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Machinery Lubrication Anniversary Edition
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machinerylubrication.com
"This shift
towards
monitoring
machine health
rather than
solely testing
lubricant
health marked
a significant
turning point
in lubricant
testing."
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full, original article.
HISTORY
A HISTORY OF OIL ANALYSIS
Visual Analysis to Elemental Analysis, and
Everything In Between
The history of oil
analysis dates back
to the early days of
lubricant use when
inspections were limited to basic
checks such as temperature, pres-
sure, and occasional assessments of
oil color and viscosity. In the late
19th century, there were references
to blotter spot testing of in-service
lubricants. However, it wasn't until
the mid-20th century that routine
oil analysis for condition monitoring
became widespread.
Initially, oil analysis focused on
characterizing the physical, chemical,
and performance properties of new
lubricants. Tests were conducted to
determine viscosity, flash point, pour
point, density, total insolubles, and
water contamination. These tests
were promoted by oil companies to
ensure product quality and to protect
manufacturers legally in the event of
machine failure.
In the late 1940s, the Denver and
Rio Grande Railroad pioneered the
use of elemental spectroscopy to test
lubricants for abnormal wear metals
like aluminum, copper, iron, and
lead. is shift towards monitoring
machine health rather than solely
testing lubricant health marked a
significant turning point in lubricant
First Seen in Machinery Lubrication, January 2023
By Noria Media
A N N I V E R S A R Y E D I T I O N
An early Baird elemental spectrometer.
