Avoid Over-Filtration: The Importance Of Optimization

Maintenance is the single most controllable expense in a facility. These words have been quoted time and time again, vis-à-vis controlling equipment failures.

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Few areas of focus are more impactful on managing expenses than contamination control. However, in the quest for the cleanest achievable oil, some questions typically form: How much filtration is too much filtration? Is there such a thing as oil that is too clean? While the questions are simple and straightforward, the answers are anything but, and include a variety of variables that many don’t account for when starting a fluid cleanliness program.

Among the first variables that I address when helping a customer develop a contamination control program is the type of fluid in question. Most industrial facilities will employ a range of lubricants for different machine types and environments. Determining where the focus should be for filtration begins with determining which fluids actually require filtration. That’s right — not all lubricants may need to be filtered prior to use.

Some Machines May Not Require Filtration