Spectro Scientific Blog

Ray Garvey

Ray Garvey is a CLS certified materials engineer with decades of lubrication and oil analysis experience supporting AMETEK Spectro Scientific customers in industrial, fleet and laboratory markets worldwide.

Recent Posts

How To Quantify Severity Of Wear And Contamination With A Filtergram

Posted by Ray Garvey on October 30, 2023

Introduction 

This white paper reports diesel engine oil analysis data demonstrating use of filtergram particle quantifier x-ray fluorescence (FPQ spectroscopy) to quantify severity of wear and contamination. Two independent measurements are performed on each filtergram specimen: pore blockage particle count and FPQ spectroscopic large particle elemental analysis. Causal inflections in ASTM D7720 cumulative distributions indicate severity thresholds for FPQ spectroscopic elemental analyses.

Read More

Topics: Industrial, Tribology, White Paper

Annual Cost Savings From Effective Lubrication Programs With Onsite Oil Analysis

Posted by Ray Garvey on June 01, 2023

Introduction 

This article reports annual cost savings from several effective lubrication programs using onsite oil analysis. These published case histories cover various industries. These lubrication programs employ the following steps that differentiate effective lubrication programs with excellent cost avoidance from ineffective, low cost avoidance lubrication programs.

Read More

Topics: Industrial, Tribology, White Paper, Power Generation

Onsite Oil Analysis For Power Generation

Posted by Ray Garvey on February 13, 2023

Retesting And Resampling Can Save Millions

Introduction 

Power plants today face headwinds in delivering power to customers. Power suppliers must meet the “Three Rs” for power system reliability: resource adequacy (people, equipment, facilities, availability), system resiliency (ability to bounce back from disruption) and operational reliability (assets performing without unplanned downtime).1

Read More

Topics: Industrial, Case Study, Tribology, Power Generation

Severe Sliding and Fatigue Wear Debris Analysis for Machinery Components

Posted by Ray Garvey on September 23, 2022

Introduction 

This article is the first in a series to make a strong case for performing more and better testing of in service lubricants in order to replace unplanned repairs and unplanned downtime with planned repairs during scheduled time. In other words, this article is about using oil analysis to help improve reliability, planning and scheduling. More and better testing involves more lubricant sample points with better focus on large wear particle analysis.

Read More

Topics: Industrial, Fleets, Mining, Tribology, White Paper

Analysis of Large Wear Debris is Essential for Comprehensive Oil Analysis

Posted by Ray Garvey on August 11, 2022

Introduction 

Comprehensive oil analysis requires sampling, testing and analyzing in-service industrial lubricants to evaluate the wear condition of machinery, the contamination condition of lubrication systems, and chemistry condition of the lubricants. This article intentionally focuses attention on analysis of large wear particles because the resulting analysis information enables informed users time for planned maintenance instead of surprise, reactive unplanned repairs.

Read More

Topics: Industrial, Fleets, Mining, Tribology, White Paper