Service: Oil Sampling

Oil Sampling

Predictive Maintenance Reveals Problems with Your Equipment

Why Sample Oil?

Anyone who owns or operates equipment understands that the fluids running through the machinery are their lifeblood—fluids like engine oil, transmission oil, hydraulic oil, gear oil, grease and coolant. The purpose of the fluids is to protect and lubricate the equipment.

Fluids protect equipment
The coolants protect the equipment from overheating and assure that the metals do not distort under extreme temperatures. The grease lubricates and prevents wear in bearings, pins and bushings and assures that parts operate smoothly, without friction. The oils have the same functions—protecting, lubricating seals, reducing friction, acting as a coolant, cleaning vital components, maintaining compression, allowing hydraulic parts to operate under pressure, and assuring life expectancy of components.

Fluid contamination causes more than 70% of all mechanical failures, which result in expensive repairs and downtime.

Normal wear rates
There are normal wear rates for each moving part of a circuit, which is lubricated with oil. As these parts wear, particles will appear in the oil. These particles are small but easily detected through regular oil analyses. An oil analysis will highlight increases in the quantity of contaminants and can identify areas of concern, opening the door for preventive action before a failure occurs.

Manufacturers usually test their products to determine how long components last. Part of this testing procedure for heavy equipment is oil analysis. Periodic oil analyses are conducted to develop a baseline for typical contaminant levels in the fluids at various points of wear, and a wear analysis record is obtained. Manufacture wear trends are used to predict likely problems with your equipment when your fluids are analyzed.

At each oil sampling, you develop a baseline of contaminant levels. Periodic oil sampling shows changes in contaminant levels which indicate wear patterns over a specific time period.

Schedule downtime
Contaminant levels reflect wear patterns and indicate the amount of time remaining before a replacement is necessary and whether premature failure is a concern. This information gives you an edge in managing equipment uptime and costs.

Increase component life
By monitoring contaminants in your oil, you can identify premature failure of minor parts before it occurs, eliminating catastrophic failure of the complete< component.

Reduce costs
Oil sampling reduces the cost of your repairs, by permitting planned, in-field repairs, rather than emergency repairs which are more expensive and may require shop time.When maintenance is planned, rather than accomplished on an emergency basis, you increase the uptime of your equipment and extend the useful life of major components.

Increase safety during machine operation
A properly maintained machine is a safer machine for your operators.

Routine preventive maintenance required
These benefits are achievable only if routine preventive maintenance (PM) is performed. See your OEM specifications book for proper PM steps.

About Komatsu Oil and Wear Analysis

Komatsu Oil and Wear Analysis (KOWA) is Komatsu’s oil sampling system. It supports a regular, planned maintenance program for your equipment by analyzing your oil to help predict premature failure.

KOWA Kits
KOWA Kits are available from any Roland Machinery location. The kit includes a plastic container, instructions, field sample report form and a mailing container. The cost of the oil analysis is also included in the purchase price of the kit.

Oil Analyses
An independent laboratory conducts two types of tests on the oil samples—physical and spectrochemical. Physical analyses measure the physical characteristics of the oil, including viscosity, fuel dilution, oxidation and nitration, and concentrations of water, glycol and fuel soot. Spectrochemical analyses identify and measure 21 specific elements, including iron, copper, aluminum and silicon, which may otherwise be undetectable.

Test Results
Precise, easy to understand reports are provided by fax, through the mail or on an electronic bulletin board system over the Internet. Through these reports, the wear and performance conditions can be assessed for internal, oil-wetted components such as engines, transmissions and hydraulic systems.

These detailed reports also include maintenance recommendations, which are produced from an equipment trends tracking program, so that you can schedule maintenance well in advance. Field service representatives from Roland Machinery can help you translate the results into maintenance strategies.

Oil Sampling Frequency
Check your OEM specifications handbook for recommended oil sampling intervals.

Records
Komatsu has a data management system that stores the results of the oil analyses, called Lube Oil Analysis Management System (LOAMS). Historical data is stored on-line where graphs, reports and comprehensive recommendations can be accessed.

How to Sample Oil

How to obtain a used oil sample with a sampling pump

1. Remove the lid from the sample bottle. Screw the bottle into the sampling pump.
   Make sure the bottle is sealed against the O-ring in the pump, but do not over tighten.
    
2. Insert sampling pump tubing into the dipstick opening, using the length of the dipstick to measure the length of the plastic tubing.
    
3. Draw a vacuum with the sampling pump until oil begins to flow into the bottle. Continue pumping until the bottle is full to the shoulder, then loosen the bottle to release the vacuum. DO NOT withdraw the tube. This is your test draw. Discard drawn oil and bottle; it is contaminated.
    
4. Attach new bottle and fill.This is the sample you are submitting.
    

1. Wipe the area around the drain plug as clean as possible.
    
2. Remove the drain plug and allow about one-third of the oil to drain from the
   compartment.
    
3. While the oil is flowing from the compartment, fill the sample bottle, taking care not to contaminate the oil.
    
4. Allow the compartment to drain completely and replace the plug.