Oil Analysis

Oil analysis (i.e., Ferrography or particle counter testing) can be performed on many different types of oils including lubricating oil, hydraulic oil, and/or electrical insulation oils. It can indicate problems such as machine degradation (i.e., wear), oil contamination, improper oil consistency (i.e., incorrect or improper amount of additives), and oil deterioration. Oil analysis is most often based on regularly scheduled sampling. Regular sampling allows for the monitoring of the rate of change of the measured parameters. There are no absolute guidelines for the frequency of sampling, therefore the frequency of analysis should be based on the recommendations for determining intervals provided in Chap.  3 , in addition to the manufacturer’s recommendations, equipment criticality, risk factors and/or the equipment history.