Shell Marine Products’ (SMP) Rapid Lubricants Analysis (RLA) service has provided analysis of over 50,000 cylinder drain oils as of April 2016, helping to extend the engine life of ships, reduce downtime and limit operational costs.
The monitoring service enables ship operators to keep their vessels running smoothly by identifying potential oil or equipment issues at an early stage, before they become critical, to assist with equipment reliability and to reduce ship downtime.
Cylinder drain oil analysis has become increasingly utilised within the shipping industry. As new design, high-performance engines have entered the market and older models have been tuned, operating profiles of ships have changed, leading original engine manufactures (OEM’s) such as MDT and Wärtsilä to recommend the use of cylinder drain oil analysis to ensure operational efficiency.
Over 200,000 oil samples are received each year by SMP. The samples are analysed in six ISO-accredited RLA marine laboratories across the globe. A dedicated team made up of lubricants scientists and chief engineers diagnose the received samples.
Dr Damir Blazina, leader of the RLA diagnosticians team commented: “The number of samples has been increasing year-on-year and we would expect to analyse somewhere around 18,000 cylinder drain oil samples in 2016 alone. With the advent of cold corrosion, the advice that the diagnostician team gives is more important than ever.”
Ship Efficiency Review News
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