Humidity-indicating cards which show color change at different relative humidity (10 to 100% RH) can be used inside large spare gearboxes and similar stored machines. Use a clear plastic viewglass and a flashlight to inspect the cards periodically for excessive moisture. Bags of desiccant can be placed in the same gearboxes to adsorb moisture that has ingressed. The gearboxes should be marked as not ready for use.

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While reviewing Noria Corporation's message boards, I ran across a post that I believe deserves an in-depth answer.

The question asked "What tests should be performed on new oil to ensure that you are receiving quality oil? What are the advantages and disadvantages of elemental testing (such as ICP) versus IR spectrum on new lubricant samples?" In an attempt to adequately answer both questions, each will be addressed separately. Click to continue this article by Matt Spurlock.

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Question: How can heat permanently reduce oil's viscosity?

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"We frequently use filter carts as a part of our contamination control program. Do you have any information about how long we should filter the oil using this type of filtration?"

Off-line filtration is a powerful asset to the lube technician. Without interfering with the operation of the equipment, one can keep the oil clean with full-time off-line filtration, or periodically clean the oil with a portable rig, such as a filter cart.

When using a filter cart, the oil is taken from a dirty sump, filtered and returned to the dirty sump. So the cleanliness of the filtered oil is diluted, so to speak, by the dirty oil residing in the tank. To overcome the dilution effect, the tank volume must pass through the filter approximately seven times to achieve the equivalent of single-pass filtration (where the oil is pumped from one container to another through a filter).

For example, if you have a 30-gallon tank and a filter cart that pumps at five gpm, you need to run the cart for 42 minutes to equal single-pass filtration (30 gallons X 7, divided by 5 gpm). If you want to achieve two-pass filtration, you must engage the off-line filter for 82 minutes, or about 1.5 hours.

Use this rule of thumb to manage scheduling activities where portable filtration is rotated from machine to machine within the plant.

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