Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication May - June 2018

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/985736

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 54 of 80

50 | May - June 2018 | www . machinerylubrication.com Particle filtration of a hydraulic system is usually sufficient for controlling the level of oil contaminants. However, sometimes "cutting corners" occurs during the system's engineering process, which can lead to inefficient filtration. Cleansing the oil of contaminants is generally consid- ered to be secondary to the primary functions of the hydraulic system and thus is often neglected and under- emphasized as a vital part of the design. is can result in filters performing poorly due to lacking structural integ- rity, dirt-holding capacity or particle-capture efficiency. ere are also many ways in which the system could be inadequate for performing filtration, including its flow rate, the presence of vibration or if the overall differen- "Our plant has been having problems with solid contaminants in our hydraulic oil, so I am looking for a good technology to filter the oil. We are already using oil filters, but do you know of any other technologies that could possibly help?" "How long should you run a diesel generator before pulling an oil sample?" As with any oil sampling procedures, it is recom- mended that the machine be currently running or recently shut down (less than 10-15 minutes), depending on how the sample is to be taken. Diesel gener- ators are no different. One of the most important times to take a sample on a diesel gener- ator (or any machine) is during the first few hours of operation. The probability of failure is much higher at the onset of a machine's life due to the potential of infant mortality, which is a result of break-in wear and other possible but improbable faults during fabrication. That said, soon after a diesel generator is initially run, a sample should be taken. At this time, and assuming fresh oil was just added, it is recommended that a sample be taken after the generator has been in operation for approximately one hour. is running time not only is early enough to provide the oil analyst an opportunity to catch any significant concerns before an issue worsens, but also long enough to anticipate poten - tial break-in wear or other concerns present in the oil sample. If the oil analysis is reported normal and without concern, then sampling intervals can increasingly be extended until a standardized sampling frequency is reached. is will be dependent on the operating conditions and manufacturer's recommendations. is frequency could be anywhere from a few weeks for continuously run, highly critical applications to up to a year for low critical applications with sporadic use. Environmental conditions will play a role in this decision as well. For a used oil sample, the advice is nearly the same. Just be sure the sample has been taken when the generator is operating under normal conditions or immediately after it has been shut off while still at typical operating temperatures. In either case, the generator should have been running for at least an hour. If the sample is taken from a sampling port, such as on the inlet of the filter housing, then sampling during running conditions is not a concern. If a sampling tube must be inserted near the machine's moving components, then you must sample soon after the generator has been shut off. Try to have all the sampling equipment ready before shutting off the machine so you are able to pull the sample within 10 minutes of the machine being shut down. Remember, it is critical to obtain the sample in such a manner that it will be representative of the oil in the generator. ASK THE EXPERTS

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Machinery Lubrication - Machinery Lubrication May - June 2018