Oil sampling joins automation age
Anyone involved in the taking of oil samples would be aware that sampling methods and technologies have barely changed in the past 30-years. Improvements have occurred in minor areas however a methodology remains which relies on a person interacting with live equipment to take a representative oil sample in a bottle which is then sent to a lab for analysis. As the rest of the industry moves towards autonomous vehicles, Industry 4.0, and AI, oil sampling of mining equipment still requires placing people in potentially hazardous environments which are often noisy, hot, and have the ever-present danger of rotating equipment, pinch points, vehicle movement, or stored energy release. Over the years, countless injuries and tragically, even deaths have occurred caused...