3 min read

Getting to Know Demulsibility

By Brad Bainbridge on Thu, Mar. 25, 2021

Demulsibility

What is Demulsibility?

Demulsibility is the ability of oil to separate from water. Oil and water naturally separate because like molecules attract each other. Oil sticks with oil, water sticks with water. Oil is "hydrophobic", or "afraid of water," which is a benefit when it comes to fluids like turbine oil. 

Topics: varnish in hydraulic oil varnish in turbine oil contamination water in oil dirt Phosphate Ester diesel engine maintenance steel mills vacuum dehydration rolling mill lubricating oil filter housing sizing micro-dieseling thermal event ISO 4406 vacuum dehydrator fluid samples oil analysis metal analysis paper mill hydraulic pump samples COD duplex low-pressure gearbox contaminination hydraulic duplex high-pressure cellulose media filter elements filter comparison aluminum refinery lab
3 min read

When a Pump Fails, the Whole System Fails: Hydraulic Pump Reliability

By Brad Bainbridge on Tue, Feb. 21, 2017

The Problem: Hydraulic Pump Failure 

Pumps are the heart of hydraulic systems. When the pump fails, the entire system is down until the pump is operational again. This poses a serious threat to any operation relying on hydraulic systems for productivity.

Recently, a hydraulic valve manufacturer was losing 25 pumps a year on their centralized hydraulic system at a cost of $2,440 each -- and that’s only the pump cost. When you account for maintenance resources, lost oil and lost production, each failure costs ~$25,320.

Topics: hydraulic fluid ISO 4406 breathers case study hydraulic pump
2 min read

Hydraulic Valve Performance Test Stands and Clean Oil

By Brad Bainbridge on Tue, Nov. 29, 2016

The Application

A hydraulic valve manufacturer required pristine fluid (< 14/12/9) to test flow across an 80-micron orifice on their test stand. Gross amounts of contamination in the fluid would skew the test results, invalidating any data collected.

The system held 100 l (26.4 gal ) of ISO VG 32 fluid with a flow rate of 25 lpm (6.6 gpm ).Through observing the manufacturer’s sampling practices, discussing fluid handling best practices and interpreting their lab reports, three independent problems were identified:

Topics: ISO 4406 hydraulic valve samples hydraulic oil
5 min read

[Video] Your Lab Reports Are Probably Wrong -- Here's How To Save Them

By Scott Howard on Tue, Aug. 16, 2016

When looking at a lab report, it is assumed the information on the report is accurate. A certified lab will not usually make an error in the report, but if so, it is obvious and easily fixed. Ever hear the saying "By the time the lab gets the report the error has already been made"? For the most part, this is true. Where people are led off course is believing the particle count on the lab report is the gospel. This is natural, but unfortunately not always the case with a bottle sample unless you already employ the techniques listed in the video below.
Topics: contamination ISO 16889 ISO 4406 samples video lab
8 min read

ISO 4406: What Do Those Numbers Mean in the ISO Cleanliness Codes?

By Aaron Hoeg on Mon, Oct. 08, 2012

Guest post today by Dan Helgerson. He is the Technical Editor of the Fluid Power Journal, where this article was originally published.

We have been talking a lot about filtration here at the steel mill. My predecessor had done a remarkable job in educating by example, demonstrating the need for good control of the fluids in our hydraulic and lubrication systems. He had helped stop the leaks and had added well-thought-out filtration systems that have resulted in substantial savings and increased productivity.

There is still a lot of work to be done and in pursuing that we have invited a number of vendors in, each offering an approach to getting and maintaining an acceptable fluid cleanliness level. The one thing that they all have brought to the table is a discussion of the ISO Cleanliness code. I was in a meeting with a group of managers when one vendor began to talk about the code. Being a Certified Fluid Power Accredited Instructor (AI), I immediately saw this as an obvious teaching moment, so I asked, “Does anyone here want to know what those numbers mean?” The answer was a quick and resounding, “No!”

Topics: iso cleanliness codes ISO 4406

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