Oil Analysis Showcase

What’s in your oil? Contaminants unseen by the human eye can significantly affect a plant’s overall output. Thus, oil analysis is a crucial component in oil and machinery health. Regular oil analysis can reduce downtime and extend equipment life—helping save both money and resources. Sampling products for in-house analysis, as well as outside laboratory services and training, are among the offerings of the companies showcased here.

HYDAC Technology Corporation
HYDAC Technology Corporation offers a Fluid Analysis Set that provides the tools to determine levels of solid particulate contamination present in a particular fluid sample. Using the vacuum pump contained in the kit, the fluid sample is drawn through a membrane patch. The residual dirt left on the patch is viewed under a microscope and compared to photos of known contamination levels in the HYDAC Contamination Handbook for visual assessment. Items included in the kit are a molded carry case, microscope, vampire pump, funnel, forceps, rubber tubing hose, plastic petri dish, sample bottles, pen light for microscope, Millipore patches, solvent filters, syringes and the HYDAC Contamination Handbook.

HYDAC Technology Corp. 
Bethlehem, PA
www.hydacusa.com

PdMA Corporation
PdMA’s full service, independent lubricant analysis laboratory offers a wide range of tests on oil, grease, coolant, fuel and transformer oil. The company’s laboratory is ISO 9001 Certified, and operates under the 10 CFR50 Appendix B QA Program. It is also licensed to receive radioactive oil samples. All reports provide accurate data interpretations and recommended actions coupled with a quick turnaround time, and reports can be generated in various electronic formats.

PdMA Corporation
Tampa, FL 
www.pdma.com

A2 Technologies 
A2 Technologies offers a powerful analytical method of lube testing—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)—available for the on-site lab. A2’s PAL™ FTIR Spectrometer is capable of measuring water in oil at levels that are critical to the reliable operation of your turbine equipment. The self-contained system detects water at the necessary warning levels and alerts users when the water reaches 100 ppm. If it reaches 200 ppm, the system issues a critical warning. This convenient, on-site capability eliminates the issues associated with Karl Fischer measurements, including the need for expensive and hazardous consumables and the time required for the KF measurement, not to mention dependency on the skill of the operator and the operating condition of the KF equipment.

A2 Technologies 
Danbury, CT 
www.a2technologies.com

Bently Tribology 
Services Bently Tribology Services (BTS) is an independent laboratory that tests lubricants, fuels (petroleum and bio-based), synthetic machine fluids and coolants. The company’s laboratories are certified to ISO 9001 and compliant with ISO/IEC Guide 25 and 10 CFR 50 App. B (Nuclear Power Quality Assurance) standards. Testing packages are designed with several factors in mind. Every sample receives a set of required tests that may vary depending on the equipment application. In addition to the required tests, a set of advisable tests are available to perform on any sample deemed to be abnormal. This second set of tests provides two functions: It serves as corroborators to the initial screen tests and it serves as root cause analysis indicators. BTS also can also test for machinery wear and/or contamination problems via its DoublecheckSM technique.

Bently Tribology Services 
Peabody, MA 
www.bentlytribology.com

Spectro Inc.
Spectro Inc. supplies condition monitoring instrumentation for oil analysis. The Spectro Industrial Tribology Laboratory (ITL) is an instrument package that makes the necessary measurements to effectively monitor all the oil lubricated equipment in a plant or fleet. The instruments included in the package are: 1) a Spectro optical emission spectrometer for analysis of wear metals, additives and contaminants; 2) a Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer for analysis of organic components; 3) an automatic viscometer; 4) a particle shape classifier and particle counter; and 5) a computer network for data storage, processing and retrieval. Spectro installs and provides training for all instruments. Since the Industrial Tribology Laboratory is a turnkey system, supplied and installed by one vendor, the worry and learning curve errors associated with new methods and equipment are minimized during the startup process.

Spectro Inc. 
Littleton, MA 
www.spectroinc.com

Staveley Services Fluids Analysis
Staveley Services Fluids Analysis (Staveley) has been providing oil, fuel, coolant and metalworking testing procedures since 1961. Today, Staveley has expanded throughout the United States and Canada, serving a diverse customer base. As a core business unit of Staveley Services North America Inc., a provider of testing services including nondestructive examination, Staveley offers standardized analysis packages and more than 100 specialized ASTM tests that cover any combination of conditions, fluids and applications to complement all types of predictive maintenance programs. The company also provides innovative new test procedures, advanced online data management tools and technical experts available to consult with clients to develop an effective testing program.

Staveley Services Fluids Analysis
Glendale Heights, IL 
www.staveleyfa.com

Emerson Process Management 
Emerson Process Management offers a number of CSI oil analysis options to help customers achieve an up to 500% return on their investment in this technology. Emerson offers an on site minilab for industrial oil analysis. Accurate measurement of wear, contamination and chemistry can be accomplished in less than seven minutes using the CSI 5200 Machinery Health® Analyzer. Oilview® software modules are fully integrated with each other and with other technologies through AMS® Suite: Machinery Health Manager software. These modules are also effective as standalone programs. The CSI Oil Lab delivers easy-to-interpret oil analysis reports in both PDF format and as an electronic file, which is easily imported into AMS Machinery Manager.

Emerson Process Management 
Knoxville, TN 
www.assetweb.com/mhm

POLARIS 
POLARIS—Performance Oil Analysis Laboratories and Reliable Information Services—specializes in testing oils, fuels and coolants for the mining, construction, industrial, oil and gas, power generation and marine industries. The company’s testing facilities are all ISO 17025 A2LA accredited, and more than 80% of the fluid samples tested on a daily basis are returned to the customers within 24 hours. POLARIS also offers extensive field services and practical training with nine classes available annually in five cities across the country. Headquartered in Indianapolis, POLARIS also has laboratories in Houston and Salt Lake City, all of which are within 48 hours ground transit from anywhere in the continental United States.

POLARIS
Indianapolis, IN 
www.polarislabs.com

Insight Services
Insight Services has guaranteed same-day oil analysis services to its industrial customers for more than 18 years. Insight’s Web-based reporting tool gives customers complete control of their program management and tracks actions taken on abnormal samples. The tool provides monthly management reports that monitor the overall success of a customer’s program. The company’s expertise in the power industry has led to its varnish potential report, EHC fluid report and turbine analysis report. Insight Services is in the process of developing technology in filter debris analysis. Insight also offers a free book on the fundamentals of oil analysis on its Website.

Insight Services 
Cleveland, OH 
www.testoil.com

The Timken Company 
The Timken Company’s knowledge in tribology, friction management and lubrication provides a foundation for oil analysis. Timken field engineers collect oil samples and analyze particles in lubricants to identify the type and amount of contamination reaching internal machine components. Analysis of these particles can determine the operating condition of the lubricant, as well as reveal the source of any contamination, such as dirt, coolant, moisture, improper usage and overloading. Oil and wear particle analysis often detects worn or defective bearings, cutting and rubbing wear, excessive gear wear and excessive contamination. Monitoring and trending wear particles in lubricant are two ways to detect abnormal component wear, and results from field testing can help determine whether a machine teardown is necessary to prevent further damage.

The Timken Company
Canton, OH 
www.timken.com

Vectron International 
The ViSmart™ viscosity sensor from Vectron International’s SenGenuity division correlates to data acquired from lab instrumentation for real-time, in-line oil condition monitoring applications. According to the company, the product will save time and money while providing lab quality viscosity sensing data in a mechanically active environment. The sensor requires no customer calibration and only 100 micro-liters of fluid are needed for measurement. The unit is unaffected by shock, orientation, flow or vibration conditions.

Vectron International SenGenuity
Hudson, NY
www.sengenuity.com

Trico Corporation
Trico offers the latest sampling supplies and accessories— including sample ports and collection devices—designed to extract system and component specific samples that are both representative and repeatable from the best diagnostic locations in the most effective ways possible. Access to systems is done through the use of a mating sample port adapter. The sample port adapter screws onto the sample port. Oil samples can then be drawn from the system and placed into a clean sampling bottle for analysis. To guard against contaminating the sample and for superior leak protection, Trico sampling ports all feature a check valve and viton o-ring seal cap. Trico sample ports are available in several types and sizes to match the varying requirements of manufacturers.

Trico Corporation 
Pewaukee, WI 
www.tricocorp.com