Metalworking fluids, lubricants, and coolants play an essential role in machining. A substantial flow of fluids between four and 20 liters per minute helps to provide cooling, lubrication, chip removal, and corrosion control. These oils need to be properly managed to keep them in good working condition.
What makes fluid management so important?
Without proper maintenance, oils can become acidic. Acidic oil increases the risk of unplanned equipment shutdowns and shortens the life of your equipment because the fluids are unable to do their job properly. In fact, up to 70% of unplanned equipment shutdowns by manufacturing companies in the last three years were caused by incorrect lubricant management.
Despite this statistic, a recent international study revealed that only 42% of manufacturing companies have all the correct procedures in place to manage their oils effectively, and only 63% of manufacturing companies believe they don't conduct staff training on lubricants and oils as regularly as they ought to.
What are the benefits of oil analysis?
Oil analysis offers many benefits for manufacturing companies and other industrial companies. When you regularly test your industrial lubricants, you can:
Extend oil life. When most industrial fluids are replaced, over 99% of that oil is capable of continued use. With oil analysis, you can extend oil life by monitoring its condition and treating it or cleaning it when necessary. This allows for longer intervals between changes in metalworking fluid.
Reduce equipment downtime. Oil analysis gives you the ability to spot and correct problems in your machine's oil before those problems turn into serious issues that could shut down your equipment for good.
Boost equipment reliability. With oil analysis, you can detect issues such as contamination and excessive wear, which can lead to serious friction in your industrial equipment. You can be able to ensure your equipment is properly lubricated, which enhances your equipment life and reliability.
How can benchtop spectrometers help with oil analysis?
Inaccurate or missing information during the oil analysis process can lead to a misdiagnosis. Nuclear magnetic resonance is one of the top analytical methods in modern chemistry, and the benchtop NMR spectrometer has proven to be effective in its oil analysis. Benchtop spectrometers could provide an easy and automated way for manufacturers and other industrial businesses to ensure the oil is free of contamination.
If you're looking for benchtop spectrometers to add to your lab equipment to boost your operational productivity, Nanalysis is the place for you. For more information about our benchtop spectrometers and NMR interpretation software, contact Nanalysis today.