Sampling is arguably the most important step in the oil analysis process. If the sample in the bottle fails to effectively represent the lubricant and the condition of the machine from which it was drawn, no meaningful conclusions can be from the oil analysis data. This article presents a comprehensive methodology for designing the sampling system and for obtaining a sample from equipment commonly found in the industrial or fleet environment. Useful hints and tips are provided to ensure that oil analysis is on target to meet the expectations of the condition monitoring organizations in pursuit of optimized asset reliability.

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I recently received an e-mail from a colleague seeking my opinion about a specific sampling philosophy. Referring to mobile equipment such as excavators, scrapers and dozers, he asked if good oil sampling depended much on sampling location.

He wondered, as he had often heard from others, if what truly matters most is sampling consistently, regardless of location.

Sampling consistently refers to the practice of meticulously following a prescribed procedure without regard to the accuracy or precision of the procedure. This is the way most oil samples, perhaps 80 percent, are taken today.

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Proper oil sampling is critical to an effective oil analysis program. Without a representative lube sample, oil analysis cannot be used effectively to monitor oil condition, predict machine failures or help you extend asset life. Whether you are using a test kit from service supplier or your own equipment, getting a few key details right when you take oil samples will give you more accurate, consistent and useful data.

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If you thought oil analysis was only about monitoring oil properties, you’re in for a big surprise. It’s a fundamental premise that we don’t analyze the oil merely to generate data, but rather we are surveying for answers to machine reliability questions. Many of the answers are imbedded in the body of in-service lubricants, but many others are found in remnants of degraded lubricant and sloughed-off debris. These discarded impurities can be far more revealing to machine reliability than what remains oil-borne.

Too often I’ve seen lab data show an oil to be relatively clean when, at the same time, filters were plugging prematurely and there was heavy tank bottom sediment. For the most part, low-viscosity industrial lubricants like turbine oils have limited impurity-holding capacity. This simply means that these fluids are quick to release solid and liquid impurities to machine surfaces, filters, separators and system quiescence zones.

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