A Winning Combination
Oil Analysis and Vibration Analysis

By BRETT WINBERG

Have you pondered how an EMG (ELECTROMYOGRAPHICALLY) or an EKG (ELECTROCARDIOGRAM) along with a blood sample can tell you an abnormality in your heart and if your enzymes are elevated, or your nerve conduction may be out of sync?

Maybe not, however by drawing comparisons using the human body… we can now know and understand the importance oil analysis and vibration analysis combined can be to the industrial and mining markets.

For those of you that have viewed our archives, you have seen first hand how I drive the message home, concerning oil analysis and its importance to all lubricated equipment by ensuring that you have a ‘system’ for taking timely oil samples. This has not changed over time, although recently I have become more aware of the importance in combining oil and vibration analysis to find a true “Proactive Maintenance” approach to assure your equipment does not have catastrophic failures. How? Read on.

Oil Analysis Primer
Oil analysis involves sampling and analyzing oil for various properties and materials to monitor wear and contamination in an engine, transmission or hydraulic system. Sampling and analyzing on a regular basis establishes a baseline of normal wear and can help indicate when abnormal wear or contamination is occurring.

Oil analysis works like this; oil that has been inside any moving mechanical apparatus for a period of time reflects the exact condition of that assembly. Oil is in contact with engine or mechanical components as wear metallic trace particles enter the oil. These particles are so small they remain in suspension. Many products of the combustion process also will become trapped in the circulating oil. The oil becomes a working history of the machine.

Particles caused by normal wear and operation will mix with the oil. Any externally caused contamination also enters the oil. By identifying and measuring these impurities, you get an indication of the rate of wear and of any excessive contamination. Oil analysis also will suggest methods to reduce accelerated wear and contamination. The typical oil analysis tests for the presence of a number of different materials to determine sources of wear, sources of dirt and other contamination, as well as validate the use of appropriate lubricants.

Vibration Analysis Primer
It typically involves using hand held data collectors and analyzers to record information about the frequencies or time events generated by rotating equipment. Vibration is a "back and forth" movement of a structure. It can also be referred to as a "cyclical" movement.

These data collectors are used to trend increases in vibration level over time and to diagnose vibration problems once they are detected.

A vibration transducer is the device that measures or senses the vibration and is commonly referred to as a pickup or sensor. The basic understanding and proper selection of an appropriate transducer is important. There are basically three types of transducers commonly used. They are:

• Accelerometer
• Velocity Transducer
• Displacement Transducer

The most common causes of increased vibration are unbalance, misalignment, bearing defects, worn belts and pulleys, electrical problems and worn gears.

A monitoring program tracks the condition of your equipment through the measurement of vibration amplitudes on a regular interval. Deviation from the norm then triggers further investigation to determine the source and correct the actual cause of the excessive vibration. (source: Reliability Web)

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