Shell Lubricants said it has revamped its Shell LubeAnalyst oil analysis program, which is designed to help customers improve equipment and vehicle reliability and reduce maintenance costs. The upgraded program provides an online user interface that offers a worldwide sample history and failure trends on various types of equipment and engines, as well as a scientific approach to preventive maintenance.
According to the company, oil analysis is one of the most effective ways to monitor the condition of equipment and lubricants. Taking a proactive approach to preventive maintenance helps assess whether fluids and equipment are performing as intended, helping to determine the appropriate change intervals for lubricants. A regular oil analysis program helps customers build a historic database, allowing them to watch for trends in a variety of areas. The Shell LubeAnalyst program offers easy-to-use software that allows customers to view and track test results and view offline management information, according to the company.
“Analyzing used engine oil after every oil change provides an early warning system that may ultimately help lower customers’ total cost of operations,” said Walt Silviera, North American technical manager, Shell Lubricants. “By leveraging the results of the Shell LubeAnalyst program, customers can identify equipment problems before major downtime or expensive maintenance is required.”
Used-oil samples provided through the program can reveal whether contaminants such as water, coolant, fuel or dirt are getting into the oil, indicating head-gasket leaks, leaking fuel injectors, or other problems, Shell said. Spectrochemical analysis detects the presence of wear metals in the oil – and unusually high amounts of wear metals could be a sign of abnormal wear. The analysis also measures the oil’s viscosity, base number (reserve alkalinity) and fuel-soot level.
The knowledge gained from the results can help optimize oil drain intervals, increase equipment reliability, minimize unscheduled downtime and more precisely track operating efficiency and maintenance practices, the company said. This combination can contribute to lower total operating costs and help customers plan and schedule maintenance in advance.
Moreover, the service can provide information on whether the proper oil is being utilized and whether the proper oil-drain interval is maintained for specific operating conditions and equipment duty cycle, according to the company.
