Laboratory Oil Sampling & Analysis
Imagine being able to see the damage happening inside your equipment from extremely minute wear particles and debris. That is what a properly taken oil sample tells you.
Performed with laboratory precision
Analysing oil composition for hidden issues lets maintenance teams monitor the health of machinery, anticipate potential issues and take preventive action — contributing to improved reliability, reduced downtime and better operational efficiency.
Oil sampling and analysis is a CBM tool that uncovers latent problems before they become catastrophic failures. For your company that means less unscheduled downtime and increased equipment availability, reliability, productivity and profitability.
Oil sampling is normally carried out at designated points on selected machines, in conjunction with vibration analysis. A representative sample should be taken at the same location, using the same method, every time.
Advantages
- Detect early signs of wear and contamination
- Predictive maintenance planning
- Reduce maintenance costs
- Enhance equipment reliability
- Monitor system health
- Ensure equipment efficiency
- Extend oil replacement and drain intervals
- Extend equipment life
Take a proper free flow oil sample
A sample is only worth the care taken drawing it. Contaminated or unrepresentative samples produce misleading results — so the method matters as much as the laboratory.
Individual specimen bottles
A new specimen bottle is supplied for each sample, eliminating any risk of cross-contamination.
Detailed identification
Every bottle is marked for clear identification and repeatability — company, sample date, unit, component and sampling point.
Clean accessories
Tubes, pipes and other sampling accessories are clean and free from any contamination left by previous sampling.
Precision vacuum extraction
Vacuum extraction is used where permissible, giving an accurate and repeatable sampling method.
Free flow sourcing
Samples are taken from free flowing oil wherever possible, avoiding latent contamination from residue sitting in sumps.
Consistent repetition
The same point and the same method each time, so results can be trended meaningfully over the life of the machine.
Dielectric testing of transformer fluid
Dielectric analysis of the fluid in a transformer provides valuable information about changes in the transformer's internal condition. These tests are essential for condition assessment, for predictive maintenance and for preventing unexpected outages.
| Test | Test |
|---|---|
| Water content | Colour |
| Dielectric breakdown voltage | Visual |
| Acidity / neutralisation number | Specific gravity |
| Interfacial tension | Dissolved gas analysis |
| Power factor @ 90 °C | Furanic compounds |
| Degree of polymerisation of paper | Metals-in-oil metals |
| Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) analysis |
What a transformer condition assessment programme delivers
- Predict failures
- Extend reliable life
- Save money
- Results that are justifiable to stakeholders and regulators
- Technical programmes aligned with company financial objectives
Best paired with vibration analysis. Oil analysis and vibration analysis together establish latent root cause failures long before a breakdown — one sees the wear debris, the other sees what is generating it.
Start an oil analysis programme
An oil analysis programme is one step towards a full condition based maintenance programme — and better plant and equipment reliability.