click submit. Some paperwork errors stop our laboratory technicians from being able to run tests on the sample or data analysts from providing accurate, reliable recommendations. With HORIZON sample submission, all the information is entered an approved by you. We just apply a lab number, assign testing and your sample moves directly to the lab in front of thousands of other samples. Which brings me to my next point…

Shipping: We accept packages from UPS, FedEx, DHL and the United States Postal Service (USPS). The shipping time for each service will vary depending on your location(s), and you should weigh the cost of faster shipping against the business cost from waiting for oil analysis results. We recommend using UPS, FedEx and DHL so you can utilize their package tracking systems.

Samples on Hold: From missing information to account issues, there are a several reasons why a sample may be placed “on hold”. A delayed sample is frustrating to both us and our customers. Here’s how you can find out if a sample is put on hold.

  • HORIZON offers a Sample Hold Subscription, which sends an email when a sample from that account is put on hold. The email can be sent immediately for each sample, in a daily summary or in a weekly summary.
  • The Sample Hold Summary Report can be run on-demand. Customize it to show what samples are currently held or use it to discover the root cause of why a sample was placed on hold.

Using these tools will improve your overall experience and help ensure your samples are received as soon as possible, minimize errors and avoid unnecessary delays.

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

Published January 28, 2015

The Difference One Year Makes


As POLARIS Laboratories® marks the one-year anniversary of our new laboratory and corporate headquarters, the real celebrants of this milestone should be you – our customers!

POLARIS Laboratories® is committed to providing the most accurate, reliable and timely fluid analysis processing and recommendations in the industry. When we prepared to open the doors to our headquarters a year ago, we were excited about the opportunities a new, expanded state-of-the-art facility would offer our customers, partners and employees.

As we envisioned, one year later we’re better able to employ proven processes and improvements that generate more efficient results for our customers. As the demand for our testing and analysis services increased, the more evident it became we needed a new foundation to support how we service our customers, integrate our teams and deliver recommendations to our customers to help them improve their reliability and maintenance programs.

Sporting a new 63,000-square-foot facility in northwest Indianapolis – which is double the size of our previous headquarters — POLARIS Laboratories® has deployed more efficient manufacturing principles that empower the employees to be more effective and efficient in processing your samples. We are deploying new testing processes in our headquarters that will become mainstays in all our laboratories around the world. Our new laboratory has helped create new process flows that help identify root causes of potential testing delays, create new efficiencies and leverage new process improvements.

Indy-Lab--old

Duplicate pieces of equipment were grouped together in the old Indianapolis Laboratory. This resulted in the samples moving all over the lab before receiving the testing they needed. 

 Indy-Lab--new

This is the base titration cell after the move. The cell only contains equipment for the standard testing associated with samples requiring a base number, minimizing the movement of the samples.

As Lean principles continue to define our processes, POLARIS Laboratories® remains committed to the continuous improvement that accompanies it. The Lean process and new building has taken us leaps and bounds beyond where we were just one year ago, and we will continue to evolve in order to provide the most efficient, high-quality oil analysis possible.

Indy Lab - Office AreaOur commitment to Lean principles isn’t limited to just the laboratory. Our entire team in the Indianapolis laboratory is embracing the many advantages of transparency, flexibility and open communication. To foster greater collaboration and idea sharing, we designed the new facility with low cubicle walls and glass walls in most conference and break rooms. This open environment facilitates collaboration and team work so we can provide better results and solutions for our customers.

Once again, happy anniversary to our customers, partners and employees on the new corporate headquarters, a state-of-the-art laboratory and the improved customer experience.

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

Published December 10, 2014

Know Your Sample in a 360 View


Two weeks ago, I spent a week in San Francisco with nearly 150,000 marketing professionals at the annual Dreamforce Conference hosted by Salesforce, the world’s leading customer relationship management company. The themes from their sessions were engaging and consistent almost to a fault.

Know Your Customer. Test, Adjust and Learn. Optimize Performance. The Journey Is the Reward.

At one point, I had to step back and do a double-take on the Dreamforce app to be sure I was not attending an oil analysis conference. The parallels surfaced in nearly every presentation. In the new information age, industries – and companies – everywhere strive to capture compelling and reliable information and recommendations to improve their business.

In the oil analysis industry, this is more critical than ever. After all, 2015 starts now. Companies that are diligent in scheduling predictive maintenance to be proactive and remain productive are the same companies that will race past the competition after New Year’s Day. Do you want to explain to your manager in January why you’re starting off the new year with downtime ruling the day and service objectives off-target simply because of equipment failure? What’s more, leaving your customers under-serviced and underwhelmed will simply encourage them to consider alternative solutions going forward.

Wouldn’t it be more effective for you – and your company – if you knew the operating condition of your equipment before it was too late? When companies routinely conduct analysis on their equipment and consistently take action on the results and recommendations, they are able to reap the benefits of their oil analysis program. Be proactive, and you know what your equipment needs and when. In short, you have replaced preventive maintenance with predictive maintenance. This drives change – and keeps your customers informed and happy, too.

How do you want to kick-off 2015? Certainly with uptime ruling the day. A 360-view of your equipment can help extend the lifecycle of your equipment, maximize operational performance and increase uptime. These savings are real and when you look in the rear-view mirror, you’ll find some loyal and committed customers too.

From experience, I know 150,000 marketing professionals are not waiting until next year to deploy new strategies and ideas after their motivating experience at Dreamforce. So, don’t wait for 2015 to change how you manage your oil analysis program. Start today. Download our groundbreaking Taking Action! Fluid Analysis Assessment workbook and determine where and how you can take your program to the next level.

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

Published October 28, 2014

Setting Limits on Fluid Properties


Earlier this month, I talked about how we set limits for wear metals and contaminants. There is one final group of results Data Analysts examine to determine the health of oil, fuels, and coolants: fluid properties.

Fluid properties are the physical and chemical features that allow the fluid to perform as it was designed. Viscosity, Acid Number, Base Number, Oxidation, Nitration and Additives are the main fluid properties examined by fluid analysis.

These properties don’t have much in common. Different tests are used to determine if the fluid still has the ability to protect equipment. Viscosity needs to be run at different temperatures to match the operating conditions of the equipment, ICP is used to quantify the metals found in common additives, oxidation and nitration are measured using FTIR, and acid number and base number need to be run using different titration methods to get the measurement we desire.

Just like wear metals and contaminants, the actual flagging limits depend on what the fluid is, the equipment the fluid is being used in, and what application the equipment is doing. These factors all can change the maintenance recommendations from the Data Analysts, which is why it is important to provide as much information about the sample as possible.

To learn more about the challenges facing each fluid property and how we set our flagging limits, please download this technical bulletin.

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

Oil, Coolant and Fuel Contamination


It doesn’t matter if it came from outside the equipment, was generated inside the equipment or if it worked its way into the oil from another system in the machine, contamination is any substance that isn’t supposed to be in the fluid being tested.

Most people think of contamination as something working its way into the equipment from the outside. Water and many types of particles, like dirt, sneak in through cracks, broken seals or unprotected ports, but in equipment with physical and chemical reaction occurring inside of it, foreign substances are only part of what we consider “contamination”.

Some contaminates are created during equipment operations. Soot is a natural byproduct of diesel combustion and commonly works its way into the engine oil, which is why the oil is formulated with additives to deal with soot. Lubricant additives are designed to protect components and prolong oil life; however they can become contaminants when heat, pressure or a chemical reaction causes them to fall out of suspension.

Fluids from other systems can be contaminants, such as coolant and fuel mixing with engine oil. All three systems need to operate in conjunction with the others, and leaks happen. Small holes and cracks between the oil and cooling systems could leak fluid one-way, so testing both fluids is recommended to catch leaks early. Over-fueling or worn cylinder rings can lead to fuel entering crankcase oil. Either way, cross-contamination from other systems is a sign of a mechanical problem that needs to be fixed before it escalates into a breakdown.

The type of equipment and application will determine what contamination could affect it and what tests to perform. The Contamination Flagging Limits technical bulletin has more information on how POLARIS Laboratories® determines the severity of contamination.

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

Setting Wear Metal Flagging Limits


Our customers have a wide range of knowledge about fluid analysis. Many are new to the process and others have decades of experience. Some have even earned tribology certifications or degrees. Our Data Analysts end up talking to all of them, so we receive a wide variety of questions every day.

Occasionally, our experienced customers compare our test results to the wear metals flagging limits set by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and we often get calls asking why we don’t follow the OEM’s recommended levels. Fortunately, this is an opportunity for us to explain the value of analysis from POLARIS Laboratories®.

We have analyzed millions of oil samples on most types of equipment, meaning we have a huge pool of data and customer feedback. We use that information to make sure our flagging limits won’t have customers perform maintenance too early or too late. Giving precise recommendations saves customers time, money, and effort, but we want to make sure that equipment is protected, too.

In addition to evaluating individual wear metals, the combinations of wear metals are also significant. Combinations of wear metals are significant because they may indicate a particular alloy, which is vital to understanding if a specific part is wearing – for example, elevated copper and tin would indicate a bronze part is wearing.

Many OEMs publish wear metal guidelines. These general guidelines may be a place to start to understanding fluid analysis reports, however they are not designed to be used as absolute values. To maximize the value of fluid analysis, a customer should expect a credible laboratory to have a comprehensive database, utilize statistical analysis to refine flagging limits, and have qualified Data Analysts to make appropriate maintenance and reliability recommendations.

For more information about how and why POLARIS Laboratories® adjusts flagging limits, download our new technical bulletin.

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

Published September 11, 2014

How We Set Flagging Limits


In the Data Analysis department, one of our key responsibilities is to answer any questions customers have about fluid analysis. A lot of our calls are about what results mean. Does the fluid need to be changed? What could be causing that strange noise? We also get questions asking for testing recommendations for a specific application or issue being seen. However, the hardest questions to answer are about our flagging limits. The only easy answer for these questions is: “It’s complicated…”

Our process for defining flagging limits is actually something that we are quite proud of. It can be difficult to provide our limits because they are very dynamic and specific to the information provided about the equipment, fluid, and application. For example, one engine in your fleet may have different flagging limits than another because our limits are customized based on the specific equipment manufacturers and models. Limits are also affected by the rate of change from prior samples. Individual severities may change based on other results that are flagged. These are just a few scenarios that affect limits, but I think you can begin to understand some of the complexities surrounding our limits.

We’d like to clear up some of the confusion by publishing a series of articles to address the more common questions surrounding flagging and alarm limits. What aspects of your report flagging have you been curious about? Post your questions in the comments section of this blog so we have an opportunity to reply and use your questions to guide the topics of our articles.

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

Establishing Goals

Recently I visited a mine that was interested in setting up a new account with POLARIS Laboratories®. One of the first questions I asked was, “What are the goals of your program?” I can’t say I was overly surprised when there was a moment of silence and pondering. While many of us realize there are benefits in performing fluid analysis, and know we want to be involved in a program, we seldom consider all the potential capabilities that a program can offer.

So why is establishing goals important? When many of us first started using fluid analysis, especially in mining, our goal was to simply monitor the health of the components and do what we could to prevent a catastrophic failure from occurring. After all, who wants to lose a core on a $300,000 engine and have an unplanned unscheduled service event happen? No one looks forward to explaining these events to upper management.

Today’s oil analysis capabilities offer a great deal more than just monitoring component health. With today’s technology and performing the proper test, we can monitor the condition of the oil, see if it is suitable for continued use, reduce the amount of used oil disposal, adjust our maintenance intervals and strategies, adjust component replacement schedules, improve forecasting and budgeting and increase component life hours. We have not even begun to touch on other benefits, such as coolant and fuel testing.

However, accomplishing these goals may require additional testing, which costs more. Can you afford not to?

I would like for you to consider a recent case study conducted by POLARIS Laboratories®. Customers who were actively involved in their fluid analysis program realized a 25:1 return on investment – for every dollar spent on fluid analysis their return was 25 dollars! In many of the studies, specific to mining, the return was as high as 40:1!

Have you considered the cost savings if you could double your oil drain intervals? The savings go way beyond the cost of the oil. Think about the savings in maintenance man-hours, the increase in equipment availability and utilization, the reduction in waste disposal. What would be your savings if you could increase component life hours by just 50 percent or prevent that next catastrophic failure from occurring?

Goals, my friends, are so very important to establish. If you do not establish these goals upfront and do not have the appropriate testing set up to match these goals, your program will never reach its full potential. If goals and testing do not match, one of two things are going to happen: You are paying for testing that you do not need, or the very test you are paying for will not help you meet your goals. Goals change, and therefore your testing may need to change with it. Even if you have an established, mature testing program in place, today may be the day to take another look and ensure the testing you are paying for is everything you want it to be.

If you need assistance setting realistic, achievable goals for you oil analysis program, feel free to contact us to get moving in the right direction.

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

Published August 27, 2014

Experience Yields Proven Results


Have you ever faced a moment in your fluid analysis program where you needed expert help to solve a problem? It can be hard to find someone with up-to-date, firsthand knowledge of both your industry and the equipment you are using. Thankfully, POLARIS Laboratories® can help.

For more than 30 years, my career was in heavy equipment maintenance and maintenance management. I have been using oil analysis since 1983; however, it was not until I was employed in the mining industry that I really gained the appreciation of the many benefits that a quality oil analysis program could offer, including some I simply was not familiar with before.

I’ve worked at all levels: The mechanic that pulled the samples, the maintenance planner that reviewed the results, the QA/QC coordinator that looked for improvements, the business improvement team leader and as a member of a global mining heavy equipment users group that developed best practices and policies. I like to think during that time I developed a true understanding of fluid analysis from hands-on all the way up to the strategic level.

Just like all of the members of our Field Services Team, I combine my “customer” experience with my understanding of POLARIS Laboratories® various tests and capabilities to recommend a test combination to best match the customer’s goals. Whether it’s over the phone, in a conference call, or at one of our private trainings, you can rest assured that we have your best interest in mind, both as your fluid analysis provider and as someone who used to turn wrenches and wade through a pile of reports.

This mixture of experiences, I believe, has allowed me to gain a unique perspective of managing a quality fluid analysis program, and this new career path has given me a greater insight into the world of fluid analysis. I have now had the opportunity to see and work with the laboratory and gain new perspectives and I am excited for the opportunity to share this with you.

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

Published August 8, 2014

Testing Extended Life Coolants

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard coolant marketers, OEMs and customers alike say, “There’s no need to test the coolant. We use an ELC.” Extended life coolants, or ELCs, are designed to be more stable, require no supplemental coolant inhibitors and last longer than conventional coolants. However, that doesn’t eliminate the need for coolant testing.

Fluid design won’t prevent or correct many of the problems affecting cooling systems. Mechanical issues, such as combustion gas leaks, air leaks, localized overheating and hotspots or stray electrical grounding, can chemically affect or destroy the coolant and its inhibitors. Once the chemical change occurs, the coolant can attack the metals and components in the system, causing premature failure. Mechanical problems affect conventional and extended life coolants equally, and neither fluid formulation will fix the root cause of the problem.

Coolant contamination is the result of poor maintenance practices and air leaks. Depending on how they affect the pH, contaminants are either going to form acids or alkaline scale in coolants. The acid will corrode or pit cooling system components, degrade hoses and seals and deplete inhibitors and/or additives. Scale affects the oil side of an engine by decreasing the efficiency of heat transfer, which can lead to cracked heads, ring/cylinder wear or bearing wear. Coolants are affected by these problems whether they are conventional or an ELC, and the fluid cannot fix the root cause.

Coolant mixing is another reason why regular fluid analysis is needed for ELCs. With all of the different coolant formulations available today, coolant mixing is a huge issue in the industry. If an incompatible formula makes up more than 25 percent of the total coolant, the inhibitors from both formulas will be too diluted to protect the system, and serious corrosion can occur. Different OEMs use different coolants, so it is easy for fleets with several different brands to mix incompatible formulas together. Even if a fleet maintenance manager stocks the appropriate coolant formulas in the shop, this makes it even easier for maintenance personnel to add the incorrect coolant to a system. This can result in huge maintenance costs from corrosion issues, and this time, the problem is made worse by adding ELC formulas to the spectrum of coolants in stock.

The bottom line is no matter what coolant formula is used, mechanical issues, contaminants and coolant mixing will reduce the life of your fluid and can harm the cooling system and engine. Only regular laboratory coolant analysis can identify issues before damage has occurred. Our ELC test packages will evaluate the life remaining in these specialized formulas, identify if a problem has reduced the life of the coolant and provide maintenance recommendations to help you address the root cause of the problem.

Interested in adding coolant analysis to your maintenance program? Contact us today and we will be in touch with you shortly!

emily-featherston

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

Published June 4, 2014