Setting new standards for condition monitoring oil analysis isn't new to the founders of National Tribology Services.

In the 1970's and 80's they led the team that developed and applied Ferrography to military and industrial oil analysis. Since that time, they recognized that spectrometric oil analysis was blind to large particles, the very particles indicative of an abnormal wear situation. A method called Rotrode Filter Spectroscopy (RFS) was developed to detect those large particles and in 1992, NTS was the first laboratory to apply the technique commercially.

Combining RFS with traditional spectroscopy (for fine metals and oil additives) provided an excellent screening approach for the detection of wear particles, ferrous and non-ferrous, large and small. If severe wear is indicated by this double spectroscopy testing (called DOUBLECHECK), analytical Ferrography (for ferrous wear) and/or Millipore Patch Testing (for nonferrous wear) is performed to aid root cause determination. Today this method is often specified and has gained a wide acceptance.

In addition to this technology, NTS continues to innovate, employing the latest methodologies for oil analysis. Our large well-equipped laboratories are located in Peabody, Massachusetts, on Boston's high-tech belt, and in Minden, Nevada, at the Bently Pressurized Bearing Company Facilites (Go to the Contact/Visit Us Page for driving directions to both labs). The Facilities we test samples quickly and accurately reporting results via a variety of media, especially electronic formats, within two business days or same day service for rush samples. This level of support, combined with reasonable pricing, permits NTS to compete worldwide for oil analysis services with customers in locations such as Chile, Holland, Singapore, and Australia.

NTS services are aimed at industrial equipment typically found in the power utilities, petrochemicals, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, and metals processing industries. Our lab has considerable experience in monitoring turbines, compressors, gear systems, engines and hydraulic systems.

At the start of every program, the laboratory spends considerable time getting to know a piece of equipment. This information is vital for determining practical alarms and recommendations based on the equipment characteristics. A large variety of programs are offered to suit customer needs.

Software and Reporting

NTS supports all the major oil analysis trending software packages, including exporting data to most major vibration monitoring software packages, including Bently Lube..

Quality Assurance

NTS is an independent laboratory, firmly committed to quality control. We are certified to ISO 9002 and compliant with ISO/IEC Guide 25 and 10 CFR 50 App. B (Nuclear Power Quality Assurance) standards. The lab participates in the ASTM ILCP (Inter Laboratory Crosscheck Program), as well as other round robin programs.

Professional People

National Tribology Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bently Pressurized Bearings Comapny, headed by Dr. Don Bently, a visionary entrepreneur in the field of machinery monitoring.

Our laboratory personnel are comprised of engineers, chemists, and laboratory technicians, with degrees in mechanical, materials, and metallurgical engineering. Other fields of expertise consist of environmental and organic chemistry, biology, and business disciplines. Professional backgrounds include extensive experience in laboratory analysis instrumentation, heat transfer and fluid flow, naval and marine engineering, process control, and environmental science. Professional affiliations include Society for Tribologists and Lubrication engineers (STLE), American Society for Materials (ASM), American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

NOTE: NTS was formerly owned by Bently Nevada Corporation, which was sold to GE Power Systems in January 2002. Bently Nevada is no longer formally affiliated with NTS.

National Tribology Services, Inc. (East)
5 Lakeland Park Drive
Peabody, MA 01960-3835
Telephone: (978) 535-9990
Fax: (978) 535-3311
Email: info@natrib.com