Lubrication Experts

Overcoming friction wastes between 20-30% of a country's Gross Domestic Product, and most of this will be the energy costs to overcome friction. Additionally, it is estimated that wear contributes about 3% of GDP (machines breaking down, cost of replacement parts, cost of downtime etc.). That makes lubricants an extremely important part of business sustainability. Even if you don't believe in climate change, business sustainability is inclusive of both carbon emissions and energy costs. With the cost per unit of energy currently skyrocketing like never before, isn't it time your business looked to your lubrication program to help cut energy use?

Maintenance and reliability teams are hurting from a lack of resources. Whether its shortage of parts, shortage of staff, shortage of budget, or shortage of support, the pressures on these professionals have never been greater. Redlist recently took a survey of it's customers across a number of industries and have been able to tease out some common themes.

EVs are here. Whether you like or not, it seems that both regulation and the markets have decreed that battery-based vehicles are the future. As usual, the lubricants industry will rise to the occasion and adapt to the needs of this new technology platform. But e-fluids have some very specific and niche requirements. In this episode, Adam Banks from Afton chemical sits down with Rafe Britton to explain.

World class maintenance. World class reliability. Word class asset management. What are these? What does it take to be "world class" in these domains? Thom Schiff has a wealth of experience on both sides of the equation, both on the ground in maintenance teams, as well as leading lubrication suppliers. He helps to spell out what it take to be world class, and crucially, how improving your maintenance and reliability program can result in important safety benefits.

Compressor oils are awesome. It's the ultimate blend of mechanical engineering, chemistry and fluid dynamics. But in my experience with many industrial customers, there is a gap in understanding regarding the interaction of the compressor oil with the compressed gas, as well as the nbuances of the formulation. Jim once again steps in helpfully to enlighten.

Piston rings are an essential component to the operation of any reciprocating-style equipment, be they internal combustion engines or compressors. What you may not appreciate is that 40% of the friction generated inside an engine is at the piston-liner interface, which makes the solid and liquid lubrication of this component absolutely critical. In this discussion, Lake Speed Jnr talks about the evolution of piston rings, bore technologies, and how this is all enabling ever-lower viscosities. Become a Lubrication Expert: https://lubrication.expert Rafe Britton is a lubrication consultant that turns machinery into well-oiled, reliable machinery. He helps clients achieve maximum uptime by setting up procurement processes such that they are oriented to lubrication reliablity, transforming their contamination control programs, selecting the correct lubricants for the application, training their workforce to a world-class level, and helping to turn oil analysis data into valuable insights. He firmly believes that there is an industry-wide knowledge gap regarding lubrication technologies and is aspiring to close this gap affordably by using digital tools.

Piston rings are an essential component to the operation of any reciprocating-style equipment, be they internal combustion engines or compressors. What you may not appreciate is that 40% of the friction generated inside an engine is at the piston-liner interface, which makes the solid and liquid lubrication of this component absolutely critical. In this discussion, Lake Speed Jnr talks about the evolution of piston rings, bore technologies, and how this is all enabling ever-lower viscosities. Become a Lubrication Expert: https://lubrication.expert Rafe Britton is a lubrication consultant that turns machinery into well-oiled, reliable machinery. He helps clients achieve maximum uptime by setting up procurement processes such that they are oriented to lubrication reliablity, transforming their contamination control programs, selecting the correct lubricants for the application, training their workforce to a world-class level, and helping to turn oil analysis data into valuable insights. He firmly believes that there is an industry-wide knowledge gap regarding lubrication technologies and is aspiring to close this gap affordably by using digital tools.

Asset Management, Reliability, Maintenance, Lubrication. They're all slightly different, so Rafe talks with a specialist in the field to get his take on all things related. We talked about P-f intervals, remaining useful life of assets, oil sampling, oil analysis, certification programs and more. SAS Asset Management: https://sas-am.com Become a Lubrication Expert: https://lubrication.expert Reliability It Matters podcast: https://accendoreliability.com/series/rim/

Industrial gear oil formulation is an interesting business. The first gear oils were more or less just cut back engine oil formulations, but as technology and manufacturing methods achieved higher levels of sophistication, gear oils were rebuilt from the ground up to better serve the needs of industry. Ion this wide-ranging conversation covering everything from base oils and additive, to the unique challenges of EV transmission fluids, Jim helps to break down these technologies. Become a Lubrication Expert for $20USD per month: https://lubrication.expert

The mining industry is very capital intensive, making maintenance and reliability a key aspect of both safety and financial success. In this interview, two reliability specialists from BHP share what's going on in the industry, and what the future might look like. Hint: there are a lot more computers and robots, but also a lot more people. Become a Lubrication Expert: https://lubrication.expert/product/lubrication-exchange/

The mining industry is very capital intensive, making maintenance and reliability a key aspect of both safety and financial success. In this interview, two reliability specialists from BHP share what's going on in the industry, and what the future might look like. Hint: there are a lot more computers and robots, but also a lot more people. Become a Lubrication Expert: https://lubrication.expert/product/lubrication-exchange/

Independent lubricant manufacturers in many ways represent the backbone of the industry. Most of the attention goes to the large multinationals, but in almost every country there are small to medium sized lubricant brands serving local industry. ILMA - the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association - represents these organisations in the US. I talked with their CEO, Holly Alfano and Director of Communications, Caitlin Jacobs about the unique challenges faced by the independents, as well as the advantages they might have over their larger counterparts. Become a lubrication expert: https://lubrication.expert

Independent lubricant manufacturers in many ways represent the backbone of the industry. Most of the attention goes to the large multinationals, but in almost every country there are small to medium sized lubricant brands serving local industry. ILMA - the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association - represents these organisations in the US. I talked with their CEO, Holly Alfano and Director of Communications, Caitlin Jacobs about the unique challenges faced by the independents, as well as the advantages they might have over their larger counterparts. Become a lubrication expert: https://lubrication.expert

Gas to Liquid (GTL) base oils have become reasonably popular in the industry over the last decade. Primarily produced by Shell at the Pearl GTL facility, there are some misconceptions around the actual process. Marketed as "PurePlus" technology in both Pennzoil and Shell finished lubricants, the base oil has also found it's way into many industrial products. But how does it stack up compared with other base oils like PAO? Does it truly deserve it's Group III "+" moniker? Trevor Gauntlett returns to explain. Trevor Gauntlett Consulting: https://www.gauntlettconsulting.co.uk Become a Lubrication Expert: https://lubrication.expert

Sales is changing - it has had to, thanks not only to the worldwide pandemic but also because the 'new kids on the block', aka the millennial generation, have an entirely different perspective on the world. Steve shares his ideas on how to change the face of sales, both in the here and now, and for the future. Change often requires us to look at what's gone before, identify the good, the bad, and the downright ugly, before creating a new playbook that can take us forward. Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3HSCFJt Steve's business website: https://plangrowdo.com Become a Lubrication Expert: https://lubrication.expert

White Etch Cracking is a phenomenon that can affect many bearings, but is most commonly associated with wind turbine bearings. As a relatively "new" phenomenon, there were many mechanisms proposed including stray current, transient loads, and hydrogen embrittlement. But in order to study this failure mode, we first had to simulate it in the lab. This is the story of the multi-team research effort that went into understanding and eliminating WEC. https://ingramtribology.com

Recruitment. It isn't easy for an industry that struggles for recognition. James Moorehouse from ABN Resources is an executive recruiter specializing in the lubricants industry; he was kind enough to sit down and share his thoughts on attracting talent, retaining talent, diversity and inclusion initiatives that go beyond just demographics and the challenges of an aging workforce. For any business that plans to work into the next decade, this interview is for you!

When a new technology emerges, the lubricants industry must evolve to meet the specific challenges of the new operating paradigm. In the 1980's on of the biggest new applications was the wind turbine gearbox. In this episode Jim Carey, retired Mobil formulator, talks us through the evolution of these products and the formulation challenges as gearboxes became larger and more power dense.

One of the deficiencies of the lubrication industry has been its capacity to convey the value of the technology through meaningful stories. Laurie Winkless is here to change that; her new book (Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces) is an in-depth look at the science of tribology and surface science that weaves narratives of Olympic achievement, professional controversy and curiosity. It's a truly fascinating read and worthwhile for anyone in the industry - but most importantly Laurie shares some storytelling tips that we can use in our own work.

Ion exchange resin filter technologies have been around for a while, but have gained a lot of exposure through their capacity to remove molecules associated with varnish, particularly in turbomachinery systems. Peter Dufresne of EPT Clean oil helps shed light on these technologies and other strategies to use chemistry solutions to solve chemical problems in turbines. https://cleanoil.com

Inline sensors have been around for ages, yet they monitor very few lubricated components. This is in stark contrast to online vibration analysis, which has been commonplace for many years. Why the big difference? And what is the future of real-time oil analysis? I talk with Guillermo Miro from Atten2 about the world of online sensors. Atten2 website: http://atten2.com/

What exactly is the role of oil companies in motorsports? Seems like a trivial question, but their involvement can run much deeper than just slapping sticker on the side of a car or sponsoring a driver. Tomek Young - Global Motorsport Technology Manager at ExxonMobil, breaks down the relationship between race teams and their oil suppliers, and some of the specific things Mobil has been able to achieve in their programs.

Supply chains around the world are broken. But it definitely feels like the shortages in the lubricants world have been both more acute and more widespread. Rolling base oil, additive and finished lubricants shortages have affected many industries and there seems to be no end in sight. Lubricants supply chain expert Trevor Gaunlett gave us insight into both how we got caught wrong-footed, and what the medium-term outlook looks like for the market. If you'd like expert advice, check out Trevor's business page! https://www.gauntlettconsulting.co.uk

Erik Mosselaar from Distance and I discuss the digitalisation of expertise - how do you take expert decisions and bake them into algorithms? How do you make secure data available to a network of worldwide experts that can give you advice on maintenance activities? How do you tap into multiple data streams when the sensor technology is made by different OEMs? If you're interested in the Condence platform, check out the website: https://www.distence.fi

Blair Fraser from the Maintenance Disrupted podcast comes to talk about the state of the maintenance industry today, the most exciting technology he has been exposed to, and common threads which seem to enable success in the maintenance industry today. If you're not already already a regular listener, I encourage you to check out the podcast: https://www.maintenancedisrupted.com/podcast

Space... the final frontier. You know the drill. It's Space! It's the most extreme conditions that humankind will ever face - chillingly cold temperatures, violent heat, complete vacuum, zero gravity, atomic oxygen. Dr Juan Flores Preciado from SpaceX kindly sat down to talk through the challenges of lubricating machinery in the space industry. How can you use oil, grease and solid lubricants in these circumstances?

Sanya Mathura of Strategic Reliability Solutions discusses the topic of her new book - "Lubrication Degradation Mechanisms - A Complete Guide". We talk about the nuances of oil ageing, and how characterising deposits can help identify root causes. Book link (use code FLR40 for discount): https://www.routledge.com/Lubrication-Degradation-Mechanisms-A-Complete-Guide/Mathura/p/book/9780367607760 Pre-order the sequel: https://www.routledge.com/Lubrication-Degradation-Getting-into-the-Root-Causes/Mathura-Latino/p/book/9781032171579 SRS website: http://strategicreliabilitysolutions.com/

Can lubricant last forever? What do you need to measure and treat in service oils so that their life can extend to equal that of the equipment they are protecting? Greg Livingstone, Chief Innovation Officer of Fluitec sits down to discuss their approach to reconditioning oil. https://www.fluitec.com/

The lubrication landscape is evolving, but so is the business landscape. Service models abound, whether it's Software as a Service (think Microsoft 365, Salesforce) or Entertainment as a Service (think Netflix, Disney+). Now it's time for industrial service providers to start providing innovative business models. One such company that has been working at this for a number of years is Fluid Intelligence OY. As a provider of lubrication services (flushing, reconditioning etc) they are looking to tie customer payments to customer outcomes. We discussed the challenges of introducing new business models into the market with the CEO of the organisation, Mika Perttula.

Group V esters are interesting, inasmuch as the term "ester" only really refers to a single functional group. The capacity to tailor the "r" alkyl groups around these are infinite, and there are a number of small-batch companies producing highly customised esters for lubricating oils. Biosynthetic Technologies is known for the Estolides - a form of ester that is very resistant to hydrolysis. The other advantage is the capacity to produce sustainable lubricants at scale; this could very well be the future of the industry. Biosynthetic Technologies YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCC-rip-p6HtahQyeQclHBnw Biosynthetic Technologies Website: https://www.biosynthetic.com/005

Naphthenic base oils - they're often seen as the unwanted cousins to paraffin base oils (Groups I - IV), but maybe the industry needs to re-evaluate this view. After all base oils aren't necessarily good or bad, just fit for certain applications.

The food industry has some really unique challenges when it comes to maintenance, reliability and lubrication. Simon Murray is a maintenance coach with extensive experience in the industry and was kind enough to sit down with me to talk about the industry in general, as well as lubrication practices within the industry. Simon's website: https://www.yourmaintenancecoach.com

If you've watched this channel before, you'll understand that I'm passionate about lubrication technologies and believe that they deserve a much more prominent role in conversations about sustainability and machine reliability. This channel is my contribution to putting in the spotlight, but Prof. Ashlie Martini of UC Merced has also been tackling this unique challenge. In this conversation we talk a bit about new technologies, how to make tribology more exciting to undergraduate students, lubricant for space and EVs, and a whole lot more.

Have you ever wondered why so many businesses do used oil analysis, but have no grease sampling program? I talked to Rich Wurzbach of MRG labs to find out the latest in grease analysis, and what makes it different from standard lubricant analysis. MRG YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/c/MRGLaboratories... MRG Website: greasethief.com