Oil analysis is essential for maintaining equipment reliability and life span. In this process, data analysts assess whether samples indicate abnormal working surface wear and tear likely to impede performance or shorten specific equipment life span. The problem is, traditional analysis occurs after the fact. By then, signs of wear and tear when finally detected threaten optimal operation and increase the possibility of downtime. 

Bad or average habits can be hard to break, but the effort to replace them with good or great habits is a valuable investment of time. No matter how often you catch yourself making the mistakes you were trying to avoid, do not be discouraged. The 5 Habits take many years to perfect, but in the end, you will learn better, faster and smarter.

Electrical systems are grounded to limit the voltage imposed by lightning, line surges, or unintentional contact with higher voltage lines and to stabilize the voltage to earth during normal operation. Electrical systems can be grounded in several ways. There are induction grounded systems, resistance grounded systems, and high impedance grounded systems among others. The most common grounded system is the solidly grounded system, where there is no intentional grounding impedance in the earthing or grounding circuit.

When you look over the list of projects you’ve worked on in the last 20 or so years, it’s amazing how many involve fastener problems. Some are relatively easy to solve, especially where careless practices have resulted in fatigue failures. Other problems are much more sophisticated, such as aluminum rivets clamping aluminum sheet metal that failed from galvanic corrosion! In Part 1 of this series, Some Plain Talk About Nuts and Bolts, a Q&A addresses some of the important points connected with common bolting practices.

The most known concept to define reliability is: “Probability that an asset or system operates without failing during a given period of time under some operation conditions previously established.” Sometimes, this concept is wrongly used due to the particular use given to the word failure. For many, failure only means shutdowns, so they construct complex mathematical formulas to calculate shutdown probability without taking into account that a failure also occurs when being inefficient, insecure and costly, having a high rejection level, or contributing to a bad image.

Want to expand coupling life? Who doesn’t? You may want to look into advanced-design disc couplings. These couplings feature discs with optimized profile and thickness to provide a higher torque-to-outside-diameter ratio, higher service factors and up to 50 percent greater misalignment capability. All this provides for smaller reactionary forces on bearings compared to conventional disc couplings, which helps achieve infinite coupling life in properly specified applications.