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Justifying An Oil Analysis Program

Justifying An Oil Analysis Program An oil analysis program must have a goal in mind for it to be effective, and the goal ultimately determines some of the factors associated with the program. As examples, common goals may include, reducing oil consumption, extending equipment life and increasing reliability. When setting a goal of extending drain…
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Why You Should Never Reuse Your Oil Sample Tubing

Why You Should Never Reuse Your Oil Sample Tubing Oil sampling tubing should never be reused.  To avoid minimizing sample contamination a new line of tube should be used for each sample taken. A company recently hired me to train their samplers.  The company used the drop tube method to collect their oil samples so…
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Lubrication: Not Too Much and Not Too Little

Lubrication: Not Too Much and Not Too Little Did you know that the two most common failures for bearings are over lubrication and under lubrication? If a bearing is over lubricated, the bearing can be pushed excessively by the lubricant causing additional wear of the bearing. If the bearing is under lubricated it will rub…
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Understanding Oil Viscosity: The Thick and Thin of It

Understanding Oil Viscosity: The Thick and Thin of It If you have a gearbox with a manufacturer’s nameplate instructing you to use the American Gear Manufacturer’s Association (AGMA) #4 viscosity oil at a given operating temperature, or if it specified a 750 SSU viscosity oil, would you know exactly what viscosity oil you need? If…
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Six Ways To Improve Your Oil Analysis Program

Six Ways To Improve Your Oil Analysis Program The success of any lube analysis program is often dependent on proper planning and execution.  Much like an airline flight whose crew must perform a detailed checklist of activities before the plane is approved for takeoff, a lube analysis program should be designed with various checks and balances, standards, procedures, and other verification to ensure its…
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Know the Proper Base Number of Your Oil

Know the Proper Base Number of Your Oil The base number (BN) is a property that is more associated with engine oils rather than industrial oils. It can be defined as the oil’s ability to neutralize acids that are produced during use. The higher the base number in the engine oil, the more acid it…
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