Noria experts have participated in failure investigations for numerous industries. The failure investigation services focus on solving a specific problem using Root Cause Failure Analysis, rather than simply identifying the obvious and secondary issues. Our goal is to quickly identify the root cause of the failure and provide recommendations to keep similar failures from occurring in the future.

Fields of Specialization
Our team has decades of cumulative experience in lubricant physical and chemical analysis, tribology, lubricant application and selection and contaminant exclusion for a wide range of applications. Below is an example list of our areas of spcialty.

Typical Failure Investigation Procedure
The failure investigation procedure will vary depending on the nature and complexity of the failure, however a typical procedure includes:

• Reviewing preliminary data
• Site visit and inspection
• Testing and lab studies as needed
• Reporting findings and recommendations

For more information, read more about our Noria Failure Investigation Procedures.

Laboratory Studies
Oil analysis is an extremely useful technique for routinely monitoring machine health, but often the analysis techniques and results are misunderstood and misapplied. When routine oil analysis reports indicate caution or critical limits, personnel often fail to follow through with the necessary exception tests. As a result, important information is ignored until it is too late. Read more about our Laboratory Studies.

Root Cause Failure Analysis
Root cause analysis (RCA) is the logical process an investigator takes in solving a particular problem. In industrial applications, sometimes lubricant failure is detected in time to avoid damage to equipment. In other cases, equipment fails because the lubricant or lubrication system fails to perform effectively. In still other cases, the lubricant and/or lubrication system offers valuable clues about a failure that was caused by some other failure mode.

Read more about RCA: Getting to the Root of Poor lubrication – Root Cause Analysis Techniques for the Lubrication Professional

Case Studies
A number of resolved failures have been published in Machinery Lubrication and Practicing Oil Analysis magazines. Below are some relevant articles:

Diesel Engine Failure Study

Pump Seal Failure Study

Gearbox Bearing Failure Case Study

Paper Machine Bearing Failures Solved

Analyzing Fatigue Wear Particles

Using a Simple Field Test to Monitor Wear Debris