It could be the biggest cost-reduction opportunity at your facility. Systematically reducing lubricant contamination levels extends machine and lubricant life by up to 10X.

By implementing just a few of the techniques you learn in this course, you could easily double or even triple oil and machine life at your facilities.

Join Noria's Jim Fitch at his three-day training course Effective Contamination Control coming to Myrtle Beach, SC on July 26-28 and Detroit, MI on August 23-25.

There is no single property of lubricating oil that challenges the reliability of machinery more than suspended particles. It would not be an exaggeration to refer to them as a microscopic wrecking crew. Small particles can ride in oil almost indefinitely and because they are not as friable (easily crumbled) as their larger brothers, the destruction can be continuous. Many studies have shown, with convincing evidence, greater damage is associated with small particles. Still, most maintenance professionals have misconceptions about the size of particles and the associated harm caused.

These misconceptions relate to the definition people apply to what is clean oil and what is dirty oil. And, it is this definition that influences the setting of appropriate target cleanliness levels for lubricating oils and hydraulic fluids. The process is similar to a black box circuit. If we want a change to the output (longer and more reliable machine life) then there must be a change to the input (a lifestyle change, i.e., improved cleanliness). For instance, it’s not the monitoring of cholesterol that saves us from heart decease, instead it's the things we do to lower the cholesterol. Therefore the best target cleanliness level is one that is a marked improvement from historic levels. Read the entire article.

"I am seeing steam coming out of my reservoir breather. Should this be a cause for alarm?"

Steam coming from a reservoir is typically a sign of a problem. You should first confirm whether it is a vapor or steam by placing a mirror over the breather. Fogging of the mirror generally confirms steam. This could be due to exceptionally high operating temperatures and a sudden ingress of water into the fluid.

Another problem to be concerned about is foam coming out of the vent. This is a serious condition, suggesting key properties of the oil have changed sharply. There are many causes of foam formation relating to contamination, defoamant additive, oil degradation, oil level and mixed lubricants.