Every fluid has the ability to hold a certain amount of dissolved water. The maximum amount of water that a given fluid can contain in solution is referred to as its saturation point. Once the fluid has reached its saturation point, any additional water introduced will separate out as free water by forming a distinct layer. Since most oils are less dense than water, the water layer will usually settle below the oil.

Lubrication practices within a plant have a direct effect on plant and equipment reliability. When a lubricant is working effectively in a machine with no chemical degradation and with limited contamination within it, wear will be reduced and equipment reliability will be improved. The key to reducing component wear and to increase equipment reliability is effective and clean average lubrication film thickness – in other words protecting and maintaining a good lubrication viscosity.

The harsh, on-site working environments where industrial equipment is installed, leads to short life cycles and unpredictable failures for example in the mining or offshore oil and gas industries. While manufacturers may offer and honour time-based warranties, what they cannot do is to predict accurately the lifespan of equipment.

Asset and maintenance managers are increasingly required to report on performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as asset utilization, risk and return on assets (ROA). These metrics are critical to understanding the overall health of an asset-intensive organization, and rely on a current and accurate view of all underlying asset information. These KPIs can be more simply stated as five questions you need to answer about your assets:

1. Do you know what assets you have?
2. What is your risk of an asset-related disaster?
3. Do you know the current condition of your critical assets?
4. What are the costs of corrective versus preventative maintenance?
5. Should you should repair assets or replace them?