Local oil producers, manufacturers of formed metal products and injection moulding plants count among the large corporations that have recently joined Hytec Fluid Technology's (HFT) Smart Fluid Technology programme.
"We have seen a steady growth in business on our fluid maintenance side, especially the laboratory, with oil samples being sent from as far as Ghana for us to analyse," says laboratory technician, Flip Scheepers.
Laboratory technician Flip Scheepers prepares a batch of oil samples form a local oil producer for testing on the ferrous metal counter
This trend is set to continue as word gets around that Hytec is able to maximise the life of hydraulic equipment and minimise downtime through its oil analysis service. Recent studies have shown that a pump being provided with the correctly filtered fluid via correctly sized and rated filtration solutions will last up to four times longer, and that this product life extension method holds value for all components of any hydraulic or lubricating system.
Employing its state-of-the-art laboratory in Johannesburg and expertise in fluid technology to assist clients in achieving peak operating efficiency, HFT performs a range of services ranging from oil sampling to detailed analysis, greatly improving the reliability and the management of hydraulic systems.
"The service is based on us taking on average a monthly oil sample from a client's power packs, this frequency could be shorter or longer, dependent on the desired outcome of the analysis, ie, reactive, pro-active or predictive technology, doing a complete analysis and providing them with a complete report," Scheepers explains. "This empowers these companies to make filter changes as and when necessary, taking the guesswork out of oil management and ensuring full life expectancy on their hydraulic equipment. If, for instance, we find brass in the oil sample, dependent on the type of system it would be safe to say that a variable displacement pump or motor needs attention."
This slide is an actual dirt-in-oil analysis, as attached to the client’s full test results. Not only can the amount of unwanted particles be calculated, but particle size as well
Water in oil is another dangerous contaminant that must be removed as quickly as possible so that systems can operate effectively. HFT uses a Karl Fischer titrator for this test, followed by a viscometer, ferrous metal counter and finally a membrane test to determine the actual amount, contaminant type and particle size of contaminates in the oil. Once an ISO cleanliness level is derived, a detailed report with recommendations is presented to the client. With several clients now relying on the service since 2004, HFT is further able to perform trending and the related benefits, such as predictive maintenance models, life-cycle forecast and the like. The company is looking to add a Total Acid Number detector to its laboratory, in direct response to enquiries from its major clients. This will add further value to the fluid maintenance programme. All equipment within the laboratory is regularly calibrated, and kept up to date with the latest technological developments.
For more information contact Sandor Bottyan, Hytec Fluid Technology, +27 (0) 11 281 3850.
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