Municipalities rely on an array of heavy equipment, such as trucks, bulldozers, and street sweepers, to uphold their essential infrastructure. These vital machines hinge on engine oil to lubricate their mechanisms, mitigating wear and tear. By harnessing the power of oil analysis, municipalities can uphold the reliability and performance of their machinery, curtail maintenance costs, and extend the operational life of their vehicles.

The Essence of Oil Analysis

At the core of effective maintenance lies oil analysis a practice that scrutinizes a sample of used oil to gauge engine condition and pinpoint potential complications. This assessment process encompasses several pivotal tests:

  • Viscosity: Evaluating the oil's thickness and ability to lubricate effectively.
  • Wear Metals Analysis: Identifying the presence of metals from engine components that indicate wear.
  • Particle Count: Quantifying the number of contaminants in the oil.
  • Total Acid Number (TAN): Measuring the acidity of the oil, indicating potential corrosive processes.
  • Total Base Number (TBN): Gauging the oil's capacity to neutralize acids and deter engine degradation.
  • Water Content: Detecting the presence of water, which can impair lubrication and promote corrosion.

By meticulously monitoring these parameters, municipalities can pre-emptively spot signs of wear, contamination, and other factors that could compromise engine performance and dependability.

Benefits and Insights

The adoption of oil analysis bestows numerous benefits, including:

  • Enhanced Reliability: Early issue detection ensures uninterrupted equipment operation.
  • Cost Reduction: Timely interventions reduce hefty maintenance expenditures.
  • Extended Vehicle Life: Proactive care extends the longevity of municipal vehicles.

 

  • Challenges
  • Production Quality
  • Used Lube Tests
  • Case Studies and ROI
  • Customers and Testimonial

Municipal water and wastewater plants, along with other municipal services typically run on a very tight budget. The costs of laboratory oil analysis and changing oil in expensive equipment can be quite large. Bringing oil analysis in house cuts down on testing costs. It also enables extending the drain interval on oil changes for expensive pieces of equipment. Without frequent testing, most municipalities change the oil on a time-based schedule according to the OEM's recommendations. This can lead to more frequent oil changes than necessary. On site testing allows you to change the oil only when necessary saving on operating expenses without sacrificing reliablity. 

FOG - It's difficult to monitor a waste stream for regulatory compliance if you have to wait days or weeks to receive test results from a laboratory. With the InfraCal2, a sample can be taken and tested in just a few minutes to get results in a timely manner. 

The InfraCal 2 Analyzer is a compact, lightweight and battery operated, making it an ideal solution for operating in the range of ambient conditions typically found in field environments. The measurement by infrared absorption makes use of the fact that hydrocarbons such as fats, oils, and grease are extracted from wastewater or soil through the use of an appropriate solvent.

Typical Tests

 Wear

Particle count - a high particle count or a rapid increase in particles can foreshadow an imminent failure. 

Ferrous wear - Ferrous wear measurement is a critical requirement for monitoring machine condition. The high sensitivity magnetometer measures and reports ferrous content in ppm/ml, and provides ferrous particle count and size distribution for large ferrous particles.

 Chemistry

Total Base Number (TBN) - TBN measures the amount of active additive left in a sample of oil. The TBN is useful for people who want to extend their oil usage far beyond the normal range. The TBN of a used oil can aid the user in determining how much reserve additive the oil has left to neutralize acids. The lower the TBN reading, the less active additive the oil has left.

Viscosity - The main function of lubrication oil is to create and maintain a lubrication film between two moving metal surfaces. Insuring the viscosity is within recommended ranges is one of the most important tests one can run on lube oil. 

 Contamination

Water - Water contamination in industrial oils can cause severe issues with machinery components. The presence of water can alter the viscosity of a lubricant as well as cause chemical changes resulting in additive depletion and the formation of acids, sludge, and varnish. 

FOG

  • Comparable to EPA 1664
  • Complies with ASTM D7066
  • Operable from vehicle for on-site compliance testing
  • Test industrial wastewater before releasing
  • Provides on-site results in under 15 minutes