TABLE OF CONTENTS Industrial equipment needs a combination of the above tests for condition monitoring. The following table is a summary of the test applicability.
| Equipment | Spectro Analysis | Viscosity | FT-IR | Particle Count | Karl Fisher | Total Acid No. | Total Base No. | Rotrode Filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | R | R | R | R | A | |||
| Compressor | R | R | R | A | R | R | ||
| Gearboxes | R | R | R | R | ||||
| Bearings | R | R | R | A | R | |||
| Hydraulics | R | R | R | R | A | A | R | |
| Turbines | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | |
| Motors | R | R | R | R | ||||
| Code: R: Required test | ||||||||
| A: Advisable test, provides extra detail, particularly during problem solving |
It is worth reviewing the two types of alarming methodologies that are employed in oil analysis.
Absolute alarms These are alarms based on manufacturers' recommendations and/or lubricant supplier technical bulletins. These alarms generally define working ranges or condemnation limits and are most applicable to lubricant and contamination condition. Extensive research is conducted to arrive at these limits, and they provide a good starting point for any analysis program. Absolute alarm limits matter greatly when warranties on new equipment are at issue. Failure to comply with the recommendations is often viewed as justification for not honoring such warranties.
Statistical Alarms Manufacturers' guidelines for alarm limits or general standards have the disadvantage that they are based on average operational and performance situations, which may...
