What brand is good for onsite lube oil analysis?

How about CSI 5200 Minilab?

We use a CSI 5200. It works very well for us and is one of the best troublshooting tools that we have.
jb

Link to on-site oil analysis tools:
http://www.reliabilitydirect.com/oilanalysisproducts/oilanalysisindex.htm

How good is the SKF OilCheck? What lube oil specs it can measure?

The OilCheck unit measures the change in the oil's dielectric constant, which is directly related to the degradation and contamination levels of the oil.

It is used primarially to extend oil drain intervals (US Military is big user)and as a complimentary tool to your laboratory analysis program by screening samples that are to be sent to the lab. By identifying samples up front with a known problem, you will improve the efficiency and lower the cost of your lube analysis program.

Any guide on how to decide whether the oil is good or bad?

How many of us do onsite tests using like CSI5200 and then followed by offsite lab tests as and when necessary?

We use the csi5200 in our plant and have had good luck. Also use a third party to confirm any thing that does not look correct. Have caught quite a few problems in our "New" oil being brought into the plant.

When do you decide to send out to outside Lab if you have CSI5200 which is quite comprehensive? Or have you ever sent out so far?

Personally: I'm not a lubrication engineer and probably wearing too many hats already. I use Predict and would recommend checking them out first. Why: it's probably cheaper and you get professional results. I'd do a through cost analyses before investing. No doubt you'll get a return on your money as long as you can cost justify. And we have a lube engineer and internal lab w/some capabilities but soley for PdM and machinery analyses I like it contracted out. But, that's just my take and my circumstances. Yours may be different.

Depending on what alarm is out of the presets we have in the software, will sent out for confirmation. Also when I need to confirm my results, before going back to the vendor with a problem, that way I have an outside party with the results.

I'm thinking to do fllwg field oil tests:
1) Water % by vol -
2) viscosity @ 40C cSt-
3) Flash point C -
4) Solids %wt -
5) TAN mgKOH/g -

Is it sufficient as first line oil condition monitoring?

Can anyone suggest toolkit for each parameter esply ofr flash point and solid %wt?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Josh,

Hello Josh,

A Complete Oil Analysis Strategy will include the following :

- Level 1 : Checking the oil's health and cleanliness through a particle counter

- Level 2 : Checking the oil's physical and chemical properties such as water, viscosity, TAN, TBN, thermal degradation

- Level 3 : Checking the oil's wear metal debri analysis in order to determine what parts in your equipment seems to wear

Level 1 - Can technicians particle counter using a toolkit or by a laboratory? We have problems to get quick results with lab testing because it takes times (1 month or so) for oil samples to travel from offshore to onshore lab and then results back to offshore. So we prefer onsite tests more frequently and lab tests as cross check & comprehensive analysis.

Level 2 - yes can be done by technicians onsites

Level 3 - wear debris to determine which parts wear requires a lab to spectroscopy.

Josh,

Level 1 is the most critical test and should be done onsite with a particle count. this should be done while the oil is still hot since there is a tendency for the particles to subside and stick to the bottom part if this will be done offsite and might take days or months to read. Oil Analysis samples is not a first come first serve basis but it does happen when you take them offsite to a lab your bottle will fall in line. Particle count is the most sensitive test of all as far as my knowledge is involved.

By particle counting, do you mean the ISO cleanliness determination? What particle counter do you use onsite? Is it simple to use by technicians? I have concerns that particle counting is difficult to do by technicians and need proper training to do so. How many minutes to count the particiles?

On-site portable particle counter: http://www.reliabilitydirect.com/oilanalysisproducts/HIAC-PODS

While extremely valuable for hydraulic fluids, particle count, like any other single analysis technology is not the "Do-All" test for all your lube analysis needs.

For a quick basic review of oil analysis techniques, there is a good explanation at PlantServices.com:
http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2006/212.html