Step 8:
Condition Monitoring

Understand your oil, protect your equipment

Condition monitoring is a key element of an effective Lubrication Reliability strategy. It offers insight into both the health of the lubricant and the condition of the machine itself. By regularly analysing your oil, you can detect wear, contamination, and chemical degradation early, well before failure occurs.

This step focuses on how oil analysis helps you make informed maintenance decisions, improve reliability, and reduce costs. Oil analysis plays a crucial role in predictive maintenance and Lubrication Reliability.

Why is oil analysis essential?

Oil doesn’t just lubricate, it tells a story. Through oil analysis, you can identify small problems before they become serious. Contamination, additive depletion, and early wear are all detectable via targeted tests.

Without condition monitoring, maintenance becomes reactive. With it, you move to a predictive and proactive strategy that reduces unplanned downtime and extends equipment life.

“How often should I analyse my oil?”

There’s no single answer. Frequency depends on how critical the equipment is, the environment it operates in, and usage patterns. For high-value or critical machinery, monthly testing is common. For less critical assets, quarterly intervals may be sufficient. What matters most is consistency; this allows you to establish reliable trend data over time.

What does oil analysis measure?

A well-designed oil analysis programme evaluates several key factors:

Viscosity – Variations can indicate fuel dilution, oxidation, or wrong oil use
Water content – Water accelerates corrosion and additive breakdown
Particle count (ISO 4406) – Measures solid contamination levels
Wear metals – Indicates internal component wear (e.g., iron, copper, lead)
Oxidation and acid numbers (TAN/TBN) – Signal oil degradation
Additive condition – Shows how much of the oil’s protection remains

These parameters provide a full picture of both oil and equipment condition.

Detailed info on testing

How to start a condition monitoring programme

To implement a successful programme:

1. Define Objectives

Set goals like reducing downtime, extending equipment life, or optimizing oil changes. Select critical equipment based on failure impact.

2. Install Sampling Hardware

Install sample ports downstream of bearings and gears but upstream of filters. Ensure safe and consistent sample collection while equipment is running.

3. Establish Baselines

Take baseline samples from new equipment or after oil changes. Determine sampling frequency based on equipment criticality and operating environment.

4. Choose Analysis Partner

Decide between accredited off-site laboratory or on-site analysis equipment. Consider a hybrid approach for balance of capabilities and speed.

5. Define Test Slates

Work with your lab to select standard tests for different equipment types. Include elemental spectroscopy, viscosity, water content, and particle counting.

6. Train Personnel

Ensure all personnel are trained in proper sampling techniques to prevent contamination. Document all procedures, including sampling locations and frequency.

7. Set Action Limits

Establish multi-tier alarm limits based on OEM guidelines, industry standards, and historical trend data from specific machines.

8. Integrate Systems

Integrate with CMMS to ensure automatic work orders are generated when alarms are triggered, and track corrective actions.

"Measure what matters,

maintain what's measured"

Why trending matters more than one-off results

One test only gives a snapshot. Trend analysis shows whether your oil, and your machine, is improving, stable, or degrading. Changes in particle count, viscosity, or wear metals can reveal problems before they become visible or costly. Trend analysis involves monitoring test results over time to detect gradual changes that indicate developing issues in machinery.

Key Benefits:

Establishing Baselines

Every machine has a unique "fingerprint" of wear and contamination based on its operating conditions.

Identifying Patterns

A steady increase in wear metals often indicates progressive issues like bearing wear.

Early Warning

Wear metal levels often rise before other symptoms like increased vibration or temperature.

Condition monitoring is not a one-time task

Some users fall into the trap of testing oil once and drawing conclusions. But condition monitoring must be ongoing. Regular, consistent testing allows you to establish performance baselines, detect changes early, and make smarter maintenance decisions.

Ready to take control of your equipment health?

Lubretec helps you build a structured condition monitoring programme using oil analysis and data interpretation to reduce risk, downtime, and maintenance costs.

Step 8: Condition Monitoring