What keeps your machinery running smoothly? The lubricant and maintenance, no doubt. Now what about your shop on the whole?
While it’s important to have the right synthetic compressor oil, it’s still not going to be giving you what you need without a proper analysis. This function can be easily overlooked in the fast pace of your work environment. There’s always another customer to talk to and another machine tool that needs cleaning, after all. Taking an extra hour every week to use a compressor oil analysis, however, can finally give you that bigger picture. You’ll understand what’s working, what’s not working, and what can finally be done about it.
How does oil analysis work? What kind of lubricants should you be using? Let’s look into the ingredients that go into a well-rounded shop, whether you’re a hobbyist or professional.
Oil and lubricant can cross over, but they’re not always the same thing. Knowing this difference will make sure you’re getting the most out every step of the process, even if it seems finicky. The function of air compressor oil is to make sure all components of your air compressor are moving smoothly. Even a minor hitch in the system can cause a ripple effect, impacting everything inside and out. You don’t want your clients thinking you’re taking advantage of their hard-earned money and providing them with a lesser result.
What kind of lubricants do you use for your machinery? Do you focus on biodegradable lubricants or are you more concerned with what will get the job done? While natural oils have their time and place, synthetic based lubricants have become the norm due to how much longer they last. Mineral oils are yet another type that can be used when you need a thicker viscosity, crafted from crude oil to be used in several industries. From repairing cars to crafting long-lasting engines, you’ll need to learn the essential differences sooner or later.
Lubricants can’t be used interchangeably, as tempting as that may be to save money. What can be the perfect thickness for one part of the machine can be a death knell for another. This is due to each lubricant, or oil, having unique properties designed to enhance the properties of whatever it is you’re maintaining. Some lubricant is designed to help transfer heat, often of a thinner viscosity and incredibly slippery to keep temperature moving. Others are even more slippery, designed for the explicit purpose of keeping certain parts from bumping or scraping against each other.
These flexible properties don’t end there. You can use lubricant to help prevent the accumulation of debris, filled with essential ingredients that push away tiny bits of metal, dirt, and even bacteria. Some lubricants have the ability to achieve multiple properties at once, but you should never assume this of the resources you use. Make sure to double-check the description on the bottle and cross-reference with professionals in your industry. It could save you hundreds of dollars down the line in repairs and replacement.
Compressor oil analysis takes an important look at your maintenance tools and tells you just what’s working. An interesting property of air compressor oil today is its distinct lack of detergents, a property normally found in motor oil. This simple design makes it perfect for keeping the inner machinations of your compressor sliding and churning without interruption. Any questions you have about the extra properties of your purchase should be brought to your manufacturer. You might be surprised at what you learn.
A little maintenance goes a long way. Use compressor oil analysis Purolube to ensure your fluid metrics are giving you the best results.
