The Benefits And Drawbacks Of The Systems For Oil Analysis Testing

| Wednesday, July 25, 2012
By Nikki D. Lennox


In an industry where downtime can be devastating to costs, oil analysis testing is important. Pre-emptive monitoring is the best way to keep equipment running in excellent condition with a system that is easy to manage. Detecting system weaknesses before they happen is important to any company that wants to stay in operation and reduce repair costs. Scheduled maintenance of this kind should always be accomplished on a regular basis by those trained to spot significant changes in the results.

Oil analysis testing falls into two frequently used categories; continuous sensor monitoring and lab analyzed samples. Sensor methods mean that the oil is constantly under surveillance by computer, often with an alarm system to warn for possible discrepancies. Another method is to routinely remove and scrutinize samples for changes. There are many reasons for a company to use either one, with the final decision coming down to which is more fitting for the purpose.

Using a lab is useful for those who are not as concerned about monitoring constant data. Some facilities would cause widespread damage if they were to fail, such as generators, so these are less suited to this option. For others, however, oil analysis testing responsibilities move from preventing the problem to predicting it. Labs are precise enough to allow for the pinpointing of specific leaks, contamination sources and machine damage.

It is worth observing that both of these options have different costs, and this will feed into which oil testing is used. For the most part, companies will simply require a way to take samples and test their viscosity and other parameters. A drawback of this sampling is that factors can change drastically between scheduled tests. Those with a need for something more urgent, automated or alarm-triggered will need to pay more for a sensor system.

As previously mentioned, there are valid uses for both of these options, but they are both suited to slightly different applications. The difference is in the regularity of results, where one will show the present condition of the oil and the other will be held to its last set of results. The choice will be right or wrong based on whether a machine will be safe while not being actively monitored. It also depends on the amount of money available to be invested in the solution. Regardless of which option is eventually chosen, companies know that with oil analysis testing they will be able to paint a clearer picture of the condition of the machine.




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