Is your hydraulic equipment experiencing more downtime than usual? Are you noticing that your equipment is operating less efficiently?
If your operation is paying a price for the inconsistent performance of your vital equipment, high contamination is most likely to blame.
Hydraulic fluid contamination from a variety of sources is by far the most common cause of system inefficiency and failures. In fact, approximately 80% of all hydraulic equipment failures can be directly attributed to the effects of fluid contamination!
Consistently clean hydraulic oil is vital to every operation that relies on hydraulic equipment. Additionally, systems that rely on process water or run on diesel fuel are also vulnerable to the effects of contamination. Proactive measures to analyze fluid and prevent contamination provide significant benefits to cost and productivity:
Prevent costly equipment failures and downtimebefore they happen by detecting and treating contaminated fluid.
Save money on repairs by protecting system components from contamination and extending their lifespan.
Get the most out of your hydraulic oil by detecting and treating contamination before the oil’s life is exhausted. As oil prices continue to rise and hydraulic oil supply lines remain unstable, it’s important to conserve the oil you have!
Increase fuel efficiency not just by filtering your fuel source, but by improving overall system efficiency when you reduce contamination-related wear. Clean fuel and efficient operation reduces fuel consumption, cuts carbon emissions, and saves your operation money.
Struggling with Fluid Contamination? Fluid and Oil Analysis Services by Schroeder Industries Can Help!
Backed by over 75 years of innovation, Schroeder Industries is a leader in developing filtration products and technology that detect, analyze and remediate contamination to protect hydraulic systems and other vital equipment.
When contamination is attacking your equipment, the first step towards an effective filtration plan is a thorough analysis of the affected fluid, be it oil, fuel, or water.
Our fluid health experts will test your samples and create a detailed report, identifying the type and potential sources of contamination in your system and giving recommendations on how to best protect your equipment.
Schroeder offers a variety of premium testing kits, including:
Offering a comprehensive look at your hydraulic fluid or water glycol condition, our bottle sampling Bottled Fluid Analysis Test Kits provide vital insights into your fluid health.
Use Filter Debris Analysis (FDA) Test Kits alongside traditional oil analysis methods to analyze wear particles and discover the root cause of premature equipment wear & failures.
Diesel analysis can identify potential causes for fuel filter plugging, smoking, loss of power, poor injector performance, malfunctioning throttle position sensors and sticking valves. Testing also confirms a diesel fuel’s sulfur content, biodiesel content and compliance with manufacturer specifications and standards for cleanliness that could affect equipment warranty requirements.
The WaterTest Kit (WTK) is used for quantitative analysis of the absolute water content in mineral-oil-based lubricating and hydraulic fluids. Use to perform quick, on-site analysis of water contamination and supplement on-site laboratories.
Monitor Contamination with Schroeder’s State-of-the-Art Fluid Care Portal
Regular testing is vital for monitoring trends in your fluid health and preventing problems before they arise. However, tracking results over time for many pieces of equipment takes time and hassle.
As part of our testing and analysis services, Schroeder Industries is now offering a smart digital solution for detecting trends in the quality of your hydraulic oil, diesel fuel, process water, and more.
The Fluid Care Portal is a new, powerful digital tool for easily tracking the health of your equipment’s fluid as you test over time:
All your data is in one place, versus scattered over spreadsheets or various paper reports.
Easily monitor trends in fluid testing data over time, allowing you to detect and resolve contamination issues before they begin impacting your bottom line.
Monitor as many equipment assets as you need. Whatever the size of your operation, the Fluid Care Portal allows you to individually monitor the testing results for each piece of equipment.
Receive alerts when ISO Code, Water Content, or other parameters are exceeded. In the Fluid Care Portal, users can set target limit profiles for various parameters, creating customized criteria for your most critical components
Once a proper diesel, fluid or oil analysis has unlocked the source and quantity of contamination, filtration is the next step.
If you aren’t prepared for the upfront cost of purchasing filtration equipment, Schroeder Industries makes our state-of-the-art equipment available through our Rental Program and Filtration Management as a Service. Learn more about how these services can benefit your operation!
Schroeder Rental Equipment Program
Enjoy the benefits of Schroeder Industries’ exceptional filtration equipment without a large capital investment. Superior filtration extends oil life and increases machine reliability and energy efficiency.
With this turnkey service, Schroeder Industries will plan, execute, and manage your filtration strategy and filtration equipment, allowing you to focus on running your business with peace of mind!
Our fluid care experts can help you determine the right test kit for your needs and provide vital insight into the health of your fuel, process water, or hydraulic oil. Contact us today!
An operation’s carbon footprint is influenced by many factors, and making a business more sustainable requires a combination of solutions. One often overlooked way to increase sustainability is through optimal oil filtration.
All hydraulic oil, turbine oil, and other lubricants have a lifespan, as contamination and the breakdown of chemical compounds degrade oil over time. If contamination is left unchecked, oil reaches the end of its usability much faster.
Waste oil is challenging to dispose of properly, and high oil turnover increases demand for the very energy-intensive production of new oil. Much of the hydraulic oil and engine oil in use today is disposed of before its usable life is up.
Every gallon of oil that is conserved by extending the lifespan of existing oil directly contributes to a reduced carbon footprint. So, how do you get the most out of your oil?
Utilizing offline filter systems and high-quality filter elements is proven to extend the lifespan of oil significantly by removing contaminants and slowing the degradation of the oil.
Check out the following case studies where Schroeder Industries products saved a significant amount of oil or extended its service life:
Offline Filter System Saves Manufacturer 2,600+ Gallons of Oil Per Year
A plastic parts manufacturer in the automotive industry experienced frequent failures and downtime in their 16 injection molding machines. Like the majority of hydraulic system failures, high contamination load was identified as the cause. Without a quality control program for the machine oil, the customer changed oil frequently before its usable life was up.
Schroeder Industries stepped in, providing the customer a customized offline filtration system designed to tackle the high contamination:
Specialized Anti-Static Filter Elements Increase Oil Life by 3 Years at Paper Mill
When a paper mill was experiencing a shortened filter element life of just 30 days, Schroeder Industries stepped in to extend the filter life, reduce oil waste, and reduce unscheduled downtime.
An expert investigation revealed the culprit affecting the filter elements: static discharge. Static charges can build up in a hydraulic system due to friction between the fluid and system components. In this case, the static was burning and damaging the elements, causing them to prematurely fail.
By switching to Schroeder’s ASP® Anti-Stat Pleat Media, the electrostatic discharge no longer caused significant problems for the customer. Here are just some of the benefits from this filter element switch:
Varnish Mitigation Unit (VMU) Increases Oil Life by 3.5 Years, Saves Nearly 1,000 Gallons Per Year at Waste Incineration Facility
Operations at a waste incineration plant were constantly disrupted by constant turbine problems on startup.
A survey of 22 machines revealed the issues were the result of varnish buildup in the control block, caused by usage of incorrect oil in certain machines and an inexpensive, ineffective return line filter element. Varnish is a byproduct of aging oil, and is accelerated by contamination, temperature extremes, and other factors.
Schroeder Industries implemented a VMU to continually filter the turbine oil and tackle harmful varnish buildup. This not only reduced downtime and increased productivity, it also helped the customer in the following ways:
Schroeder Industries’ Energy Sustainability Initiative
The Energy Sustainability Initiative is Schroeder Industries’ mission to provide fluid power filtration solutions that contribute to a cleaner world and help organizations reach their sustainability goals.
Conserving oil is just one of the ways the products from Schroeder Industries are helping move the world forward towards a more sustainable future. Learn more!
If you are experiencing issues such as increased machine downtime, frequent repairs, shortened filter life, and more, the experts at Schroeder Industries can help solve them! Our customers have seen proven increases in oil life and oil-related savings.
This article is based on a webinar conducted by Aaron Keck, a product manager in Schroeder Industries’ Fuel Filtration group. This insightful presentation is informed by Aaron’s 13 years of experience in the Diesel Power and Fluid Power Industries.
Growing global energy demands are ‘fueling’ technological advancements in engines and driving the adoption of alternative energy sources. The ripple effect of this evolution has major implications for the filtration industry.
Given the speed of advancement and diversification of fuel sources, and the increasing desire for environmentally responsible energy consumption, what do the futures of diesel and fuel filtration look like?
Despite the growth of alternative fuel technology, all signs point to a continual refinement of diesel technology in tandem with developments in CNG, hydrogen, and electric power. The diversity of technology and fuel sources provide many avenues for new innovations.
1. The Diesel Engine is Here to Stay
Electric engine technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, but industry sources indicate that all electric vehicles are still far off in many applications, from military to commercial.
A variety of factors contributes to the practicality of diesel engines over electric engines in the near term for various applications, including:
Limited electric infrastructure. Reliable electric power requires an expansive, efficient power grid. Especially for remote applications such as mining, the infrastructure to sustain such operations does not currently exist.
Lower energy density of current battery technology. Pound for pound, current battery technology can’t match the energy density of diesel fuel, which is critical for consistent, reliable, long duty cycles.
Reliability concerns. There’s a reason diesel is often a primary backup source for critical operations, processes, and services: Diesel’s proven reliability. In renewable, hybrid power generation systems, diesel is frequently integrated to make up for production shortfalls and periods of high demand.
A long runway for advancement in diesel technology still exists, even as electric and alternative energy technology adoption grows.
As liquid diesel engines evolve, filtration technology must adapt to enable efficient, clean operation. Major considerations include:
The sensitivity of new fuel system designs. Protecting system components from contamination is increasingly vital as components become more sensitive and precise. Eliminating as much contamination as possible is necessary for increasing component life, maintaining efficiency, and reducing emissions.
Changing fuel chemistry. The adoption of biodiesel, diesel blends, and other sustainable fuel sources demands additional considerations in filter material selection. Choosing appropriate metals, coatings, and elastomers ensures that filtration components will not react adversely to changes in fuel chemistry. Rapid prototyping and modular testing are essential for keeping pace with chemical changes.
Maintaining system efficiency to reduce emissions. Legislation and broader concerns regarding emissions and carbon footprints calls for filtration solutions that maximize system efficiency, increases energy efficiency, and reduce emissions.
In the October 2022 Outlook for Energy Report from Exxon Mobil, there was an emphasis on the long-term reduced reliance on oil and shifting demand towards a variety of alternative fuel sources.
There are three key drivers of this trend:
Technology. As alternative fuel technology becomes more viable, affordable, and widespread, adoption increases.
Policy. Legislation and environmental agreements on the global and national level, such as the 2015 Paris Agreement and the 2022 U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, provide incentives and regulations that drive alternative energy adoption and control emissions.
Consumer Preference. Consumers are increasingly interested in alternative energy sources in their transportation and utilities. A Consumer Report survey conducted in 2018 found that 76% of U.S. residents agree that increasing renewable energy is a worthwhile goal. With technological innovation and government incentives increasing alternative energy accessibility, consumers may be more encouraged to support entities utilizing alternative energy sources or consider adopting alternative energy in their own lives.
While oil will remain a large source of global energy over the next 30 years, the growing shift to alternative fuel sources will drive new technology and demand new tailored filtration solutions.
Compressed natural gas, or CNG, is one of the mostly widely used alternative fuel sources for lower emissions and requires specialized filtration solutions. Three major, interconnected applications for CNG filtration come with their own considerations:
CNG Dispensing. Commercial last-mile delivery and hub-and-spoke distribution models, which increasingly run on CNG for carbon footprint reduction, are driving an increase in CNG fueling stations.
Filtration solutions for this expanding infrastructure must maintain a low pressure drop while ensuring optimal filtration to provide consistently clean fuel to these fleets in a timely manner.
Virtual Pipelines. For plants and operations far from existing natural gas pipelines, compressors are used to load CNG onto trailers, which are taken to remote industrial sites. This system is referred to as a ‘virtual pipeline.’
Reducing pressure drop is vital for reducing the energy consumption of these compressors and extending service intervals. Utilizing the latest gas filtration media in a layered, pleated construction, lower pressure drop and higher efficiency can be achieved versus traditional filtration setups typical to these applications.
Oil & Gas. Dual-fuel technology, in which an engine is designed to operate on diesel and CNG, is regaining traction in the oil & gas industry and continues to evolve.
The intensity of oil & gas work environments calls for especially robust filtration solutions which maintain a low pressure drop and are small enough to maximize available space and accommodate two fuel systems. In many cases, appropriate surface treatments and the use of stainless-steel materials where possible are also required to prevent degradation in potentially corrosive environments.
4. Hydrogen Filtration and Transitional Technology Between Liquid Fuel and Electric-Powered Engines
In the quest for electrification, hydrogen power is a critical stepping stone. Emitting only water vapor and small amounts of nitrous oxide, hydrogen power is a benchmark for eco-friendly alternative fuels.
In the spring of 2023, Cummins Inc. rocked the industry with the reveal of a fuel-agnostic 15L engine capable of running on hydrogen. This development illustrates that fuel-diversity is an attainable first step in transitioning away from liquid fueled engines and moving us closer to the infrastructure needed to support more alternative energy sources like hydrogen.
As with any fuel, filtration plays a key role in the performance of hydrogen-powered equipment and fuel cells at every stage:
Manufacturing. Filtration plays a key role in the manufacturing process, as component cleanliness of fuel cells and battery technology, to compressed gas storage tanks require extremely clean environments to ensure safe and reliable operation in the field.
Generation. From the electrolysis process needed to produce the hydrogen, to the compression and storage of the hydrogen, the same requirements of removing contaminants during the handling and storage of the fuel parallel that of compressed gas.
Refueling. Refueling points also require a level of filtration to ensure that the hydrogen introduced into a fuel cell maintains a high purity.
Charging. The stationary equipment used to charge battery electric equipment, or the fuel cell electric equipment use some level of filtration for both the air used in the fuel cell, as well as the hydrogen fuel being consumed.
Developing hydrogen filtration solutions requires special considerations:
Hydrogen embrittlement. Solid metals will deteriorate in the presence of hydrogen, so material selection is extremely important for extending the integrity of filters and elements.
Hydrogen molecule size. Hydrogen is an exceptionally small molecule compared to other filtered fuels. To secure the system and prevent leaks, seal designs need to be carefully selected and appropriate elastomers used to ensure a consistent, leak-free, and serviceable sealing surface.
Appropriate filter elements. Traditional filter medias used for other liquids and gasses will not withstand the design requirements of hydrogen compression, transfer, storage, or dispensing. Stainless steel is a common choice for hydrogen elements to avoid electrostatic discharge. To prevent fiber migration into highly sensitive, high-pressure hydrogen system components, compressed metal fibers are a common choice for filter media.
Hydrogen presents an exciting, yet challenging avenue for expansion in the filtration industry where we will continue to push the limits of filtration and material science.
The future of fuels and fuel filtration will not be defined by a clear linear advancement towards renewable fuel sources.
Just as physical currency still exists alongside electronic payments and banking, our energy needs will continue to be satisfied by a range of fuel sources, including diesel and alternative fuels. Advancements in diesel and liquid fuel technologies must continue alongside alternative fuel developments.
Schroeder Industries: Your Source for Advanced Fuel Filtration
Schroeder Industries continues our 75+ year tradition of evolution and innovation, monitoring industry trends and developing advanced filtration solutions for virtually every application. Our solutions are engineered with consideration for ongoing technological advancements and changes in the diesel and alternative fuel landscape.
Looking for premium fuel filtration solutions for your diesel, hydrogen, or CNG application? Let the experts at Schroeder help you!
Contact-Blog-Diesel and Beyond: The Future of Fuel Filtration
Component cleanliness testing offers OEMs the ability to see the cleanliness of the components they are using to build a system. For vendors, it allows them to measure the cleanliness of a component that they manufacture and sell to an equipment manufacturer.
Why is component cleanliness testing important?
Roll off cleanliness for OEMs is increasingly vital as they strive to put out quality product from the assembly line. It’s not enough anymore to simply provide a machine with clean fluid: The cleanliness of the components used to build the machine is playing a large role in overall system performance!
Even suppliers with good cleanliness practices may end up with particulate contamination as items are shipped, handled, and stored. Any amount of contamination on the hydraulic system parts can affect machine performance—even for brand-new machines.
Cleanliness provides the following benefits:
Improved quality of produced components
Reduction of rework and warranty claims
Improved customer satisfaction
Reduction in overall production costs
Improved operating safety
Interested in component cleanliness testing, but unsure where to begin? Our cleanliness experts can help!
Schroeder Industries, an expert in contamination control, offers several solutions for monitoring and maintaining component cleanliness.
Our CTU and CTM Modular Series of Component Cleanliness Testing Cabinets were designed to determine the technical cleanliness especially present on minor contaminated components. These Test Cabinets were developed due to increased demand for system cleanliness and for monitoring and optimizing the cleanliness of smaller components during production, storage and system assembly.
By determining the type, size and quantity of the contamination, quality standards can be checked and documented and the necessary steps towards optimization can be taken.
Benefits to You:
Cost reduction through lower production failure rates
Identification and elimination of weak process steps
Optimization of both internal and external handling processes
Establishing of cleanliness standards both internal and external
Documentation of component cleanliness
Survey of fluid cleanliness and filtration concepts
Learn more about our Component Cleanliness Testing Cabinets:
This self-contained unit is ideal for space-conscious customers testing smaller machine components.
The Cleanliness Test Unit (CTU 1000) determines the type, size and quantity of the contamination. Quality standards can be checked and documented and the necessary steps towards optimization can be taken.
