The Relationship Between Oil Viscosity and Equipment Performance

When it comes to rotating equipment, it is a question of when—not if—a failure will occur. Engine breakdowns, for example, are often caused when the bearings in rotating parts fail. Faulty bearings can generally be traced to one of three issues: 1) Severe service conditions, 2) improper handling or installation, or 3) poor lubrication. 

In about 50% of all bearing failures, improper lubrication turns out to be the root cause. When the oil’s lubricating properties are insufficient, bearing failures can frequently be traced to viscosity breakdown due to fuel dilution, additive oxidation, soot, water, various other contaminants, or thermal degradation. So, it logically follows that if you monitor the lubricating oil’s viscosity and watch for signs of breakdown, you can perform preventative maintenance before equipment fails.

The VISCOpro 2100 oil condition sensor accomplishes this seemingly impossible task of monitoring the viscosity of the lubricating oil to prevent viscosity breakdown. Because viscosity is an indicator of oil health, real-time dynamic viscosity measurements and trends can provide an early warning of oil and equipment failures.

By providing data that can be used for immediate intervention, the VISCOpro 2100 helps to prevent serious problems.  Typically, maintenance personnel regularly send samples to off-site laboratories for analysis or change the oil on a scheduled basis. The VISCOpro 2100 reduces the amount of laboratory sampling that is necessary, and the continuous online monitoring allows operators to catch a problem with the lubricant before it becomes critical and leads to failure. Also, it allows operators to increase the interval between laboratory checks and lubricant changes. This video shows how it works.

ViscoPro 2100 is a rugged, accurate, and repeatable technology, even in environments with heavy vibration. The motion of the piston monitors the fluid viscosity and keeps the sensor’s measurement chamber free of debris, so the sensor does not require operator intervention. It includes a temperature detector, allowing the capture of both temperature and viscosity in each measurement.

Results:

• Detect small changes in viscosity in real-time, even as low as .25% fuel dilution.
• Avoid bearing damage in between lab analyses.
• Incorporate temperature compensation to adjust for normal temperature effects on viscosity readings.
• Expand lab testing intervals.
• Extend periods between oil changes.
• Best technology available for detecting fuel dilution.

Lubrication oil condition monitoring allows equipment owners the opportunity to be proactive with their maintenance, reducing costs for new parts, man-hours spent on repairs, and lost revenue from downtime. AMOT has many control and monitoring solutions to help maximize engine performance. View our products or contact us for help.