It is proved beyond doubt that oil is one of the most undervalued element in project development. In the course of time, it can turn out to be either your best friend if dealt with properly or your worst foe if carelessly ignored.
Oil can degrade in the extraction process where hydrocarbons such as crude oil are heated to a high temperature to break the molecular bonds and in the oxidation process involving the movement of electrons due to the chemical reaction. The degradation results in a carbon build-up which releases sludge and coke, which settles throughout your system, nestling in its pump seals and internals, and values. This scum is highly dangerous as it can damage your equipment and more seriously break it down completely, throwing you in turmoil. These micro size particles are beating down your pumps and values, and as the wear and tear go on, more scum is being generated in the process, reducing the life of these expensive components. Continuous rising contamination if not filtered properly will also destroy the heating surfaces of your system, reducing the heat transfer efficiency of your system. As degradation continues, Oil, one of the most expensive components is also damaged as the microparticles work as a catalyst in chemical reactions. Thus, the life of the oil is substantially lost. When pumps, values or hydraulic controls are harmed both the performance of the machine and production as well suffers. Opting to replace the oil with new oil rather than going for hot oil filtration is not recommended as new oil does not adhere to international standards like NAS/ISO. Oil manufacturers also fail to clean the insides of the barrel; therefore new oil is technically not clean.
Hot oil system collapse is also an expensive affair. The cost of replacing the oil and the people hours you will utilize to maintain, repair and replace parts like seals, values, rotors and mag drive canisters, can become burdensome. Frequent breakdowns have a demotivating effect on machine operators and reduce their productivity which will impact your bottom line in the long run.
So you must use hot oil filtration. Top benefits?
- It will increase the service life of the hot oil
- You won’t need to maintain your system so often
- Damage to seals will reduce
- Heat transfer efficiency will advance
- It will curb sledge build up improving the viscosity of the fluid
- International Standards like NAS / ISO is specifying the level of oil cleanliness, and All Hydraulic Systems and Components are recommending adherence to this level for warranty and guarantee.
Though professional oil filtration is a costly affair at the onset, it’s worth pursuing because the hidden costs of oil replacement, labor productivity, loss and damage to your system will ultimately work out cheaper for you. Apart from this, it makes sense to pursue to focus on your core business rather than oil management which an expert can handle for you. In general, oil filtration is used to remove contamination from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil and hydraulic oil.
