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Oil Analysis Without Particle Counting?
Roy Carter, Predictive Maintenance Analyst, Public
Service Company of New Mexico
We had similar questions at our plant concerning Infrared scans.
After a few years of scans and repairs, the number of "finds"
decreased in all areas of the plant. We were asked "why do scans
if we don't find anything?"
The best answer I found that most people could relate too: You
don't stop going to the dentist when you don't find cavities.
The fact that the particle counts are going down or continue to
show clean means that everyone is doing their job, and you are
extending the life of your machines.
Another point- particle counts could be the first indicator of
a more serious problem than contamination. An increase in particle
count, followed by additional testing (ferrography) will help
identify a component failure very early. Detecting and identifying
the problem early will allow time to plan and minimize the cost
associated with the failure.
See other responses
to this Readers Challenge.
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