| 1.
Labeling Oil Sample Bottles
2. Bearing Lubrication Needs
3. When Bearings are Overlubricated
4. Improving the Crackle Test for Water
| Today's
Tip: Labeling Oil Sample Bottles |
|
When labeling oil sample bottles, consider labeling the bottle
cap also. If you mistakenly place a cap from a bad sample onto a bottle containing
a
good sample, the sample is cross-contaminated. Testing of this cross-contaminated
sample will yield false data. Labeling both the bottle and its cap will prevent
this problem from occurring. (Submitted by Hack Hensley,
Predictive Maintenance,
Mitsubishi Polyester Film. Thanks Hack.)
Correction: The tip published in our
Oct. 27 issue indicated that the use of magnets in a gearbox could skew oil
analysis results. With few exceptions, the use of magnets should have little
to no effect on the test results from typical routine oil analysis. In many
applications, the practice of using magnetic plugs and other magnetic devices
for collecting and inspecting ferrous materials in lubricated systems is considered
best practice and should not be disregarded. An article on the use of magnetic
filters is planned for a future issue of Machinery
Lubrication magazine.
Each tip published will earn the sender $100. Submit
your tip.
|
| WHAT CAN
OUR REPORT TELL YOU???
Try us out today - get two complimentary oil analysis samples.
Whether you are trying OIL ANALYSIS for the first time
or just comparing us to your current laboratory, we are confident that
our quality and
value will show.
PdMA Corporation will provide you with 2 comprehensive
oil analysis samples - on the house. The comprehensive test package will
include:
Spectrometric Analysis, Solids Contamination, Water Contamination,
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Ferrography, Infrared Analysis, Fuel Content (if applicable) and an
Analytical Ferrography (if warranted by other analyses results). For more information e-mail Cheryl@pdma.com
|
| Book
Bits: Bearing Lubrication Needs |
|
From "Machinery Failure Analysis and Troubleshooting"
Viscosity of the oil—either as oil itself or
as the oil in grease—is the primary characteristic of adequate
lubrication. The nature of the soap base of a grease and its
consistency, together with viscosity of the oil, are the main
quality points when considering a grease. For the bearing itself,
the quantity of lubricant required at any one time is usually
rather small, but sufficient quantity must constantly be available.
If the lubricant is also a heat-removal medium,
a larger quantity is required. An insufficient quantity of
lubricant at medium
to high speeds induces a temperature rise and usually a whistling
sound. An excessive amount of lubricant produces a sharp
temperature rise because of churning in all but exceptionally-low-speed
bearings. Conditions inducing abnormally high temperatures
can render a normally adequate lubricant inadequate. More
information about the book "Machinery Failure Analysis
and Troubleshooting"
|
Effective
Contamination Control
for Maintenance and Lubrication Professionals
It could be the biggest cost-reduction
prospect 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 3-day course, you could
easily double or even triple oil and machine life at
your
facilities.
Instructor: Jim Fitch, Noria Corporation
Location: Birmingham, AL - January 25-26
Effective Contamination Control - a 3-Day Training Course
|
| Lube
Trivia: When Bearings Are Overlubricated |
Test
your knowledge and prepare for ICML lubrication
and oil analysis certification.
QUESTION: What problems
can occur when a bearing is lubricated with too much
oil or grease?
Get
the answer.
|
| Q & A:
Improving the Crackle Test for Water |
"I've tried using the visual crackle test to detect water in our lubricating
oils. I'm having a hard time seeing the bubbles through my safety glasses. Any
suggestions?"
The hotplate crackle test is used worldwide as a preliminary
screen for water. The test can be performed by simply dropping a
few drops of oil onto a hotplate set at 150 degrees C to 160 degrees C. (300
degrees F
to
320 degrees F.) and watching for the crackling or sputtering of any water that
is
present as it vaporizes.
The test is simple and reliable, but audible crackling
occurs
only where the oil is contaminated well above its saturation point. An experienced
analyst, however, can detect water at very low levels of concentration by looking
closely at the drop of oil for the formation and disappearance of nonscintillating
vapor bubbles. The number of bubbles, the size of the bubbles, the duration
of bubble life and of the bubbling itself provide clues to the
analyst about the
moisture level.
Try using an electrician's magnifying glass, the kind
used for soldering printed circuit boards, to perform visual crackle
tests. The magnifying
glass will direct light onto the hotplate and make the small transient vapor
bubbles in which we are so interested much easier to see and analyze. These
devices are inexpensive and widely available. More about the
visual
crackle test.
Drew
Troyer, Noria Corporation
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