Applications of the Visgage
Quality Control:
The Visgage can be used to quickly test the viscosity of bulk oil shipments and oil inventory. By drawing a sample and running a quick test expensive mixing mistakes can be avoided.
Oil Analysis:
The Visgage's ease of use makes it a great part of an oil analysis program. By monitoring lubricating oil viscosity your company can be warned when there are changes and make the appropriate decisions. If you find the viscosity of the oil increasing over time then the oil is being overheated and oxidized, or particle contaminants are being introduced. Either situation causes equipment wear and should be remediated as soon as possible. If you find your oil viscosity going down quicker than normal then there has probably been a mixup of oils. Fuel oil may be leaking into your reservoir or the wrong viscosity of oil was added to the tank. If you have an issue with fuel oil dilution our download page has pdf files which will help you approximate fuel dilution percentages.
Further Reading:
The following links will help explain oil viscosity and practice of oil analysis. Viscosity 101 - a youtube video about the basics of viscosity The Importance of an Oil's Viscosity The Importance of Oil Oxidation Stability Oil Equivalency chart - convert between oil standards (page 6)
