Keeping a large fleet in good condition is no easy task, especially nowadays. Fleet managers, drivers, and mechanics have their work cut out for them, and increasingly, the number one concern is lowering fleet costs. With rising fuel and maintenance costs, many businesses are doing everything possible to extend their budget while keeping their equipment in serviceable condition.
Preventative maintenance vs. condition-based maintenance
One way businesses are trying to save money is by reducing maintenance costs by practicing preventative maintenance. The goal of preventative maintenance is to establish a routine maintenance and inspection schedule to prevent more severe maintenance issues in the future. Some of the benefits of preventative maintenance include:
- Predictable maintenance costs
- Regular vehicle and equipment inspections
- It’s easier to schedule vehicle or equipment downtime
While preventative maintenance has great benefits, there is a maintenance process that may be even more beneficial: condition-based maintenance. This type of maintenance focuses on what your equipment or vehicles need based on the vehicle’s performance, the conditions it’s used in, and lubricant health. Regular sampling and fluid sample analysis are required to implement a conditions-based maintenance approach. Using these samples and assembling data based on the findings allows businesses to make informed maintenance decisions. This approach identifies key performance indicators (KPIs) patterns such as contamination levels and lubricant conditions. Unlike preventative maintenance, condition-based maintenance lets companies track their equipment’s health directly. With this information, companies can create more reliable and efficient maintenance strategies tailored to your equipment’s specific needs.
Oil analysis is the key to condition-based maintenance
In order to successfully adopt a condition-based maintenance program, you’ll need some form of sampling. At Greg’s Petroleum, we offer oil analysis services as part of Chevron’s Lubewatch program. This program will teach you how to take samples from your equipment and vehicles and receive advanced and accurate test results, detailed data reports, and maintenance consulting. To learn more about this program, check out our blog here.
Joining the oil analysis program is easy. Your Greg’s Petroleum representative can walk you through the process and provide guidance on how to take samples from your equipment and vehicles. Once your samples are analyzed, we’ll also help provide guidance on interpreting your analysis results until you understand the process. Once you join the program, you’ll be able to see for yourself some of the regular benefits of oil analysis as part of a larger condition-based maintenance strategy, including:
- Cost savings: Your oil analysis reports can help you customize your maintenance schedule to your equipment or vehicle’s specific needs, significantly lowering your maintenance costs.
- Operational efficiency: Following the customized maintenance and lubrication metrics from your oil analysis reporting, you’ll enjoy improved equipment reliability. You’ll be able to cut down on equipment downtime for maintenance and costly repairs.
- Sustainability: With a customized maintenance schedule, you can reduce waste by extending drain intervals and reducing lubricant use and waste.
A preventative maintenance approach is often based on recommendations from OEMS that focus on broad guidelines. They rarely consider the specific operating conditions in which you use your equipment or vehicles and how they affect performance. For example, most oil change intervals are determined by the number of miles instead of the engine oil conditions present in the vehicle. With regular oil analysis reporting, you’ll be able to see exactly when it’s time to change oil and perform other regular maintenance tasks based on performance and not the manufacturer’s recommended timeline.
Oil analysis key performance metrics
As you begin the oil analysis process, you may initially be confused about how to interpret your results. We’ll explain your reporting guide and show you how to use it to guide your maintenance process and assess the health of your engine oil and equipment lubricants. Some of the key metrics that are tracked in this process include:
- Base Number (BN): BN measures an oil’s ability to neutralize acids, which are harmful byproducts of combustion. Monitoring BN helps determine the oil’s remaining life and ensures it is replaced before reaching critical depletion.
- Acid Number (AN): AN indicates acid buildup, another sign of oil degradation. Monitoring both BN and AN provides a clear picture of when oil has reached the end of its useful life. These metrics are particularly useful for helping businesses develop a customized extended drain interval schedule for their fleets and equipment.
- Viscosity: Proper viscosity ensures the lubricant maintains a protective film over engine components. Viscosity changes caused by contamination or oxidation can reduce lubrication effectiveness. Monitoring this metric is a great way to ensure lubricant effectiveness and reduce waste.
- Oxidation and Nitration: These indicators reveal the extent of oil degradation. Elevated levels suggest the oil’s effectiveness is diminishing, potentially leading to equipment wear if not addressed promptly.
- Contaminant Levels: Contaminants like dirt, coolant, and wear metals can degrade oil and damage equipment. Fuel dilution and soot percentage are also critical metrics for assessing oil condition. This metric can be crucial for determining equipment health and preventing lubricant contamination if you operate your vehicles or equipment in rough or outside normal operating conditions.
Make the switch to condition-based maintenance with oil analysis
As a California-based Chevron Branded Fuels and lubricants supplier, our customers include all types of businesses with varying fuel and lubricant needs. We work with farmers keeping their machinery going during harvest seasons, trucking companies dealing with increasing high fuel prices, quick lube shops servicing automobiles and more. All of our customers have varying maintenance and lubricant needs that are unique to their businesses. Making the switch to a condition-based maintenance program with the aid of regular oil analysis and reporting can help your business save money, reduce equipment downtime, and extend the life of your equipment. For small and mid-sized businesses, where every cost counts, this switch can be a game changer for your business. Reach out to your Greg’s Petroleum representative today to learn more about our oil analysis program and to get started!