Test kits for onsite oil condition monitoring
January 1st 2008

Condition monitoring of fuels and lubricants used in industrial and marine plant and equipment has become one of the main weapons in the fight to reduce premature failure of engines, gearboxes and hydraulic systems.

Many tests worldwide are still carried out by trained chemists in oil test laboratories. While this is accurate and should be continued, Kittiwake believes that there is a place in all maintenance programs for onsite testing.

Regular onsite sampling and analysis of fuel, lubrication and hydraulic oils enables the engineer to assess the condition and performance of the machine oil over time, allowing adjustments to be made to ensure maximum operational performance and avoiding critical downtime.

Kittiwake points out that a result in 2min rather than 2 weeks has obvious benefits, especially if the result is quantitative and trended.

The company produces oil test kits, equipment and sampling products, providing the tools for engineers to conduct these crucial maintenance routines. Determining the presence of water in oil, degradation of viscosity and TBN (total base number) along with rises in TAN (total acid number) can be among the first indicators of potentially expensive and possibly catastrophic failure of the plant.

Kittiwake also provides online sensors and full oil test suites for wear debris, viscosity, density and insolubles for use onsite and onboard.

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