Shell Lubricants says it has revamped its Shell LubeAnalyst oil analysis program that helps customers improve equipment and vehicle reliability and reduce maintenance costs. The upgraded Shell LubeAnalyst program provides an online user interface that offers a worldwide sample history and failure trends on various types of equipment and engine types. The program is said to offer a scientific approach to preventive maintenance.
A regular oil analysis program helps customers build a historic database, allowing them to watch for trends in a variety of areas. The Shell LubeAnalyst program is said to offer easy-to-use software that allows customers to view and track test results and view offline management information.
“Analyzing used engine oil after every oil change provides an early warning system that may ultimately help lower customers’ total cost of operations,” says Walt Silviera, North American technical manager, Shell Lubricants. “By leveraging the results of the Shell LubeAnalyst program, customers can identify equipment problems before major downtime or expensive maintenance is required.”
Used-oil samples provided through the program can reveal whether contaminants such as water, coolant, fuel or dirt are getting into the oil, indicating head-gasket leaks, leaking fuel injectors or other problems. Spectrochemical analysis detects the presence of wear metals in the oil. The analysis also measures the oil’s viscosity, base number (reserve alkalinity) and fuel-soot level.
