What is oil analysis?

Reading wear metals, contaminants and chemistry in a lubricant sample.

Oil analysis sends a lubricant sample to a lab (or reads it with on-site sensors) for wear particles, contamination and chemistry. Rising iron says a gear is wearing; water or fuel says a seal is breached — weeks before the machine complains.

It's the earliest-detection technique on the P-F curve for lubricated machines: gearboxes, hydraulic systems, engines and compressors get sampled on a schedule and trended over time.

• How it's used