With certification, Cashman lab draws growing business

Robin DeVisser has been fielding calls from customers as far as Iraq as a little-known laboratory operation in Sparks is one of the first in the world to earn and important certification.

Cashman Equipment's Fluids Analysis Lab is the first in the Western Hemisphere to earn scheduled oil sampling certification from Caterpillar.

Already, DeVisser says, the certification is boosting business at the laboratory, which routinely tests 500 or more samples of oil, coolant and fuel daily.

The oil lab's 15 employees, who currently staff a two-shift operation, are likely to get busier as the Caterpillar designation draws more samples from operators of heavy equipment used in construction and mining operations.

In fact, DeVisser says, mining companies notably, Newmont Mining Corp. executives in Nevada were among the biggest supporters of Cashman Equipment's seven-month project to earn the Caterpillar certification.

The fluids testing finds evidence of wear or contaminants that later could lead to serious problems with heavy equipment.

The certification focused largely on the development of metrics for communication of laboratory results to customers and steps to ensure that staff in Caterpillar dealerships are communicating closely with customers as fluids-test results are completed.

A larger piece of work development of strict laboratory procedures to meet the requirements of the International Organization of Standards for fluid labs was completed by the Cashman Fluids Analysis Lab in 2009. The company was recently reaccredited under ISO 17025 for another three years.

The ISO process, DeVisser says, established consistently accurate equipment calibration methods, sample test processes, data collection, and operating procedures throughout the lab.

Those procedures are critical to the Caterpillar certification as well.

"To start from scratch would have been a huge task," says DeVisser.

The Cashman Equipment oil lab in Sparks is only the second in the world to earn the Caterpillar certification.