4 KEY ELEMENTS FOR INTERPRETING AN OIL ANALYSIS REPORT

Years ago, a customer came into my office, visibly upset. He had just received his second oil analysis report for one of his Caterpillar gas engines.

The report came back from the laboratory “red” because of a high level of copper found in the analyzed lubricant sample. His first report had suffered the same fate, reporting back with around 120 ppm, even though the engine was under 2,000 total operating hours.

Much of the customer’s anger was because after receiving the second red report, he made the call to stop the engine, dismount it, and inspect the bearings. When he did this, he couldn’t see any reason for alarm. Unfortunately, this customer’s facility was a power plant that produced electricity for its customers, so stopping one engine had serious consequences, including a loss in productivity, wasted manpower and time, and an increased risk of injury. His anger was understandable.

Did You Know?
Across every industry, one hour of downtime costs an average of $260,000. Source: Aberdeen

We informed him that a red oil analysis report is generally an early warning sign that something is occurring within the engine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should open it up. You need to understand the report and consider all the parameters, not just one.