Learn used oil analysis sample testing, lubrication reliability maintenance, predictive lab diagnostics to reduce costs & boost profits.

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Learn Oil Analysis

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Secrets of OCM

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Welcome to the definitive resource on all things oil analysis. Take a look around the site and register for free to get full access to the learn oil analysis book series.

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Latest & Popular Articles

See the latest and most popular articles on oil analysis that have been posted to find out more about how oil analysis works and the benefits it could be doing for you.

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This article will answer the following questions?:

How water H2O is measured in lubricating oil samples?

The difference between ppm water and percent (%) water.

The difference between free water and dissolved water and their effects on machinery.

Why water results in oil samples can vary depending on the method?
For many years the two most commonly used tests for determining water contamination in lube oils have been the crackle test and water by Karl Fischer (KF) titration.

In...

Why you should measure both free and dissolved water?

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What is a viscosity Index (VI)?

All oils thicken with decreasing temperature & thin when increase it. Thin oil takes little energy to move, but gives minimal separation of surfaces, whilst thick oil gives good separation but uses energy to move shafts through the lube meaning machinery operating temperatures have a big impact on wear rates & energy efficiency, hence why lube oil manufacturers try to work towards a perfect oil that stays the same thickness (viscosity) with temperature....

Viscosity index - how does your oil cope when it feels the burn

Everyone knows keeping electricity flowing 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year is vital in keeping the nation safe. If the lights suddenly went out that may be an inconvenience for some, a loss of income to others and worse still result in loss of life saving equipment.

Despite advances in renewables, at time of writing over half all electricity in the UK still comes from burning fossil fuels, which in turn leads to rotation of steam or gas turbine blades that generate powerstaion electricity....

Why sampling turbine oils is vital?

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You might find it quite surprising but all 4 of these fatigue wear pictures ranging from 0.5mm (500 micron) to 3mm in size examples came from a single grease sample. The iron value was 2508ppm by standard ASTM D5185 ICP and by the more precise LubeWear acid digestion analysis 82305ppm which is the highest amount of wear I have ever seen in a lubricant sample in my career.

It came from a failed bearing in the rail sector and it shows how important monitoring your bearing health with regular grea...

Is your machinery feeling fatigued?

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I'm sorry but it's a fact that not all lab analysis is equal.

I was recently on LinkedIn and saw a post where a filter supplier mentioned that over 80% of failures were contamination related. They were doing an offer to their customers of a free oil sample "no questions asked" using a lab that wasn't ours to identify the problem. I made a comment on the post that this seemed a great gesture, but pity it didn't include LubeWear and what he thought about that. 1 hour later my comment was dele...

Truth Hurts - not all analysis is the same

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This will aid you in identifying where each wear metal and element comes from in your machinery such as silicon and aluminium from dirt, aluminium from pistons etc.

Please use these aid memoirs to help you understanding oil analysis data. These are generic information only, as each component metallurgy can vary from OEM to OEM. Likewise, the diagnostic limits will change dependent on not only the manufacturer, but also the operating conditions too, so if in doubt always consult your lab or clic...

Bitesize Diagnosis - element source and limits for lubricated machinery. Where do aluminium, copper, iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, lead and tin come from in a lube oil sample.

snapcracklepop Learn used oil analysis sample testing, lubrication reliability maintenance, predictive lab diagnostics to reduce costs & boost profits.

Were you ever told in your high school science class that oil and water don’t mix? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this ‘fact’ is not always true. In many cases, if you try to mix oil and water (an experiment I’ve tried with my curious 3-year-old on a few occasions) the oil will float to the top as it is less dense than water, creating a distinctive layered look. You may have seen photos on the news after major oil spills at sea showing a black oily puddle floating on the water. However, ...

Does your oil snap, crackle and pop when heated? If so something could be cereal-ously wrong.

Why Oil Analysis Matters?

Oil Analysis is used by people just like you all over the world to reduce machinery downtime and improve equipment reliability. A small sample of oil from your machinery can provide as much information as a full machine strip down at a fraction of the cost and has been a proven technology for over 60 years to reduce forced shutdowns and failure repair costs. Want to understand how oil and grease analysis works and how it applies to you then watch this short video below.

How Much Can Oil Analysis Save Me?

Oil analysis is a brilliant tool that can save you money each time you sample. The returns on investment vary depending on your machinery type, so feel free to use our sister sites cost saving calculator at the bottom of their FAQ Page.

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By registering for free to our quarterly newsletter and logging in you can read the industry leading textbook series on oil analysis “Learn Oil Analysis”

Ask a question

Ask a question on oil analysis directly to the site author. This can also include requests on how and with whom to start fluid sampling. You can also contact the author on linkedin.

See our Training Courses

Register for free and get access to some of our great short oil analysis training training courses. Content is updated regularly and includes explanation of tests, sources of wear, how to take a sample and the benefits of oil Sampling. You can also book a dedicated training day for you and your team too or enquire about our deluxe online training programmes.

Welcome to Learn Oil Analysis

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Get your oil tested

If you have never had your oil tested before then what are you waiting for and get in contact with a lab today. There are many reputable labs all across the world that offer excellent oil analysis services you can use including our sister lab – Oil Analysis Laboratories, which is the only lab in the world to offer the LubeWear test. LubeWear identifies abnormal wear far earlier than traditional wear metal analysis techniques meaning you can catch faults earlier to keep your machine reliability at its highest. A brief video explanation of the rest can be viewed below.