Plant Services - May 2008 - (Page 43) Reliability Lubrication schedule to monitor changes and specifically changes in viscosity. Every month is often the recommended interval for sampling on critical or costly equipment. Track wear metals Monitoring wear metals is important for tracking equipment health. As equipment ages, components start to wear, and so itís important to monitor the degree of wear to permit scheduling routine, planned repairs rather than waiting for unplanned equipment shutdown. Common wear metals to be monitored for various systems include: • Hydraulics: copper, iron, lead (aluminum, tin, chromium less common) • Compressors: iron, copper, lead (tin, aluminum, nickel less common) • Gearboxes: iron, copper, aluminum (lead, tin, chromium less common) Iron and copper are used in nearly every piece of equipment, so monitor their presence closely for the three machine types. Don’t be overly alarmed if elevated levels of iron or file will wear down until it smoothes out and further iron wear subsides. Sometimes, the copper concentration can rise from about 20 ppm and then levels off to a consistent 50 ppm without going any higher. If copper levels continue to increase, the gears might be overloaded or out of alignment, causing unusually high bearing wear and will need attention (realignment or replacement). Worm gears, which are composed of bronze (a copper/tin alloy), will see very high copper levels 500 to 1000 ppm due to the normal wear of the sacrificial/softer bronze worm gear. Additionally, high levels of copper wear metals in used oils can act as a catalyst that can further accelerate the oxidation/breakdown of the oil. Revolutionary New Technology for dewpoint measurement to -112 F If the viscosity changes by 15% of its original value, monitor the oil closely. copper appear in the oil analyses at the beginning of the lube’s service life as that is typical during the “break in” period for new equipment. Bearings generally contain copper along with various alloys (i.e. like lead aluminum, chromium, or tin) and have a limited life and will eventually wear out. You just don’t want them to wear out too fast. This is where you can get a lot of value from your analysis reports. You might see a spike in iron concentration when the equipment is brand new. For example the surface topography of a gear proMay 2008 e new Vaisala DRYCAP® Dewpoint Transmitter DMT152 measures dewpoint to -112 ºF with accuracy that lasts, even after condensation or wet air exposure. Call our experts or visit: www.vaisala.com/DMT152 www.vaisala.com Vaisala Inc. Tel. 1-888-VAISALA (824-7252) Fax 781-933-8029 instruments@vaisala.com *restrictions apply on 3 day delivery Vaisala DRYCAP® Dewpoint Transmitter DMT152 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 43 http://www.vaisala.com/DMT152 http://www.vaisala.com http://www.vaisala.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com
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