What you get
Sample report
Reports come as 8½ × 11 sheets, by email, or through our online reporting system. Below is a specimen report on our own lab form — five samples from one unit, and the plain-language call the analyst made each time.
Reading the trend
A single sample tells you the condition of the oil today. Five tell you which direction the equipment is heading — and that is what actually prevents a failure.
Follow silicon across this sheet. It sits flat, then jumps at the third sample: dirt is getting past the air intake. Aluminium and iron climb with it, because abrasive dirt attacks liners and pistons. Sodium stays flat, which rules out a coolant leak and leaves dirt as the explanation. The intake is corrected and the oil changed — and by the fifth sample everything is back to baseline. A repair scheduled, rather than a failure survived.
Specimen data throughout — not an actual customer record.
Specimen report sheet
Laboratory  1650 AIRLINE DRIVE, KENNER, LA 70062(504) 464-1734 | Specimen oil analysis report No. 1 ship service generator — 6-cylinder diesel · SAE 40 heavy-duty diesel engine oil · 250-hour sampling interval SPECIMEN — DEMONSTRATION DATA ONLY. NOT AN ACTUAL CUSTOMER RECORD. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst's comment | SAMPLE 1 Baseline sample. All wear metals and contamination within normal limits for this unit. Oil suitable for continued use. | SAMPLE 2 Wear rates steady and consistent with the previous sample. No abnormal contamination. Continue present drain interval. | SAMPLE 3 Silicon markedly elevated, with aluminium and iron rising in step — consistent with dirt entering through the air intake. Check intake ducting and filter seals. Suggest oil change and resample at 250 hours. | SAMPLE 4 Silicon much reduced following corrective action. Wear metals trending down and additive levels restored by the oil change. Continue monitoring. | SAMPLE 5 All values returned to baseline. No unusual wear or contamination found. Oil suitable for further use. |
| INVOICE NUMBER | LL-20418 | LL-20655 | LL-20891 | LL-21134 | LL-21362 |
| REPORT DATE | 3/10/2025 | 5/12/2025 | 7/14/2025 | 9/15/2025 | 11/10/2025 |
| DATE SAMPLE REC'D | 3/6/2025 | 5/8/2025 | 7/10/2025 | 9/11/2025 | 11/6/2025 |
| DATE SAMPLED | 3/4/2025 | 5/6/2025 | 7/8/2025 | 9/9/2025 | 11/4/2025 |
| LAB NUMBER | 3-1042 | 5-1188 | 7-1301 | 9-1425 | 11-1533 |
| PRODUCT | SAE 40 | SAE 40 | SAE 40 | SAE 40 | SAE 40 |
| HOURS ON OIL | 250 | 500 | 750 | 240 | 490 |
| HOURS ON UNIT | 4,120 | 4,370 | 4,620 | 4,860 | 5,110 |
| VISC. SSU @ 100 F | 547 | 563 | 588 | 543 | 554 |
| VISC. KIN @ 100 F | 118.0 | 121.4 | 126.9 | 117.2 | 119.6 |
| VISC. SSU @ 210 F | 65.9 | 66.4 | 67.8 | 65.6 | 66.1 |
| PENTANE INSOLUBLES | 0.08% | 0.14% | 0.31% | 0.10% | 0.13% |
| WATER BY DISTILLATION | NIL | NIL | TRACE | NIL | NIL |
| FUEL DILUTION | NIL | NIL | TRACE | NIL | NIL |
| Metals in p.p.m. | |||||
| IRON | 12 | 18 | 29 | 21 | 14 |
| SILVER | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| ALUMINUM | 3.0 | 4.2 | 11.4 | 5.1 | 3.3 |
| CHROMIUM | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| COPPER | 5.4 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 6.0 | 5.2 |
| MAGNESIUM | 142 | 138 | 131 | 155 | 149 |
| SODIUM | 8.1 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 9.0 | 8.3 |
| NICKEL | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| LEAD | 4.2 | 5.0 | 9.1 | 6.3 | 4.4 |
| SILICON watch | 6.0 | 9.2 | 34.0 | 12.1 | 7.0 |
| TIN | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| TITANIUM | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| BORON | 58 | 55 | 52 | 63 | 60 |
| BARIUM | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| MOLYBDENUM | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| VANADIUM | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| ZINC | 1180 | 1142 | 1098 | 1205 | 1176 |
| MANGANESE | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| CALCIUM | 2410 | 2355 | 2288 | 2465 | 2420 |
| PHOSPHORUS | 1035 | 1006 | 968 | 1058 | 1030 |
Lab numbers 3-1042 · 5-1188 · 7-1301 · 9-1425 · 11-1533. Specimen figures throughout — scroll the sheet sideways on a narrow screen.
Three ways to receive it
Printed 8½ × 11 sheets, email, or our online reporting system — whichever suits how your people work.
Customisable forms
The rows on a report are set up to match the equipment being monitored, not a fixed template.
A person's judgement
Every report carries a written comment from the analyst who reviewed it. Numbers without interpretation are not much use.