Wear metal origin mapping
Wear-metal origin mapping links elemental spectroscopy results to likely machine components such as gears, bearings, thrust washers, bushings, liners, piston rings, rotors, shafts, and hydraulic pump components.
Oil Analysis Diagnostic Screening Tool
Wear-Metal Origin Map Calculator
Select the machine application, enter the oil analysis data, and generate a practical origin map that links wear metals to likely component sources, contamination pathways, and failure mechanisms.
This tool uses application-specific wear-metal relationships for bearings, blowers, centrifuges, compressors, cone crushers, diesel engines, hydraulic systems, industrial gearboxes, paper machines, transmissions and differentials, turbines, and vacuum pumps.
1. Asset and oil sample details
Enter ppm. For engine/compressor reports showing %, 0.1% = 1000 ppm.
2. What the tool evaluates
Choose an application to view the relevant diagnostic logic.
Application-specific logic
Interpretation basis
The tool compares metal combinations such as Fe + Cr, Fe + Mo, Cu + Sn, Pb + Sn, Si + Fe, Water + Fe, and other application-specific patterns. It prioritises patterns and trends rather than a single absolute ppm value.
3. Wear metals and contaminants
Enter current ppm values and optional baseline / previous sample values. Where no baseline is available, use the lab flag column if the report has marked an item as caution or critical.
| Element | Current ppm | Baseline / previous ppm | Lab flag | Typical interpretation in selected application |
|---|
Wear metals are interpreted in context. For example, copper alone may indicate cooler-core leaching in turbines, while copper with lead and tin is more consistent with Babbitt/journal bearing distress.
Oil Analysis Wear-Metal Origin Map Report
Origin map result
Metal-by-metal origin map
| Metal | Status | Likely source | Diagnostic clue |
|---|
Recommended confirmation methods
Important: this is a screening tool. It does not replace a laboratory report, ferrography, inspection findings, OEM limits, or professional reliability engineering judgement.
Contamination-led failure
Many industrial lubrication failures begin with contamination. Silicon, water, sodium, potassium, calcium, and process debris can point to dirt ingress, moisture ingress, coolant leakage, process carryover, or poor oil handling.
Trend-based interpretation
Oil analysis interpretation is strongest when current results are compared against previous samples, oil hours, machine hours, operating conditions, vibration data, particle counts, and inspection findings.