How can a lubricant be properly sampled?

First of all, the sample taken needs to be representative of the oil load to be analysed and / or has to provide the most reliable possible analysis of the state of the lubricated component: the location of the sample taken is therefore of key importance and should always be the same depending on the type of information required.
The sample must always be taken in accordance with a predefined procedure. This procedure must be rigorously and strictly applied for each sample taken so as to maximise the reliability of the analysis and ensure that it is consistent with all previous analyses for the same given machine.
The equipment used to take the sample and the containers into which the oil for analysis will be collected must all be completely clean so as to minimise the risk of errors in the analysis.
Each container containing an oil sample for analysis must be correctly labelled and should include all the information needed for an accurate analysis. This will ensure a reliable analysis history and is vital for tracking changes in operating conditions and levels of wear on the machine in question.