Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/847153
40 | July - August 2017 | www.machinerylubrication.com t has been a couple years now since the birth of my first child. I remember going to the doctor's appointments with my wife where countless exams and tests were conducted to confirm that the pregnancy was progressing as it should. There were measurements, readings and occasionally blood tests. One of the blood tests was designed to look for genetic abnormalities. The literature on this test explained there was a chance for false posi- tives as well as false negatives. Several samples were taken to ensure the test was performed accurately and the results could be verified. Our son was born happy and healthy, but the memories of all the testing and the quest for accuracy with the results stayed with me. Similarly, when you receive medical advice that you don't like or accept, you usually seek a second opinion from a different doctor or hospital. Although sometimes you may get better news or different results, oftentimes the same results come back, further substantiating the thoughts or recommendations of your doctors. This same logic can be applied to oil analysis laboratories. Ensure the Integrity of Your Oil Analysis Data How many times have you sent off an oil sample and had results come back that seemed odd or with information that you just couldn't accept? While this isn't the norm with oil analysis data, it does happen. Each result should be scrutinized and reviewed. Look for anything that seems out of the ordinary. At the end of the day, labs can make mistakes, so it is up to you to ensure the integrity of your data. In the past, oil analysis services were offered in which quarterly samples would be taken from machines and the results analyzed, with the customer taking the corresponding action. The methodology was very pedestrian. If the results were labeled as green, nothing was done. If the results were marked as yellow, another sample would be taken in the coming weeks. If the sample was flagged as red, the oil and filters were changed. There was no in-depth analysis, and whatever data was presented on the lab reports was treated as absolute truth. While this approach was overly simplistic, it yielded decent results for I CROSSCHECK Your OIL ANALYSIS Why You Should Lab IN THE TRENCHES We s ca sh | Nori a Corpor at ioN Most oil analysis practitioners assume the data from their laboratory is accurate and irrefutable, but this may not always be the case. O i l A n a l y s i s