Great emphasis has been placed on contamination control within lubricating systems. By limiting the amount of contaminants entering the lubricant, you can effectively extend the life of the equipment and the oil. Reducing the ingression rate is one part of achieving maximum machinery reliability; the other part is removing contaminants as quickly as they are introduced.
Over the years, dozens of articles have been written on the use of filter carts for decontaminating new and in-service oil. Though offline portable filtration for hydraulics or lubrication systems is not a new idea, it would seem that designing a filtration system for higher-viscosity systems is a relatively new thing.
Rarely do I encounter a hydraulic system that has never been modified in some way over the years. Usually modifications have been made either to make the system run faster or to add some functionality to the machine. Either way, more flow is normally required, which means the pump must be upgraded to a higher displacement. Unfortunately, the increased flow often exceeds the capability of at least some hydraulic lines.
Proper oil sampling does not have to be a difficult or unpleasant experience. In fact, when the best sampling methods (and hardware) are employed the experience should be just the opposite. There are many important lessons to learn when it comes to pulling a sample.
Is oil analysis more beneficial for a combustion engine or a hydraulic system?
