Drop of knowledge #3
Welcome to the third edition of the Ecol Laboratory newsletter. We want to share what is important – oil diagnostics knowledge, events in the life of the laboratory, information about trade fairs. We will send out the newsletter once a month, every last Tuesday of the month. We would be very pleased if you would stay with us.
1. A laboratory? Only with accreditation
What entity accredits the oil laboratory?
In Poland, the only accreditation body is the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA / https://www.pca.gov.pl/), which has the status of a state legal entity and is supervised by the minister responsible for economic affairs.
Why use an accredited oil laboratory?
Accreditation guarantees that the tests performed in the laboratory are in accordance with the applicable standards.
As the PCA points out:
you can use the results obtained in the legally regulated area,
- you get reliable and consistent results,
- accreditation is an essential tool for decision-making and risk management,
- accreditation is an essential tool for decision-making and risk management,
- you receive results that are recognised by, among others, the Technical Inspection Authority and insurance companies.
Certificate of accreditation and scope of accreditation?
The scope of accreditation is annexed to the accreditation certificate. It describes in detail the areas covered by the accreditation.
The scope of accreditation is defined in detail:
- for which test objects/subjects (e.g. lubricating materials: industrial lubricating oils),
- with what test methods (e.g. elemental content according to ASTM D5185-18),
- within which test range (e.g. copper 2-160mg/kg) a laboratory can publish accredited results.
Interestingly, a testing laboratory can be accredited even if it has one accredited parameter. Therefore, it is so important to verify not only the possession of an accreditation certificate, but also the range of accredited parameters that the selected laboratory offers!
Is accreditation ‘forever’?
The laboratory is accredited by the PCA for four years. A maintenance audit of the quality management system is carried out once a year and a recertification audit is carried out after four years.
2. You can meet us in April:
- 9-10.04.2024: XV Conference Breakdowns. Monitoring. Construction and Modernisation of Water and Sewage Networks, Wisła
- 10.04.2024: Reliability and Maintenance in Production Plants, Bydgoszcz
- 10-12.04.2024: XXI Conference “Railway rolling stock – purchase, modernisation, maintenance”, Ustka
- 23-25.04.2024: XXXI Scientific and Technical Symposium Spring Meeting of Heating Engineers, Zakopane
3. training 2024 – save the date
Book a time for our training:15-17.05.2024 r. – Oil diagnostics in practice, KarpaczAt the training you will enhance your knowledge on:
- – basic lubrication technology,
- – lubricant classifications ISO, DIN, API,
- – additives and the role of additives,
- – sampling (lubricating oils, greases, electro-insulating fluids),
- – oil degradation mechanisms,
- – basic physico-chemical parameters in oil/grease diagnostics,
- – scopes of research,
- – reading test reports.
4. Element of the month
Tin (Sn, Latin Stannum) is known primarily for its anti-corrosive properties, which enable it to form a coating that effectively prevents the formation of a destructive oxidising layer on the surface of various metals.
As part of oil diagnostics, tin is classified as a wear metal, so an elevated tin content may be indicative of progressive wear processes in the equipment.
The origin of tin, in relation to wear and tear, can be closely linked to the metallurgy of the device:
is the main component in plain bearing caps,
- is the main component in plain bearing caps,
- is used to manufacture radiator tubing.
It is interesting to note that tin, in addition to its typically consumable origins, can also be an additive in some fire-resistant liquids.
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