Particles in lubricating and hydraulic oils are detrimental as they increase wear, clog filters, and accelerate oil degradation. Particle analysis assesses the capability of an online filtration system to clean the oil, and determines if off-line re-circulation filtration is required to clean the fluid, or whether a complete fluid change out is necessary. A high level of wear particles within the fluid is indicative of an impending component failure. Predictive maintenance by periodic lubrication oil analysis can be used to predict and prevent such failures.