Oil Analysis
First of all, it’s no secret that air compressor oil health or condition and equipment reliability are inseparably linked. According to bearing and lubrication experts, up to 80% of all bearing failures are lubricant-related. It negatively impacts the equipment when there’s a problem with the oil. A problem with the equipment also impacts the oil. The benefits of routine oil analysis and synthetic compressor oil analysis for rotating equipment used in critical applications are many and cannot be overstated. Routine oil analysis is one of the most effective reliability-centered and predictive maintenance tools available, and when used properly, allows users to:
- Detect & Prevent Hidden Problems Before They Occur.
- Increase Oil Service Life & Optimize Change Intervals.
- Improve Component Life & Equipment Reliability.
- Reduce Equipment Downtime.
- Improve Plant & Worker Safety.
- Reduce Oil & Parts Consumption.
- Decrease Maintenance Costs.
- Reduce Waste Oil Disposal & Environmental Impact.
First of all, oil analysis is an absolute must for oil-injected rotary screw air compressors and is a valuable tool for most industrial rotating equipment. Additionally, the rotary screw’s unique design makes the compressor and its oil/fluid extremely vulnerable to its environment (inlet air quality) and operating conditions (temperature, pressure & duty). Say two identical compressors operate side-by-side, using the same synthetic compressor oil or other oil. They ingest the “same” air from just a few feet away. These compressors can experience a dramatic difference in oil life, reliability, and maintenance costs.
Benefits of Compressor Oil Analysis
The OEMs’ one-size-fits-all “time-based” oil changes (typically 8,000 hours) relies on an imaginary number. This number was created by those highly motivated to sell you more oil. This all ignores the real-life impact environment and operating conditions have on oil performance and usable service life. The OEMs’ time-based or “preventative” oil changes are outdated and a poor fit for rotary screw compressors, as they virtually guarantee the oil either gets changed too soon. It results in wasting considerable time and money. In some cases, it's too late and after damage from oil degradation has already begun.
Oil analysis is the one and only way to accurately determine when it’s “time” to change the oil change in rotary screw air compressors. Analysis also enables compressor users to save time and money, as well as improves the reliability and uptime of their air compressors when used properly as a tool for condition-based maintenance,
Separators, Filters & Coolers:
More Ways to Save!
Next to the compressor’s oil, the most costly and time-consuming regular maintenance items are the compressor’s air-oil separators and filters. The compressor OEMs consider these items “consumable” and recommend they be regularly replaced, just like their oil (notice a theme here) based on some arbitrary time interval. But despite what they want you to believe, these items, like the compressor’s oil, are best replaced only when needed based on their actual condition or pressure-drop. And just like the oil, high quality replacements are readily available for significant savings if you know where to find them. Likewise, the compressor’s oil cooler and compressed air aftercooler are also impacted by the oil, very expensive to replace and cause excessive downtime when they fail.
Finally, Fluid Metrics has a lifetime of experience in the compressor industry, and because our customers regularly ask if we can help them save on these items as well, Fluid Metrics supplies high quality replacement air-oil separators, oil filters, air filters and coolers for a fraction of the cost of the OEMs’ over-priced “consumables”.
FREE E-Book Download:
How to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs in rotary screw air compressors
