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Monitoring
Alarming
Wear Metals
Table Of Contents
What Alarm Levels Mean for Machine Wear ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Understanding Alarm Levels ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Blending The Techniques ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7
About TESTOIL............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Contact Us................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
While it is certainly true that Oil analysis remains the best tool for that there could be a good answer to
maintaining a healthy, clean lubricant early detection of wear problems. such a question? Probably not. Yet in
will minimize machine wear, there are Wear metal levels detected using most cases, this is exactly the type of
still many wear modes that can arise in spectroscopy will begin to rise well question that we are asking each time
spite of these efforts ‐ misalignment, before the machine exhibits symptoms we take an oil sample. If we expect our
imbalance, overloading, improper in the form of vibration, temperature, oil analysis programs to detect
installation, fatigue, and the list goes or noise. As we see increasing levels machine wear problems effectively, we
on. Abnormal wear, for whatever we need to determine an appropriate need to ask better questions.
reason, happens more often than we alarm level to alert us of a potential
like to think about. Therefore, it is problem. However, it is very difficult What we really want to know is what is
essential to have a strategy in place to to determine what alarms to set for normal. But first we need to define
monitor machine wear. wear metal levels particularly in “normal”. According to Webster’s
industrial applications where Dictionary, normal is “conforming to a
equipment categories, such as usual or typical pattern”. Now we are
gearboxes, are so general. getting somewhere.
Do you know how much iron is too Now how can we identify a pattern in a
much in a gearbox? Consider how broad category such as gearbox? The
many different sizes, types, loads, answer is really fairly simple ‐ by
environments, and applications could evaluating as much data as we possibly
be included in that question. Now add can. However, before we get too far
the many lubrication systems and into this, let’s look at how wear metals
In oil analysis well placed alarms and limits lubricant types that are in use. This have traditionally been evaluated in
are like trip wires alerting operators and simple question becomes much more the past.
technicians to a threatening condition.
complicated. Does it seem realistic
Fixed Limits This situation would reveal a steady
speed, which would lend itself to a low increase in wear metal levels and
Many programs have used fixed limits, wear rate. Such a gearbox might be in cause a false positive reading when the
which gives a simple pass or fail criteria serious trouble if the iron level were to level broaches the fixed alarm. Other
for each wear metal. Figure 1 is an reach 200 ppm. On the other side of gearboxes might be lubricated by a
example of what fixed alarms might the spectrum, you may have a low filtered circulating system, where wear
look like. speed, reversing, heavily loaded particles are removed by filtration as
gearbox that has never had less than rapidly as they are generated. In this
The drawback to this type of alarming 500 ppm of iron in its oil. case, the wear metal trend would be
technique is that it does not account flat, and a significant change could
for different contributing factors. The lubrication method can have a occur without surpassing the fixed
Looking back at our example of large impact on wear metal levels as alarm. Such an exception would likely
gearboxes, there are many sizes and well. Many gearboxes are splash be missed by a fixed limit system.
shapes of gearboxes. Some gearboxes lubricated with small oil level systems.
are lightly loaded and have a constant
Hydraulic Gearbox Diesel Engine Gasoline Engine Transmission Differential
Iron 75 300 150 150 300 1000
Chromium 5 N/A 25 25 10 N/A
Lead 20 N/A 50 150 50 N/A
Copper 75 250 50 75 400 250
Tin 10 250 25 40 20 250
Aluminum 25 250 30 40 50 250
Nickel 5 N/A 10 15 20 N/A
Figure 1 | An example of fixed alarms
Trend Analysis
Trend analysis allows the development Many techniques can be applied to
of a pattern of behavior for a particular evaluating trend data, such as
unit. If the sampling technique and averages, standard deviations, and
intervals are consistent, regular linear regression. All are intended to
monitoring of the wear metal levels identify a condition that
will also highlight the changes in the is not normal in relation to the
wear rate. This helps to account for machine’s past behavior. What is
many of the variables within the missing here is identifying what is
equipment group. An uncharacteristic normal for that machine type. Is it
increase in iron, as seen in Figure 2, normal for a gearbox to generate this
would indicate a change in the wear level of iron?
rate.
Figure 2 | An example of fixed alarms. 100
80
This graph represents the amount of iron
present in a given sample. The yellow line 60
represents the marginal, the red is critical
40
and the blue shows the rising level of iron
over a period of time. 20
0
10/01/12
11/02/12 12/07/12
01/05/13
Family Analysis
Family analysis is a technique that with 90% of the bearings reading less performance of individual plants.
compares the wear metal levels of than 10 ppm. It would then be safe to Companies with less equipment can
groups of similar or identical assume that it is “normal” for these compare their wear rates to
equipment to identify what is a “usual bearings to have less than 10 ppm tin equipment in many other plants and
or typical pattern”. in their oil. If one of the bearings were take advantage of the lab's vast
found to have 35 ppm of tin, it would database of equipment data.
Equipment is grouped together by be safe to say that its wear rate is
family. A family may consist of “abnormal”. An effort could then be
identical equipment located in many initiated to determine the cause of the
plants, such as GE Frame 7 turbines in higher wear rate and correct the
many power plants across the country. problem. The problem could be
You might also group equipment detected, identified, and resolved
together based on load, size, before any damage occurs. Ultimately,
lubrication type, and operating this effort helped to avoid premature
parameters, such as a group of failure and any cost that might have
agitators at a chemical plant. The wear been incurred if the bearing had to be
metal data is then evaluated as a replaced.
whole. The data for each machine is
then compared to the family to Family analysis techniques can have a
evaluate its wear rate. significant impact on both large and
small programs. A large company could
As an example, let’s say that we have a use such a program to monitor large
family of 50 motor bearings at a steel fleets of similar equipment among
mill. The average tin reading is 7 ppm their plants, as well as to benchmark
Realistically, the ideal analysis program (machine) for iron, family limit (fluid)
blends the three alarming techniques for IR oxidation, individual machine
that we have discussed. However, you limit for copper, and empirical limit on
can see how cumbersome applying the particle counts. In other words,
data evaluation process to every wear different parameters may be alarmed
metal for every machine tested in a with different techniques.
program could be. With computers,
you can automate this process so that Are customer Customer
Yes
each parameter is evaluated using specific limits specific limits
numerous techniques and the best available? used
possible analysis is obtained.
Are family
Yes Family
Computers are now capable of using statistical limits
No statistical limits
statistical calculations, database available and
used
valid?
mining, and a rule‐based knowledge
hierarchy to compare the test data to
Are individual
fixed limits, trend analysis, and family No
statistical
analysis to select the most appropriate machine limits
evaluation for each application. It is available?
possible that for one specific sample,
No
the limit schemes can vary depending Yes
on information available, as diagramed
in the decision tree in Figure 3. For Equipment / Individual statistical
Fluid specific machine limits used
example, there may be a customer
limits used
limit on water content, family limit
Figure 3 | Alarming selection decision tree
About TESTOIL
TESTOIL is a full‐service oil testing
laboratory owned by Insight Services. Since
1988 the laboratory has been providing fast
and reliable oil analysis results across all
industries throughout the Americas.
The firm’s comprehensive range of oil
analysis services assists reliability engineers
with condition monitoring and identification
of machine wear.
TESTOIL employs a sophisticated diagnostic
technology that assists their Machine
Condition Analysts in making equipment
and lubrication condition assessments.
Contact Us
Call: 216‐251‐2510
Email: info@testoil.com
Web site: www.testoil.com
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