Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication September October

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/730290

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 46 of 69

40 | September - October 2016 | www.machinerylubrication.com Benne t t Fi t ch | Nori a Corpor at ioN LESSONS IN LUBRICATION Best Practices for Performing on Your OIL ANALYSIS ENGINE OIL T he benefits of oil analysis are enjoyed throughout all indus- tries that operate mechanical equipment. Power plants track the changes in performance properties of thousands of gallons of turbine oil, as slight changes could lead to or indicate the onset of component failure. The main gearboxes in wind turbines are monitored regularly through oil analysis, since the cost of compo - nent replacement can be extremely expensive. Chemical plants perform routine oil analysis on the majority of their critical equipment to plan scheduled shutdowns more effectively. These are just a few examples of how oil analysis programs are implemented across various industries. But what about the common machine most of us take for granted for its ability to get us from point "A" to "B" without fail? Yes, I'm talking about our personal passenger vehicles. Most of us would be frustrated and inconve- nienced if our car suddenly ceased to provide its basic function. You likely have experienced this problem in the past for at least a day or so. As with most any other machine, our vehicles require routine maintenance. Whether you perform the maintenance on your car or rely on a mechanic, there are several inspection points and areas of concen- tration throughout the vehicle. Historically, tire-related failures are the primary cause of breakdown. With most tire issues, the cost of repair and the length of downtime are low, especially if the remediation is simply a repaired flat. On the other hand, engine failure is far less common but can be very expensive and often results in downtime of several days or weeks, depending on the avail - ability of spare parts. Why Passenger Vehicle Oil Analysis Is Rare There are many reasons oil analysis is not commonly performed on passenger vehicles. Car owners usually are not interested in extending their engine's life because they don't anticipate a significant failure during their ownership period. Most don't hold onto a new vehicle for more than five to 10 years. The majority of car owners also expect their insurance or warranty policy to cover any potential engine failure. In addition, many people believe that simply changing the oil and oil filter routinely is sufficient to maintain their car's engine. They don't consider that the cost of oil analysis testing may be similar to that of an oil change. Some vehicles also have an onboard "oil life" indicator that provides real-time feedback to the driver about the engine oil's condition, which may give a false sense of security. Even if you understand the benefits of oil analysis, collecting a sample on a passenger vehicle is inconvenient and ineffective. There generally is no good location to take a repre- sentative oil sample. Without an engine retrofit, the sample normally will be taken from A u t o m o t i v e

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Machinery Lubrication - Machinery Lubrication September October