By Jim Fitch and Drew Troyer
Lubrication Engineering magazine
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.