Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/431954
54 | November - December 2014 | www.machinerylubrication.com PERSPECTIVE a l e Ja ndro me z a | Nori a Corpor at ioN O i l A n a l y s i s ow effective is your oil anal- ysis program? To determine the answer, it is necessary to conduct a self-assessment of your program's design and management. Many oil analysis programs have limited potential because of a lack of vision. This may be the result of insufficient training or not understanding the capabilities of oil analysis. Too often the person responsible for the oil analysis program has simply accepted a program proposed by the lubricant vendor or a third- party laboratory, assuming that it will be suitable for the organization's needs. While this assumption is not always wrong, the question becomes whether the program has been appropriately customized for the plant's machine conditions, equipment criti- cality and reliability objectives. This article will describe how to perform a quick self-assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of your current program. Program Design The first step is to assess the design of your oil analysis program, including the objectives, training, machine criticality, sampling frequency, test slates, sampling locations, alarms and limits, sampling procedures, lab selection, and data interpretation. Establish whether the program has a predictive or proactive focus, or if it is designed to maximize oil change intervals. Is analyzing incoming oil part of the program? It is also essential to provide the appropriate training to the program manager so he or she can work with the laboratory to design and under- stand the program's goals and features. The machines included in the program should be based on their criti- cality, which is defined according to the costs, maintainability, safety and environ- mental risks or concerns. Sampling procedures must be executed reliably to ensure consistency of the oil samples. Sampling intervals should be set in relation to several parameters such as machine criticality, environment severity, oil age and machine age. Because oil contaminants vary in concentration at different points in a machine or lubrication system, it is critical to choose the best sampling locations. Once the sampling point is identified, it may be necessary to install a sampling port. Test slates should be chosen according to the program objectives and equipment criticality. Tests can be focused to analyze lubricant health, contaminants and wear debris, and can be classified as routine and exception tests. Alarms and limits should alert you when a specific parameter is beyond the normal condition. They may be based on the original equipment manufacturer's recommendations and historical informa- tion but should be validated and adjusted to the specific machine's characteristics. The laboratory selection must take into account technical capabilities (tests and experience), quality assurance, information management, customer service and cost. Data interpretation should be generated from the failure modes and metallurgy of the machine. While there are typical failure modes for machines, a specific analysis should be conducted for critical machines according to their operating conditions. ASSESSING the Effectiveness of YOUR OIL ANALYSIS Program H