As a fuel and lubricant supplier, we know that regular oil analysis can be a great way to stay on top of maintenance issues, extend drain intervals, prevent costly maintenance, and equipment downtime. We’ve worked with many of our customers over the years to implement oil analysis programs and the recommendations from the analysis results. Customers who have done this have even seen direct results that have improved their equipment runtime and cut back on maintenance issues.

The Chevron Oil analysis program, Lubewatch®, is the next step you can take to keep your equipment in tip-top shape. This unique program uses regular oil analysis to extended equipment life, optimize drain and replacement intervals, and understand your lubrication needs.

Lubewatch offers some unique benefits, including:

  • Six basic test packages, as well as a variety of specialized testing procedures
  • Accurate and reliable test results and interpretations with actionable recommendations
  • 24-hour test and analysis turnaround (some cases may vary)
  • Advanced technical testing, including component failure and particle analysis
  • Advanced training and in-field support
  • Cost-effective standard and specialty testing

The six basic testing packages offered as part of the Lubewatch® program are:

  • Basic Lubrication: This package offers elemental metals testing, checking for water percentages, and viscosity testing.
  • Diesel Crankcase: This package also includes fuel dilution percentages, fuel soot percentages, oxidation, and base number testing.
  • Basic Industrial/Natural Gas Testing: This package does not include fuel dilution or soot testing but includes oxidation, nitration, and pH level testing.
  • Industrial Oils: The industrial oils package includes elemental metals testing, water percentages using the Karl Fisher method, viscosity, oxidation, and nitration testing. There is an option to include particle count testing as well.
  • Metal Working fluids: This package includes elemental analysis, water percentages using the Karl Fisher method, viscosity, chlorine, sulfur, and fat percentage testing.
  • Turbine oils: This package includes elemental analysis, water percentages using the Karl Fisher method, viscosity, oxidation, nitration, particle counting, water separability, and RPVOT.

The Lubewatch® program also includes specialty testing, including coolant analysis test packages. You can find out more information here and even get a free testing kit!

All these different testing options show what you can use the Lubewatch® program to test for, but why do you need it? How can it help your business? Let’s work through some of the statistics that show how valuable this program can be. These statistics are taken from a 2015 POLARIS OUTLOOK Benchmark study for the oil analysis industry.

  • 80% of oil analysis program users maximize equipment uptime through the use of oil analysis. An oil analysis program doesn’t just help you avoid equipment downtime and maintenance. It also helps you run your equipment more efficiently. Using this program, you’ll be able to maximize your equipment usage, get more work done and increase your profits!
  • 77% of oil analysis program users find that using information from test results improves their maintenance programs. Regular oil analysis testing is a proactive maintenance tool that helps improve your overall equipment care. If you are regularly testing your equipment and following through with the testing recommendations, your maintenance team will be able to stave off potential issues, pinpoint problems faster, and keep your equipment running longer.
  • 69% of oil analysis program users use oil analysis test results to increase oil drain intervals. Extending drain intervals is a great way to get the most out of your equipment and lubrication budget. Using the accurate testing results, your maintenance team will be able to set up a drain interval schedule that is exactly suited to your equipment needs, based on how you use your equipment. You can extend the time between services, get more work done, cut back on oil and lubrication waste and reduce your lubrication budget!
  • 80% of oil analysis program users report that scheduled downtime saves money compared to unexpected equipment failures. This is the big one for many of our clients. By proactively scheduling preventative maintenance, they have avoided surprise equipment failures that throw of project deadlines and incur extra costs. Taking care of your equipment now will save you costly repair and maintenance when you need your equipment most.

Implementing an oil analysis program like Lubewatch® may seem intimidating at first. It takes time to learn how to properly sample your equipment, learn how to read your test results, and follow through on the testing recommendations. We’re here to teach you what you need to know. We’ll start first with a few sampling basics.

  • The most important part of establishing a sampling process for your equipment is to make sure that your samples are consistently taken each time. You want to make sure the sample comes from the same place, at the same time, and in the same conditions whenever possible.
  • Sampling is best done while the equipment is operating or immediately after shutdown. You want to make sure the equipment is at operating temperature to ensure exact results.
  • Always note the environmental factors when taking a sample. The conditions your machinery operates in will significantly affect the results.

These are just a few of the basic sampling principles we’ve learned. If you’re ready to start an oil analysis program, we’re here to help you get started. As a lubricant supplier, we know that investing in a preventative program like this may seem like an unnecessary expense. We promise that it’s not.

The return on investment your business receives with the Lubewatch® program will save you money and time, especially long term. Using trend analysis, you’ll be able to monitor your test results and data. That will help you see how the Lubewatch® keeps your equipment in good shape, increases your productivity, reduces downtime and equipment failure, and increases your company profits.

If you’re serious about keeping your equipment in tip-top shape, we cannot recommend a better investment than the Chevron Lubewatch® program.