Oil analysis testing allows companies to be more assured in their machines and less cagey with their budgets. Using a monitoring system, there is less chance of a serious problem occurring, with little effort needed to manage it. Depending on the options used, these labs can save a lot of money through the early warning of potential faults in the system. Scheduled maintenance of this kind should always be accomplished on a regular basis by those trained to spot significant changes in the results. Picking the right equipment for what you are doing is always a challenge, click to read more.
Oil analysis testing can be done by either using real time sensor testing or by taking specimens and testing them in a lab. With sensor solutions, the system is continuously scanned for changes in many aspects, and can track minute changes in these figures. The other option is lab kits, where a sample is retrieved from the machine periodically and analyzed. Both of these are valid ways to look for problems, wear and tear and contamination, with different reasons to use either.
Using a lab is beneficial for those who are not as concerned about monitoring constant data. A jet engine does not have the flexibility allowing it to stay unmonitored for any period of time, particularly when airborne, so it may not be an option for some.
For others, however, oil analysis testing responsibilities shift from preventing the problem to predicting it. Labs are accurate enough to allow for the pinpointing of specific leaks, contamination sources and machine damage. More thoughts surrounding this aspects are shown at eHow.
Although the main choice should be made based on what is best for the mechanics, oil testing costs will also play a big role. A common need of most businesses will be to routinely test TAN, viscosity and particle presence in their oil as per their service manuals. A downside to this method is that it necessitates manual interference to decide when this sampling will be done. Those with a need for something more sudden, automated or alarm-triggered will need to invest more in a sensor system.
These two options were created not as alternatives to each other, but as valid ways to approach the same outcome from new angles. The defining features of each are that one is an excellent real-time warning system, and the other provides accurate analysis of samples. Deciding which one to use depends on how prepared the business is to leave their machines unmonitored. It also depends on the amount of money available to be invested in the system. Regardless of which option is eventually selected, companies know that with oil analysis testing they will be able to see a clearer picture of the condition of the machine.