WHITEPAPER
Reusing oil instead of replacing it
In most installations, lubricating oil is replaced according to a fixed schedule or based on a standard analysis. However, it is rarely the oil itself that is used up first. It is the fine particles, water, and varnish that build up in the oil and affect the reliability of your machines.
This whitepaper compiles 22 cases from the industry where oil remains in service instead of being disposed of. You will read for each case what the initial situation was, what approach was followed, and what results were measured.
What you will discover in the whitepaper
- 22 cases from sectors such as steel, paper and cardboard, cement, food, marine, energy, mining, and metalworking.
- Measured results per case: oil density according to NAS or ISO, iron and water content, and the service life of oil and components.
- Applications that you recognise from your own company: gearboxes, hydraulic systems, presses, turbines, and lubrication systems.
- How varnish forms, why it is so decisive for the condition of your oil, and why a standard analysis usually does not detect it.
- Where active oil restoration is technically and economically sensible, and where it is not.
THE TECHNOLOGY
Behind the 22 cases lies one technology
All cases in this whitepaper revolve around SKF RecondOil DST, fully known as Double Separation Technology. It is a patented combination of chemical and mechanical separation. Because the operation does not rely on the pore size of a filter, there is no lower limit to the particles that can be removed from the oil. The active additives are also retained. Therefore, DST does not replace your existing filtration but works alongside it.
What DST removes from the oil
- Dust and hard particles
- Wear particles
- Dissolved varnish
- Undissolved varnish
- Nanoparticles
- Water
Continuous regeneration
The system operates as a kidney loop on the oil reservoir of your application. The oil remains permanently at level and the installation itself also becomes cleaner over time.
Batch regeneration
The oil is drained and treated separately. An oil analysis confirms the restored quality before the oil returns to the installation.
OUR SOLUTION
LUBRICATION-AS-A-SERVICE
- Analysis: we look at which systems are suitable and what the current condition of the oil is.
- Batch unit: a sample of your own oil is treated in our test installation. You see the result on your oil, not on an example from a brochure.
- Implementation: depending on your installation, the system runs continuously as a kidney loop or we treat your oil in batches.
- Follow-up: oil quality and condition are monitored, so you can demonstrate what the approach delivers.
FOR WHOM
From maintenance, management, purchasing to CSR
Maintenance
Insight into how particles, water, and varnish build up in your oil, and the effect this has on wear, malfunctions, and unplanned downtime.
Why does this component keep failing earlier than expected?
Management
Insight into the actual costs of an oil change in terms of downtime, manpower, and lost production time, as well as cases where such changes were eliminated.
How many hours of production are lost annually due to oil issues?
Purchasing
A broader perspective on the total cost of ownership of lubricating oil: beyond the price per litre, this includes disposal, transport, labour, and the availability of your specific oil type.
What does this oil cost us, over and above the purchase price?
Sustainability
Case studies with measured results regarding reduced oil consumption, less waste, and reduced transport—suitable for use as supporting evidence in your reporting.
What savings can we substantiate with figures?