Optical Particle Count

Operating Principle
A known volume of oil (5ml) is injected through a sampling cell. On one side of the cell is a beam of laser light and on the other side is a detector. As particles pass through the cell, they block the beam and cast shadows on the detector. The drop in light intensity received by the detector is proportional to the size of particle blocking the light beam. Both the number and size of particles are measured.

Significance
Higher levels of particulates in the sample may indicate machine health issues, a high rate of external particulate ingression or filter inefficiency. High levels of particulates can lead to accelerated machine wear due to abrasive conditions. Maintaining lower levels of particulates can increase the operational life of lubricated equipment.

Applications
Systems that rely on clean fluid for proper operation.