site Oil Analysis – is It a Replacement For Lab Analysis?
In recent years, there has been an increase in the desire for on-site oil analysis. With the availability of on-site oil analysis tools, a strong fight is waging to determine what the best on-site mini lab should consist of. Some marketing literature even suggests that on-site lab equipment is superior to having analysis performed off-site at a commercial laboratory. Many believe this marketing has worked because there appears to be a high reliance on the use of on-site oil analysis instruments as the main tool for oil analysis diagnostics. Many factors must be considered when determining the extent to which on-site oil analysis test equipment will be used. On-site testing can range from having a handheld visgage-type viscometer (Figure 1) to a full array of commercial-quality test equipment. The cost of typical on-site test equipment can range from $2,000 to well over $50,000. On top of the cost of equipment, the cost of training, operating, and consumables of an on-site laboratory mu
