WearCheck Oil Analysis improves mining productivity
THE scientific analysis of used oil and other fluids from machinery – to determine component wear patterns – is a key indicator of potential machine failure, and helps mining operations to avoid unscheduled production downtime.
Oil and fluid analysis is the core business of specialist condition monitoring company, WearCheck, which operates an expansive network of 16 world-class laboratories across Africa and beyond.
WearCheck laboratory technicians analyse samples of used oil, coolants, grease, fuel and other fluids, using a variety of testing techniques and laboratory instruments to assess the presence of trace elements of contaminants in the fluids. Different contaminants, and the concentration of the trace elements, indicate the presence (or absence) of potential mechanical problems.
Preventing downtime through predictive maintenance
With this forewarning, maintenance teams can plan to remove a particular machine from the production line and proceed with scheduled repairs, facilitating minimised disruption to productivity in the mine.
“We offer on-site sampling for mining clients, where required,” says Neil Robinson, MD of WearCheck. “Taking a sample correctly is critical to the accuracy of the test results – it is essential that no external contamination is accidentally included in the sample,” he explains.
“A good condition monitoring programme involves regular testing of samples from each machine, in order to establish a trend. In this way, if there is a deviation from the pattern, it is quickly highlighted and flagged for remedial action, where necessary.”
WearCheck is dedicated to ensuring that mining and other industrial machinery operates at peak performance with reduced maintenance costs.
WearCheck expansion across Africa and beyond
Since its first laboratory opened in South Africa in 1976, the company has expanded across the continent, operating world-class laboratories in many countries across Africa and beyond, including RSA, Zambia, Namibia, DRC, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Mozambique, Dubai and India.
WearCheck has established itself as a leader in the preventative maintenance field, and serves as a condition monitoring hub. The company offers a selection of different monitoring techniques to enhance machinery performance and availability across various industries – mining, quarrying, power generation, agriculture, aviation, marine, construction and many others.
WearCheck is committed to saving its customers time and money by helping to maximise machine availability and performance. Some of the additional predictive maintenance techniques offered by WearCheck include asset reliability care (ARC), transformer oil analysis, water analysis, lubricant-enabled reliability (LER) services and advanced field services (AFS) such as non-destructive testing, technical compliance and rope condition assessment.
WearCheck’s condition monitoring programmes can be tailored for the different types of machinery that are common to different industries, and for varying operating conditions.
WearCheck is the only condition monitoring company on the African continent with ISO 9001 quality certification and ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management programme, and ISO 17025 laboratory-centric quality management accreditation.
Please visit www.wearcheck.co.za, email marketing@wearcheck.co.za or call +27 (31) 700-5460.
