Maintenance Strategies

Integrating Oil Analysis with CMMS Data

Inflation and long lead times for new equipment are among the financial pressures pressing down on fleet managers to extend machine life. Pushing a machine too far results in loss of availability and utilization. A tried-and-true tool for machine health, oil analysis, has evolved with the advent of telematics to interact with machine data in a way that makes these decisions not only easier but also increases the odds that they will be successful. As a service, oil analysis has adapted to the new digital world to continue to provide value to the fleet asset manager. It is no longer enough to provide a web portal to manage oil analysis programs and view sample reports. Equipment-using organizations are expecting a tighter level of machine data integration to drive higher levels of efficiency in all aspects of their business, and fleet maintenance is no exception.

Contamination

Measuring and Treating Varnish Formation in Turbine Oils

In this Technical Bulletin we discuss the treatment of varnish deposits in turbine oil, control valves and other machinery parts. We also look at what information can be gleaned from the varnish deposits, and how the data can be used to optimise turbine uptime and reduce maintenance costs. Laboratory test methods have now been developed to measure the varnish potential of turbine oils. The test method is colorimetric – it measures the total colour intensity of a patch to determine the varnish potential of the oil. It also can determine certain colour components of the patch which can help to pin-point the stress mode taking place in the oil that is leading to varnish formation.

Oil Condition

Assessing oxidation condition and lubricant refreshment in turbine oils

Turbines are critical pieces of equipment for power plants and related industries. Varnish formation is the first root cause for down time and loss of reliability in turbines. The lubricant’s oxidation condition can be effectively monitored through RULER (Remaining Useful Life Evaluation Routine), MPC (Membrane Patch Colorimetry) and RPVOT (Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test) tests. Besides the nominal ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) value for these tests, significant information can be gathered from digging into these tests and integrating their outcomes. One major application for this integration is the estimation of the lubricant refreshment for lean operation. Through lab tests, this can be accurately estimated, by planning ahead of the upcoming maintenance intervention. This method will be shown, together with case studies.

Maintenance Strategies

The engine killers

I have a colleague who believes that engines don’t just simply die, they are murdered. A rather dramatic sentiment, I know, but then we take the death of an engine quite seriously at WearCheck. Being an avid consumer of forensics crime drama television series like CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) I feel that I can confidently explain the procedure that takes place once a murder victim has come to the attention of the authorities.

Maintenance Strategies

IDLING - Costly Fuel, Wear, and Engine-Life Thief

Excessive idling is one of the most counter-productive facets of running a fleet of vehicles. In this Technical Bulletin, trucking expert Dave Scott discusses the effects of excessive idling and how to avoid it to minimise the negative consequences.