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In the world of lubrication, hot topics come and go. Whether it’s synthetic oil, electric motor lubrication or ultrasonic-assisted regreasing, certain themes take on a greater profile from time to time. Lately, the hot topic that I’ve seen and have been asked more questions about than any other is varnish. From compressors to gas turbines, hydraulics to gearboxes, everyone seems to be talking about varnish. But, what is varnish? What causes it? And most importantly, how can it be prevented or eliminated?

The question “How long will this turbine oil last?” should be answered with the sound engineering response of “it depends.”

Insight Services, Inc., an independent provider of industrial oil analysis services located in Cleveland, Ohio, has announced the details of its brand TESTOIL, which represents the company’s full-service oil testing laboratory services. According to Insight Services, TESTOIL offers a comprehensive range of oil analysis testing services that help reliability engineers save money by alerting them of potential machine problems before catastrophic failure occurs.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a cleanliness code that is the primary piece of data reviewed on most industrial oil analysis reports. The value of this code can help determine the overall cleanliness of the monitored system. Often times, an end user will establish a target value to achieve, thus offering a level of confidence so long as the used oil sample meets this established target.

Today’s hydraulic fluids must last longer, provide greater protection and perform better than their predecessors. Construction equipment, injection molding machines, steel mills, forestry equipment and many other types of industrial and off-road operations rely on hydraulic fluids with special chemical properties to keep machinery running smoothly and lasting longer.