Analyze Oil Contamination – Particulate Analyzers with SEM

Oil contamination in automotive machinery can come either from the mechanical parts themselves or from foreign materials introduced into the system. The majority of mechanical faults and downtime is thought to be from oil contamination, along with the majority of hydraulic and lubrication problems. And, since hydraulic fluid is such a necessary component for any type of manufacturing equipment, the oil must be filtered, analyzed, and replaced. However, even with doing all of these things, there are still downtimes that occur when pumps, valves, cylinders and the like must be replaced do to faulty lubrication.

Oil contamination can happen in several ways. These include fragments left from the manufacturing process, decomposition of components, and manufacturing residue from tools used to create the machinery. General wear and tear on the mechanism also can contribute to oil contamination, friction causing pieces of the machinery to flake off into wear debris that make its way into the oil. Simply replacing the pumps and valves doesn’t cause the contamination to disappear, as even new these pieces can have dirt or other manufacturing debris in them.

In order to combat oil contamination, whether for the reduction of warranty costs, to improve the reliability of the mechanism, or to diagnose an early-warning mechanism for failure, steps must be taken at each level of production and usage. The particle count method has become the most popular analytical tool to assess oil contaminants and find that rare particle that can be the warning signs of a failure of a mechanism. While there are several options for contamination analysis, particle analyzers are as quick and accurate as electron beam analysis.

The Aspex Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) has several different software platforms to fit all your analytical needs. The Advanced Quality Control (AQC) software provides manufacturers with the capability of evaluating the size, shape, and composition of all particles present in a sample. Whether in the lab or in the shop, the PSEM with AQC software provides the manufacturer with quick analysis and one click reporting to find the contamination in the oil.

Whether equipped with just the Perception Suite, or with the AQC software, the PSEM from Aspex is a powerful tool for particle contamination analysis in oil.

Reference:

Aspex, http://aspexcorp.com/industries/industrial-automation.html, http://aspexcorp.com/industries/industrial-automation-implementation.html, http://aspexcorp.com/industries/industrial-automation-cleanliness-reporting.html

AllBusiness, http://www.allbusiness.com/chemicals/petrochemicals-industry-petrochemicals-solvents/11447112-1.html

Triple R, http://www.triple-rrr.com/contamination-of-oil.html