Ferrography Wear Debris Analysis for Lube Oil
Your lube oil carries detailed evidence of what is happening inside your rotating equipment. Ferrography wear debris analysis reads that evidence…
Services · Materials Testing
Oil Analysis Ferrography
Wear-particle distribution and concentration, trended across successive samples, tell an operator what a gearbox or turbine bearing is doing well before it stops. The value sits in the trend, not the single sample.
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Overview
Lube-oil condition monitoring for predictive maintenance of rotating equipment. Particle count, viscosity, water content (Karl Fischer), Total Base Number and Total Acid Number (TBN/TAN), wear-metal analysis, and ferrography (analytical and direct reading). Used across gearboxes, hydraulic systems, turbine lubrication systems, and compressors.
Overview
Ferrography for oil analysis, is a series of laboratory tests that determine the condition of used lubricants in equipment components, over a period of time. A trend of Wear Particle distribution and their concentration typically presents the condition of the equipment.
It allows organisations to be proactive as it provides them with the opportunity to be prepared for investing in maintenance programmes for breakdowns.
There are six basic Wear Particle types generated through the wear process, which includes metallic particles that comprise of Normal Rubbing Wear, Cutting Wear Particles, Spherical Particles, Severe Sliding Particles, Bearing Wear Particles (Fatigue Spall Particles, Laminar Particles) and Gear Wear (Pitch Line Fatigue Particles, Scuffing or Scoring Particles). Sand and dirt particles responsible for generating Wear Particles exist in the system too.
- Reduction in Unscheduled Downtime due to Wear of Rotary Components like Bearings and Gears
- Effective Maintenance Scheduling
- Improved Equipment Reliability and Safety
- Reduction in Maintenance Costs
- Maximisation of Oil Change-out Intervals that Indirectly Conserves Environmental Cleanliness
- Reduction in Machine Power Consumption Over a Period of Time
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Frequently asked questions
What is ferrography and what does it tell you about a machine?
Ferrography is a series of laboratory tests on used lubricant drawn from equipment over time. The trend of wear particle distribution and concentration presents the condition of the component, so maintenance teams can act before a bearing or gear failure forces unscheduled downtime.
Which oil analysis parameters does TCR test?
The programme covers particle count, viscosity, water content by Karl Fischer titration, Total Base Number and Total Acid Number, wear-metal analysis, and both analytical and direct-reading ferrography. Together these separate lubricant degradation from active machine wear and support decisions on oil change-out intervals and maintenance scheduling.
Which equipment benefits from lube-oil condition monitoring?
The service is used across gearboxes, hydraulic systems, turbine lubrication systems, and compressors. Any rotating equipment whose bearings and gears wear progressively is a candidate, because trending wear particles gives early warning, improves reliability and safety, and reduces maintenance cost and machine power consumption over time.
What types of wear particles does ferrography identify?
Six basic wear particle types are generated through the wear process: normal rubbing wear, cutting wear, spherical particles, severe sliding particles, bearing wear particles such as fatigue spall and laminar particles, and gear wear particles including pitch line fatigue and scuffing or scoring. Sand and dirt contamination is also identified.