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Oil Sampling and Analysis

One of the most cost-effective ways to keep equipment operational!

Oil Analysis is indispensable in your Lubrication Reliability Program!

FanPro - Fluid analysis program


Why would you choose Enluse for oil analysis?

Oil Analysis is the litmus test for all the products and systems we supply. From the basic identification processes defining what oil goes in what equipment, how to dispense clean oil, what a best practice Lube room looks like, to what filtration processes and frequency is required. These are the basic fundamentals in the Enluse competency toolkit. Our Oil Analysis program (FanPro) gives us the knowledge to ensure none of the 6 lubrication rights are being missed.


The primary business objective with the Enluse Fanpro programme is to ensure that you receive speedy and correct information about the condition of your oil, a requirement needed to enact or achieve Best Practices in Lubrication Reliability. A Lubrication Reliability programme with a consistent, accurate monitoring of the oil is incomplete without ongoing field-to-lab oil analysis. 


Enluse has oil analysis solutions to service your specific business needs, including FanPro Oil Analysis for engines or industrial equipment,.After consultation, we can recommend the right program to suit your needs.

WHY - WHAT - WHERE

Why oil analysis

Why oil testing?

Oil Testing is the most effective way to prolong the useful life of lubricants, while maintaining
maximum protection of equipment.
What should be analysed

What should be analysed?

Your equipment drives your business! Analysing its oil will maximize its performance and keep you on the road to success!
Where oil analysis

Where should be analysed?

Benefit from proactive maintenance plans! Oil analysis takes place in many sectors, e.g. industrial, construction, power generation etc.
Hydraulic systems
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Hydraulic Systems

Hydraulic systems, including automatic powershift transmissions, require the fluid's viscosity to be low enough to minimize friction loss, yet high enough to prevent fluid leakage and provide satisfactory protection against wear, and should have good oxidation stability to prevent sludge from forming.
Gearbox systems
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Gearbox Bearings

Although contamination by dirt and water should be closely monitored in manual transmissions, differentials, final drives and planetaries, the biggest concern for these systems is the type of wear occuring.
Compressors
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Compressors

Fluid analysis is important in any Reliability Centered Maintenance program. Knowing which tests are best suited for compressor fluids is critical. The following tests are useful for compressors and provide valuable information to help monitor the health of your compressors'fluid and internals, and warn of impending failures.
Wind turbines
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Wind Turbines

A wide variety of tests are available for the analysis of in-service oil. Some tests provide information about specific characteristics and failure modes while others are suitable for broader applications.

FanPro is a diagnositic, preventative program for monitoring and evaluating lubricant and equipment conditions. An oil analysis program can help you improve your bottom line with:

  • less lubricant to purchase
  • fewer parts to keep in stock
  • less used lubricant requiring disposal
  • less labour time
  • less downtime

Using one of Enluse's Fluid Analysis Programs enables you to be more efficient with your use of lubricants and reliability tools.

The 5 Standard FanPro Tests

Hydraulic of Circulating Oils

•  Elemental Metals

•  ISO Particle Count

•  Karl Fischer Water ppm

•  Total Acid Number

•  Viscosity at 40˚C or 100˚C

Gearbox or Bearing Oils

•  Elemental Metals

•  Total Acid Number

•  Viscosity at 40˚C or 100˚C

•  Particle Quantifier

•  Water % by crackle (Karl Fischer if crackle is positive)     

Compressor Oils

•  Elemental Metals

•  Karl Fischer Water ppm

•  Total Acid Number

•  Viscosity at 40˚C or 100˚C

• Oxidation/Nitration by FTIR



Diesel Engine Oils

•  Elemental Metals

•  Fuel Dilution

•  Soot % by FTIR

•  Total Base Number

•  Water % by crackle or FITR viscosity  at 100˚C

 

Wind Turbine System Oils

• ISO particle count

•  Viscosity at 40˚C or 100˚C

•  Particle Quantifier

•  Viscocity Index

•  Water content in ppm

•  Oxidation

•  ICP Elements (wear, additives..)

FanPro Standard Tests

Standard FanPro Oil Tests

Detailed information about the various Standard Tests

The 4 Special FanPro Tests

A-Fer

Analytical Ferrography can pinpoint specific component failure modes, thereby allowing maintenance to take action to avert a catastrophic equipment failure.


RPVOT

The Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test (RPVOT), formerly known as RBOT, evaluates the remaining oxidation test life of in-service turbine and other oils; a good indicator of oxidative potential.  

RULER

Testing and monitoring antioxidant additives (oxidation inhibitors) level is important for controlling the degradation of turbine oils and industrial oils and their remaining useful life (RUL).

Varnish Potential

A varnish potential analysis (VPA) combines multiple testing technologies to measure a lubricating oil’s propensity to create varnish deposits.



FanPro Special Oil Tests

Special FanPro Oil Tests

Detailed information about the various Standard Tests

Enluse can offer you multiple oil testing packages or

customised packages to accommodate your specific requirements.

A range of Oil Sampling Kits and -Products

Fluid analysis is a crucial component of any oil management program. Early detection of potential problems can prevent costly repairs and downtime. Making your oil analysis programme simpler to manage we recommend  FanPro oil sampling kits and/or oil sampling products, such as Oil Sampling Pumps, Sampling Tubes, Pump Foot Stand etc.


Background Enluse website

Oil Sampling Pumps

The Fluid Sampler, high vacuum sampling pump

FanPro-Kits/Products and Oil Test Prices

The Process from Taking an Oil Sample to Sending it to the Lab.

Unscrew the bottle
Taking Oil Samples
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Taking Oil Samples

Machines should be running in application during sampling. 


Sample upstream of filters and downstream of machine components.


Create written procedures for each system sampled.


Take samples at proper frequencies.


Forward samples immediately to oil analysis lab. after sampling.

Click here for more information
Adding the label to the bottle
Packaging/labeling samples
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Packaging/Labeling 

Based on customer feedback, sample labels have improved to make it quicker, easier and simpler to submit sample information, which reduces the likelihood of errors.


When using EZ-labels, fill out the data info either by hand or online on the Horizon website or via the Horizon mobile app.


Read more about EZ-labeling in our Blog. www.enluse.com/ez-labeling/

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transportation
Sample shipment to Lab.
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Shipment to Lab

The FanPro™ testing facilities are ISO 17025 A2LA accredited.


Some of the common shipping carriers used to deliver packages to the testing laboratory in Europe are: DHL, Fedex, UPS, independent couriers.


To receive your results back in a timely manner, use services that can track the location of your

package, so you are able to track your sample if shipping errors occur.
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Insert packing material in order that samples do not shift
Paperwork/Online/Horizon
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Paperwork/Online/ Horizon

You can choose your preferred method of notification that your sample is on its way to the Lab.


There are three options: 

You either fill out a paper form, include it in the envelope and send it together with the sample to the lab location. The 2nd option is to log in on www.eoireport.com and fill out the sample info. Or the third way, use the Horizon app.

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Frequently Asked Questions

                   

FAQ about Oil Analysis

What Is Oil Analysis And Why Should I Do It?

Oil analysis is a diagnostic, preventative maintenance tool for monitoring and evaluating
lubricant and equipment conditions. It allows you to maximize asset performance and reliability
by identifying minor problems before they become major failures. It can safely extend oil drain
intervals and, ultimately, the life of your equipment — saving you time AND money.

How Often Should I Sample My Equipment?

Although the original equipment manufacturer’s recommendations provide a good starting
point for developing preventative maintenance practices, sampling intervals can easily vary.
How critical a piece of equipment is to production is a major consideration for determining
sampling frequency, as are environmental factors such as hot, dirty operating conditions, short
trips with heavy loads and excessive idle times.

Can Oil Analysis Predict Equipment Failure?

Yes. Oil Analysis provides vital information as to the condition of both the oil and the unit being
tested. It can detect wear and contamination problems that, if left unchecked, can severely
effect equipment performance or cause failure.

What Are The Most Commonly Requested Oil Analysis Tests?

The most commonly requested oil analysis tests are:

Elemental Analysis by ICP
Inductively Coupled Plasma, detects 24 wear, contamination, and additive metals.

Fuel Dilution
Fuel Dilution is raw, unburned fuel that gets past the rings and ends up in the crankcase. It is caused by over-fueling, excessive idling, damaged injector tips, a high fuel to air ratio, irregular ring seating, engine timing issues or the fuel pump is turned up too high.

Soot
Soot is a by-product of the combustion process in a diesel engine — a carbon residue formed from fuel air and moisture in the combustion chamber after ignition. Soot particles are held in suspension by dispersant additives in the oil preventing the soot particles from agglomerating (sticking together) and attaching to the rings, pistons and liners. These suspended particles are what turn diesel engine oil black. When too much soot is generated and the additives can no longer keep it suspended, deposits will form on the rings weakening the seal between the pistons and cylinder liners. Upper end wear to rings, liners and pistons begins and if not corrected, will eventually cause severe lower end wear to the main and rod bearings, crankshaft, camshaft, cam bushing and turbo bearing.

Water by Crackle
This is a rough estimate of water in a sample determined by pipetting a portion of sample onto a temperature-controlled hot surface and observing how the sample reacts.

Viscosity
Viscosity is a measurement of a fluid’s resistance to flow at temperature. In other words, viscosity is the film strength or thickness of the oil. A change in viscosity can be an indication of many problems such as oxidation, nitration, water contamination, soot contamination (engines), shearing (when molecules are split), coolant contamination or mixing lubes with different viscosities.

Oxidation
Everything that is exposed to oxygen will eventually oxidize. Oil is exposed to extreme heat as well as oxygen. As temperatures increase, so does the rate of oxidation. For every 18° F above 160° F, the oxidation rate of the oil doubles. Oxidation produces acids that cause the oil to thicken and in the process also cause corrosive wear.

Nitration
Nitration is usually the result of an imbalance in the engine’s air to fuel ratio. When the engine runs too lean, meaning there’s too much air and not enough fuel, nitration occurs. Nitrous Oxide (NOx) becomes entrained in the oil which can form nitric acid that will eventually will lead to corrosive wear. Although nitration is more common in natural gas engines, it has become a more evident problem in diesel engines since 2002.

Acid Number
By estimating the amount of additive reduction and contamination, this test determines the level of acidity in the oil. The higher the acidity, the higher the degradation.

Base Number
This test estimates the lubricant’s reserve alkalinity, or its ability to neutralize corrosive and degradation acids.

Particle Count
This test uses a calibrated sensor to size and count hard particle contamination.

Particle Quantifier
Particle Quantifier (PQ) provides a ferrous index number by passing a sample through a magnetic field. Comparing PQ to the iron results from ICP gives more information regarding the size of the iron particles being generated as PQ does not have a particle size detection limit.

Analytical Ferrography
Debris from a fluid analysis sample is examined under a microscope to identify the size and wear mechanism of particles being generated, which provides more information for pin-pointing the cause of a failure mode.

Water by Karl Fischer
A titration method that tests for water content. This method is more precise than hot plate and should be requested for any system in which water would be severely detrimental.

What is soot and what causes it?

Soot is a by-product of the combustion process in a diesel engine — a carbon residue formed
from fuel air and moisture in the combustion chamber after ignition. Soot particles are held in
suspension by dispersant additives in the oil preventing the soot particles from agglomerating
(sticking together) and attaching to the rings, pistons and liners. These suspended particles are
what turn diesel engine oil black. When too much soot is generated and the additives can no
longer keep it suspended, deposits will form on the rings weakening the seal between the
pistons and cylinder liners. Upper end wear to rings, liners and pistons begins and if not
corrected, will eventually cause severe lower end wear to the main and rod bearings,
crankshaft, camshaft, cam bushing and turbo bearing.

Does soot affect other test results?

If too high, soot can affect all wear metals at some point. Once soot begins to exceed 3 — 4%,
viscosity will increase because soot thickens the oil. Excessive soot will also cause the oil’s TBN
(Total Base Number) to drop faster than normal because soot increases the formation of acids
which must be neutralized to prevent wear from occurring.

What is viscosity and what might be happening when it increases?

Viscosity is a measurement of a fluid’s resistance to flow at temperature. In other words,
viscosity is the film strength or thickness of the oil and because of this it is the most important
fluid property test for oils. A change in viscosity can be an indication of many problems such as
oxidation, nitration, water contamination, soot contamination (engines), shearing (when
molecules are split), coolant contamination or mixing lubes with different viscosities.

What would cause viscosity to decrease?

The most common reason for a decrease in viscosity in both industrial and mobile applications
is lube mixing — adding a lower viscosity oil to a system that contains a higher viscosity oil. A
decrease in viscosity may also be cause by fuel dilution, shearing of the viscosity index improver
additives (see shearing below) and contamination from solvents or process chemicals.

What is Oxidation?

Everything that is exposed to oxygen will eventually oxidize. Oil is exposed to extreme heat as
well as oxygen. As temperatures increase, so does the rate of oxidation. For every 18° F above
160° F, the oxidation rate of the oil doubles. Oxidation produces acids that cause the oil to
thicken and in the process also cause corrosive wear

What is Nitration?

Nitration is usually the result of an imbalance in the engine’s air to fuel ratio. When the engine
runs too lean, meaning there’s too much air and not enough fuel, nitration occurs. Nitrous
Oxide (NOx) becomes entrained in the oil which can form nitric acid that will eventually will
lead to corrosive wear. Although nitration is more common in natural gas engines, it has
become a more evident problem in diesel engines since 2002.

What other tests would be affected by Oxidation or Nitration?

In both oxidation and nitration, acid formation occurs, so TAN (Total Acid Number) will
increase. Acid formation increases viscosity and also depletes TBN (Total Base Number)
because the oil must work harder to neutralize these acids.

What test identifies dirt contamination?

The primary test for the detection of dirt is Elemental Analysis by ICP (Inductively Coupled
Plasma). Most dirt consists of Alumina/Silica or Silicon and Aluminum. POLARIS Laboratories®
reports 24 metals by ICP.

                 

Oil Sampling and Analysis Directory

Click here to find a complete overview of all part numbers and brands in the Oil Sampling & Analysis Directory.
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