The first step to successfully trend the oil condition is to take a sample of the oil in an unused condition. While each factor can be broadly described when analyzed in depth, a summary is provided to emphasize the importance of each factor. Used oil analysis is a broad subject that includes several factors that affect the success of both interpretation and trending of used oil analysis results. This article will explain how used oil analysis can help determine the condition of a gearbox by learning the most important factors for used oil analysis, how to interpret the results of a used oil analysis report and how trending can help determine the schedule for preventive maintenance actions. While all techniques can be considered useful when checking the condition of a gearbox, one thing is certain for all techniques: it is all about trending. These techniques include temperature, vibration, noise and used oil analysis. There are several techniques that can provide a status of how the gearbox is performing. Condition monitoring can guide predictive maintenance activities. In order to prevent costly downtime or catastrophic failure of a gearbox, the industry has evolved to adopt condition monitoring as a mechanism for predictive maintenance.Ĭondition monitoring provides both historical and current performance data on the gearbox condition, thus providing a likely inference regarding the gearbox’s remaining useful life (RUL). Each application exposes the gearboxes to an array of loading and ambient conditions that directly affect the usable life. Speed reducers, commonly referred to as “gearboxes”, are used in a variety of applications.

Testing viscosity of oil