How clean is new Oil ?

Generally new hydraulic oil is available at a NAS of 10 to 12 or ISO 19/16 to ISO 21/18 and it may contain some moisture. Machines are charged with new oil which gets contaminated regularly during operation. Filters are usually available in the range of 10 to 20 micron and that's why the cleaniliness level of hydraulic oil is always less than that of new oil in any hydraulic machine. The oil gets dirtier and dirtier and has to be changed after a certain period of time from 1000 hours to 2000 hours. This contaminated oil increases the workload on in-built superfine costly filters and it also accelerates the wear and tear of critical components of the machine.

As mentioned above, the new oil has a cleanliness of ISO 19/16, but the filters available in the hydraulic circuit are not capable of maintaining even this cleanliness. Gradually, the oil becomes dirtier and goes beyond ISO 26/23. If the cleanliness of the oil could be maintained at ISO 15/12 the life of the machine will be increased by 3 times in comparison to the oil being maintained at ISO 19/16 (new oil). However, in a system without Klarol installation, the oil running is normally at a much inferior cleanliness level of ISO 23/20. If Klarol is installed ISO 15/12 is maintained and the machine life increases upto 9 times.

Where does the contamination enter the system from ?

• Built in during manufacturing and assembly process
• Ingested from outside the system - From reservoir vent ports, power unit openings, maintainence events and cyliner rod seals etc.
• Contaminated new oil - Refined lube oils have to travel many hoses and pipes before getting started in tanks. Fluid lines contributes metal and rubber particles and drums / storage tanks add flakes of metal or scale. Contaminants enter into tanks through air breathers also.
• Internally generated during operation - Solid particles due to abrasive wear, aeration wear, adhesive wear, cavitation wear, corrosive wear, erosive wear, fatigue wear etc.

What is super clean oil ?

The oil which is much more cleaner than the new oil may be called super clean oil. Generally oil at a NAS value of 5 or 6 with less than 0.05% moisture may be termed as super clean oil. If oil in a machine is kept at a level of super cleanliness at all times, the life of the machine and its critical components is tremendously enhanced, may be 10 times or more. The life of the oil also is extended indefinitely and the same oil can be continued for years together eliminating the need of periodic oil changes.

If Klarol oil cleaning system is installed on some hydraulic machine, it is capable of keeping the oil super clean at all times.

Even new oil should be cleaned with Klarol oil cleaning system before being charged or being used as make up oil.