Hydraulic oil turns from that golden honey color of new oil to a dark brown, does that mean it must be changed immediately? Is the system suffering from lost lubricating properties or gross contamination when this occurs, or is this a normal aging characteristic to be dismissed so long as the oil analysis results are within acceptable parameters?
“Can online filtered oil be monitored through oil analysis?”
Filtered oil can be analyzed for the purpose of verifying its cleanliness level. Oil analysis can be broken into three categories for sampling a machine. The first is offline sampling, which consists of pulling a sample from a minimess, drop tube or drain valve. This analysis may be done in-house or sent to a laboratory. While the user will receive good data if the analysis is performed correctly, there are drawbacks if time-sensitive data is required. The lapse in time from when the sample is drawn to when it is analyzed or forwarded to the lab may be hours or weeks, which means machine damage could occur before the results are known or interpreted. To minimize this risk, always ship the sample to the lab within 24 hours.
Hydraulic oil is different than other lubes. Not only is it a lubricant, it’s also the means by which power is transferred throughout the hydraulic system. So, it’s a lube and a power transfer device. This dual role makes it unique.
Your hydraulic fluid has a big job to do. It’s a power transmission device, a lubricant, a heat-transfer medium and even a sealant (in some hydraulic components, at least). This is why I often refer to hydraulic fluid as the most important component of the system, and certainly not something to be purchased on price alone.
“How can you justify an oil analysis program? What return on investment can it provide? Do you have any tips on how to get started?”
An oil analysis program with condition-based maintenance is one of the best strategies that can be deployed at a plant to help maintain lubricated equipment. This is because it has the potential not only to be proactive by monitoring for root causes like contamination and changing lubricant properties, but also predictive by checking for wear debris and other early signs of failure. In both cases, the justification for investing in an oil analysis program is predicated on the notion that without it, machines would fail more frequently and with little or no warning.
