Decision Support and Cost-Savings for Enhanced Maintenance Efficiency
Spectro Scientific, an AMETEK company, has released for commercial sale a unique portable oil analysis laboratory that had delivered proven operational benefits to the USAF and USMC.
Rugged, compact, and lightweight, the FieldLab offers comprehensive, detailed oil and particulate analysis that enables quick and effective maintenance decisions to be made. A highly reliable tool for customers operating mobile fleets, FieldLab dramatically shortens analysis turnaround times by providing rapid, accurate results within minutes. This immediately solves challenges when access to remote laboratories is expensive and results can take weeks to be returned, a problem that greatly reduces effectiveness.
Extensively field-trialled by the US military, the FieldLab M series success resulted in multi-year supply contracts totalling in excess of $45 million with the US military. FieldLab M is now available to the armed forces of US allies, and FieldLab C is targeted at the commercial sector. FieldLab offers a swift, inexpensive method to gauge potential machine wear, by determining the condition of the oil and the presence of metallic wear particles. By measuring oil condition via molecular and viscosity analysis, it enables users to extend lubricant service life, optimise labour resources, and minimise disposal costs and environmental impact. Samples can be collected from machines (turbines, diesel engines, gearboxes, pumps and hydraulic systems) and immediately tested onsite. The results are available within minutes, allowing potential to make near immediate time- and cost-saving decisions.
User-friendly, with minimal set-up time and no routine calibration required, FieldLab produces easy-to-understand results and diagnostics within minutes – in eight different languages. Comprehensive analysis is provided via an x-ray fluorescence system, IR spectrometer and kinematic viscometer. The unique mobile system is battery-operated for instant oil analysis using the touch-panel controller. FieldLab integrates with Spectro Scientifc’s class-leading TruVu 360 expert system and data management software.
“We have already seen incredible demand from our customers in the US Department of Defense, where personnel were unable to access offsite laboratories, but still needed instant oil analysis results to reduce operational costs and prevent critical assets from further wear or failure. We appreciate the support of the US Air Force, US Marine Corps and the DoD’s CTMA [Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities] program for helping us bring the product to market for the benefit of military and commercial users alike,” commented Robert Wopperer, Senior Director, Business Development.
Jason Marshall, Government Accounts Manager, added, “For example, when an airplane’s engine fails the cost, operational and safety implications can be very serious […] With regular lubricant analysis and engine maintenance, the potential for a system failure is greatly reduced […] This way, our customers are in control of providing and, if necessary, re-testing their own samples enabling them to have complete control of the entire analysis and maintenance decision-making process.”
