Oil Analysis and Predictive Maintenance with Greg Livingstone

In this episode, we talk to Greg Livingstone (pictured at right), getting his perspective on predictive maintenance, how it differs from preventative maintenance and why it's important. In the interview, he provides the three concepts he believes to be vital when setting up an oil analysis program, some best practices he's learned along the way, and some advice about which tests to run and what you get out of them. Click on the play button above, or click on the "episode" link to save it to your computer and listen on the go. You can subscribe to new releases via RSS feed, which you can then receive in Outlook or in iTunes.

Greg was interviewed for the cover story in January's issue of Tribology & Lubrication Technology, STLE's monthly member magazine. Click on the links to read the cover story or to read the entire issue.

This work by www.stle.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License

Best Practices & Upcoming Webinars: Food Grade Lubrication, Sales

Join us next month (February) for these upcoming webinars:

Food Grade Lubricants
Date/Time: February 15, 2012, 12:00-1:30 p.m. CST
Presenter: Lawrence Ludwig, Schaeffer Manufacturing Company
Short Abstract: This webinar will discuss what constitutes a food grade lubricating oil, the type of equipment they are commonly used in, how to change over from a non-food grade to a food grade lubricant and some of the current issues and challenges that are being seen in food, beverage and packaging plants and operations. [Click here] to keep reading, get more information and to register.

Prospecting in the Digital Age: Using New Media to Generate More (and Better) Leads
Date/Time: February 22, 2012, 12:00-1:30 p.m. CST
Presenter: Jerry Kennedy, Inside Out Business Solutions
Short Abstract: Facebook. LinkedIn. Twitter. YouTube. You hear about them everyday, and businesses are jumping on the bandwagon at an ever-increasing pace. But is social media all it's cracked up to be? Can getting involved really help you generate more high-quality leads? The answer might surprise you. Even in industrial sales, social media platforms and online marketing can be game changers for your business. Self-confessed Facebook junkie Jerry Kennedy will discuss the ins and outs of creating and deploying a successful social media strategy to help you attract your ideal clients faster and more effectively. [Click here] for more information and to register.

Best Practices, Tips and Resources
Source: From January's webinar on Using NEADS Analysis to Get to "Yes" in Industrial Sales with Jerry Kennedy
Topic: How to get permission from a prospect
Tips:

• Website: If, as a distributor you don't have your own (rather, there is a parent company website), create one. People get information from doing a search on Google, so make sure you come up in a search for a given question. In order to do that, you have to have a great website with great content.


• Opt-In: Once they are on your website, give them a way to communicate with you - whether that's asking you a question, or opting in to your electronic or print newsletter. This gives you immediate permission for you to market to them.


• Get Creative: Find creative ways for them to engage with you. A great technique for this is a "lunch and learn." Advertise it, drop off flyers and let them know about it, and then host a lunch and learn and provide instruction on a topic relevant to them. Start thinking about and creating your own content. Go to the places where your prospects hang out and find a way to give a presentation to that group. They will then come to you giving you their business card, saying they want to learn more. That's how you get permission to market and sell to your best clients.

[Click here] to get more information and to purchase this recording

Source: From December's webinar on Grease and its Use in Food Processing with Wayne Mackwood
Topic: Approved H1 grease components
Resource: List of approved components

• Thickeners: Anhydrous Calcium, Aluminum Complex, Clay, Polyurea, Silica, PTFE, Calcium Oleate, Calcium Sulfonate Complex. Note: No lithium-based grease


• Oils: white oil, PAO, PAG, Dimethylpolysiloxane (silicone), Polybutenes, Alkylated Naphthalenes, Synthetic Esters, PFPE


• Additives: Antioxidants (BHT, PAN, Phosphite, Aminic), Polymers, EP/AW (Ca Carbonate, P, S, P/S Compounds), Corrosion Inhibitors, Petrolatum, Metal Deactivators, Antimicrobial Agents

[Click here] to get more information and to purchase this recording

Best of 2011: Education

This past year has featured some new developments in our education programming alongside traditional education, producing a great year for members and non-members alike.

Here is the recap:
Annual Meeting Education Courses

• Advanced Lubrication 301
• Basic Lubrication 101
• Basic Lubrication 102
• Biofuels & Lubes (*new course this year)
• Condition Monitoring 150: CM, An Overview
• Grease 101 - (co-hosted by NLGI)
• Hydraulics
• Metalworking Fluid Hot Topics (*new course this year) - click here to listen to the Summary presentation, to hear what you missed or to get ready for next year's panel discussion!
• Synthetics 203: Non-Petroleum Fluids and Their Uses
• Synthetics 204: Fluid Formulation and Application

*We also included a new live broadcast of a panel discussion to on-site and remote attendees (see the webinar listing below). Click here to see what's coming to next year's Annual Meeting.

Regional Courses

• TSI/STLE Joint Education Course hosted by the Tribology Society of India and put on by STLE instructors, held at IndianOil Institute of Petroleum Management in Gurgaon (Haryana), India
• Basic Lubrication and Hydraulic Fluids & Their Applications, both held at the IFPE (March)
• Metalworking Fluid Management Certificate Course, held in Southfield, MI at the Engineering Society of Detroit's facility

with more regional courses to come next year, including:

• Intro to Hydraulics: Lubrication Fundamentals, Hydraulic Fluids and Their Application - 1 day course co-hosted by AEM, near their HQ in Milwaukee, WI (USA), to be held March 27, 2012
• Education Course (topic TBD) at ASM International's Aeromat Conference, June 22, 2012
• Basic Lubrication for the Sales Professional - date TBA (July/August 2012)

If there is a challenge you're facing at work or you don't see something that fits your continuing education needs, let us know and we can make a regional course that centers around your problem. We can also bring the education to you with our on-site courses. Tell us what your staff need and we can tailor a course directly to your audience, educating them on-site, with no down time.

Online Courses

Released at the end of last year and updated throughout this year, here are some of the courses you may have missed. Starting in 2012, those who have purchased the course will also have access to quarterly Q&A/Discussion webcast sessions with the instructor of the course. See the calendar for dates. Once you purchase the course, the discussions are automatically available to you.

• Basic Lubrication Short Course - covers friction, lubrication and wear
• Fundamentals of Lubrication Certificate Course - more extensive than the Basic course, this includes knowledge check questions as you go, comes with a certificate at the end of the course, and allows you to learn the fundamental concepts associated with the field - friction, lubrication and wear
• Metalworking Fluids Short Course - includes modules on metal removal fluids and types and function of metalworking fluids
• Lubricant Composition Short Course - includes modules on additives, base oils and grease
• Fluid Management & Recycling Short Course - includes a case study, presents the business case for starting a program, and information you need to start your own program
• Seals & Sealing Devices - to be released soon! Covers packing, static seals and dynamic seals
• The Science of Shaft Sealing - coming next year!

Webinars: Highest Attended of 2011
Click here to see a list of all the webinars offered in the past year, and to preview next year's schedule. In 2012, all webinars will have an audio file (along with the slides) of the session to take along with you if you're traveling, so you can learn on the go.
The highest attended sessions included:

• Condition Monitoring Data Interpretation with Evan Zabawski. A new series will be available for 2012, featuring 6 separate webinars. Click here for details on the first event, which picks up where this event left off.
• Bearing Damage Analysis with Paul Shiller, great to take with the Basic Lubrication Short Course or Fundamentals of Lubrication Certificate Course to get an all-around look at wear and how it applies to bearings.
• Current Issues in Wind Energy Tribology - Panel Discussion broadcast live from the Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Panelists included: Gary Doll, Aaron Greco, Kevin Harrington, Shawn Sheng, David Van Langevelde, and Erwin Zaretsky
• Base Oils: Their Manufacture, Properties, Performance, and Applications with John Rosenbaum
• Grease and its Use in Food Processing with Wayne Mackwood (part of the Food Grade Lubrication Series, the other events are coming up in February and March)

January Webinars: VOCs from MWFs, Sales

As you start to plan out your holidays, keep upcoming education events in mind, whether it be for your own personal knowledge, for recertification (STLE's CLS, CMFS or OMA designations), or to help you with a specific issue you're facing right now at work, or will face when you get back from the holiday!

January marks the beginning of a new year and with it, we will feature 2 webinars per month, up from one per month this past year. The increased number will allow us to cover a larger number of topics throughout the year, including topics that impact you on a daily basis no matter what industry you're in. See below for the first two webinars taking place in January. If you'd like to see the entire year's schedule (still tentative), click here.

January 11, 2012: VOC Emissions from MWFs with Mike Morris & Uyen Uyen Vo, SCAQMD Short Abstract: The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is the local air pollution regulatory agency serving the South Coast Air Basin (Basin) consisting of portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino counties in California. The air quality in the Basin has been designated as extreme non-attainment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For that reason, AQMD often finds itself at the forefront of the nation’s emission reduction efforts. As part of these efforts, AQMD has been investigating volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions from metalworking fluids. One of the primary challenges has been to find a reliable test method to determine VOC content...click here to keep reading and to register.

Notice: In early 2012, AQMD and ILMA will sponsor a joint symposium on emerging low-VOC technologies, including water-dilutable, bio-based and paraffinic products, to further explore emission reduction opportunities.

January 18, 2012: Using NEADS Analysis to Get to "Yes" in Industrial Sales Short Abstract: We've all heard about the importance of identifying customers needs as a crucial part of the sales process. But how can you ask the right questions to uncover those needs? And what should you do with that information once you've acquired it? And, perhaps most important of all, how can knowing a customer's needs help you close more deals? These questions and more will be answered by the application of NEADS analysis to your sales process. NEADS analysis is a system of questions and methods that will help you guide prospects through the sales process and convert them into loyal clients. Click here to keep reading and to register.

Click here to view the flyer for both events, or click the event titles above to see the event listing and to register.

Interview with the Author: Lubrication & Maintenance of Industrial Machinery - Best Practices and Reliability

Join us this week as we talk to Robert Gresham, one of the editors of this invaluable book for maintenance and reliability professionals, which shows how lubrication maintenance fits into an overall proactive maintenance program. Written by leading industry experts, each chapter discusses an important aspect of lubrication, including deterioration, test methods, cleanliness, failure analysis, scheduling, handling and storage, conservation, and used oil recycling. The text also covers centralized lubrication systems, as well as the environmental implications associated with various lubricants. Click "play" in the slider bar above, click here to download/play the episode, or click here to read the transcript.

This book includes the following chapters:

• Full Circle Reliability, M. Castle


• The Degradation of Lubricants in Service Use, M.F. Fox


• Lubricant Properties and Test Methods, L.A. Toms and A.M. Toms


• Contamination Control and Failure Analysis, J. Stecki


• Environmental Implications and Sustainability Concepts for Lubricants, M.F. Fox


• Lubrication Program Development and Scheduling, M. Johnson


• Lubricant Storage, Handling, and Dispensing, M. Barnes


• Conservation of Lubricants and Energy, R.L. Johnson and J.C. Fitch


• Centralized Lubrication Systems—Theory and Practice, P. Conley and A. Grach


• Used Oil Recycling and Environmental Considerations, D.W. Brinkman and B.J. Parry
  

Click here to visit the STLE Store to purchase the book (available at a 20% discount for STLE members), or click here to read an excerpt of the book. This book is a handy reference for those looking to take STLE's Certified Lubrication Specialist® (CLS) exam, and a good desk reference for everyday troubleshooting and administration.

Aerospace in Tribology with Vern Wedeven

Join us this week as we talk to Vern Wedeven, who has been in the aerospace industry for more than 20 years. He highlights some neat aspects of his career, including the fact that he started at NASA the same week as the Apollo 13 mission, and different projects which have been memorable. He also covers some more recent work and projects, and provides detail on the boon of hiring in a certain sectors of aerospace.

For those interested in the field, Vern delineates aeronautics from astronautics, and details key concepts and terms one must know when discussing and working in the field. Given his experience, he also provides some of his best practices and advice to those working in the field.

Click here to listen or download the episode, click here to read the transcript, or click play in the slider bar above to play it in your screen. Be sure to visit the website for more news, information and research on the aerospace field. You can check out some of the articles we have on the subject on our website, or click the following links: Foil Air Bearing Technology Takes Flight, and two technical articles on particular applications: fighter engines and high speed civil transport. Feel free to leave comments on this interview, on other challenges or research questions you have, and resources you'd like us to offer.

The Future Looks Bright - A Student's Perspective on the Tribology & Lubrication Engineering Field

In this interview, we talk to Anna Mayo (pictured at right), a high school student who has completed a number of science fair projects related to tribology and lubrication engineering including studying different materials that reduce friction, viscosity levels for lubricity and mechanical applications and the role of a lubricant and its viscosity in that application (see photo: a project in process).

She has presented at the Annual Meeting of the Ohio Academy of Science and has had abstracts published in the Ohio Journal of Science – click here or here to read two of her poster abstracts. In addition to her research and projects, she is an active volunteer and has been very active at her school – participating in student council, basketball, softball and cheer leading. She is involved with the biomedical program at her school and absolutely loves science. While unsure of her ultimate career path, she knows she’d like to do something related to the field. Listen to this interview to hear about her projects and get her perspective about the field and her work.

Important to note is the role of a mentor from the society – (Jack) Mike Miller, Product Manager at Mid-State Industrial Lubricants. While the work is her own, Mike has been a good sounding board for Anna as she has progressed and as she comes up with new, more challenging projects for the Science Fair. Try your hand at mentoring - you may find it very rewarding. Read what two of our members have to say about the subject: Maureen Hunter and Noreen Cherry. You can mentor by contacting us at (847) 825-5536 or at information@stle.org. Our current President, Michael Dugger, also wrote an article on high school students and the importance of fostering the future generation and the field for December's TLT. Click here to read the current issue, and to view December's issue when it becomes available.

STLE is dedicated to developing new professionals and supporting students who are working in the tribology field. Visit our website for resources for both students and young professionals, and to join the community of tribology and lubrication professionals. If you are looking for a resource, or have ideas on resources or events we should offer, let us know via email or feedback.

Food Grade Lubrication Webinar Series - December, February and March

December's upcoming webinar is part of the Food Grade Lubrication Series. The other two events are coming up in February and March. See below for more information on the 2012 webinars, click here to see the current schedule, click here for December's event information, or click here to view the event flyer.

You can attend one of the following events for $39/59 member/non-member, or you can register for all 3, have access for a year, and get them all at a discount! For all 3 it is only $99 for members and $159 for non-members.

Title: Grease and its Use in Food Processing
Date/Time: December 14, 2011, 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST with extended Q&A from 1-1:30 p.m.
Presenter: (pictured at right) Wayne Mackwood, Grease Technology Manager, Chemtura
Presentation Abstract: One of the most critical industries on the planet today is that of food production and any disruption in that industry can have significant impacts on the human population. Disruptions can include natural ones such as drought and blight to human caused ones such as contamination and can lead to a lack of product, product recall, sickness and even death. All of this can cause fear, panic, and anger in various populations particularly if negligence or worse, intentional acts were involved. Therefore it is imperative that all stages of the food process be managed in a safe and effective manner. Grease and proper lubrication are a small but critical part of all stages of that process...click here to read the full abstract.

Title: Food Grade Lubricants
Date/Time: February 15, 2012, 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST with extended Q&A from 1-1:30 p.m.
Presenter: Lawrence Ludwig, Chief Chemist Technical Director at Schaeffer Manufacturing Company

Title: Food Grade Lubricants and Their Regulation

Date/Time: March 21, 2012, 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST with extended Q&A from 1-1:30 p.m.

Presenter: Jessica Evans, Business Unit Manager - Nonfood Compounds, NSF International

Recap of the UEIL Metal Removal Fluid Symposium with Greg Foltz and John Burke

Listen to this week's episode as we talk to both Greg Foltz (right), Engineering and Development Manager at Cimcool Industrial Products and John Burke (lower left), Director of Engineering Services at Houghton International Inc. Greg and John were 2 of the 3 chairs for the technical tracks at the conference. The tracks included Innovation, Application and Regulation. Greg and John covered the first two, with John addressing Innovation and Greg covering Application. Listen to the highlights and key take-aways, and their recommendations for moving the industry forward.

Click on the slider bar to play the episode in your screen, click here to download the episode (you have the option to open it to play immediately or save it and listen later), or click here to read (and translate) the transcript of the interviews.

Robert Gresham, one of STLE's staff members was also present at the symposium. Be sure to read Bob's upcoming article in the December issue of TLT to get his take on the symposium. You can easily stay updated by reading TLT online, with the digital version. Click here to read this month's issue. You can also check out the UEIL website for more information on the Symposium, including the list of presentations by track. Be sure to visit our website for a number of resources on MWFs and related topics. We have started to compile some of the MWF resources available through STLE here, but you can also conduct a search. If you have suggestions as to content we should provide, let us know.

November Webinar: Base Oils - Their Manufacture, Properties, Performance, and Applications with John Rosenbaum

Join us on November 22, 2011 for this month's webinar on Base Oils: Their Manufacture, Properties, Performance, and Applications with Dr. John Rosenbaum, Senior Product Development Engineer at Chevron Global Base Oils.

Abstract: This presentation will feature a discussion of the new types of base oils that have been introduced in recent years. These include high quality mineral oils, specialty PAOs and vegetable oil-derived esters, as well as gas-to-liquid (GTL) base oils. See the event listing for more.

Bio: Throughout his 30-year career at Chevron Global Base Oils, STLE member Dr. John Rosenbaum has stayed on the cusp of technological development for producing higher performing fuels and lubricants. In his early days as a research engineer in synthetic fuels and mineral-processing programs, he managed projects in coal cleaning, tar sands, extraction of complex sulfide ores and direct reduction of iron ores. After 3 years in minerals research, John spent the next 17 years research catalysts and process technologies for improving the chemical and physical properties of fuels and lubricant base oils. During that time, he also spearheaded Chevron's experimental program to make liquid fuels and lubricant base oil from natural gas. John has served as a member of the original development team for Chevron's ISODEWAXING Catalyst System that revolutionized the production of cost-effective, high-purity, premium base oils, so he is well-versed in base oils and all they are associated with. John received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from San Diego State University and a doctorate in materials science and mineral engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He is the author and co-author of over 50 U.S. patents and several publications.

The registration deadline is November 21, 2011. With your purchase, you will be able to attend the live event (and ask all the questions you can think of), receive a copy of the recording, a transcript of the Q&A Session, access to reading/reference materials on the subject, presentation slides, and access to the assessment for use in the recertification process. Cost to attend is $39 for members and $59 for non-members.

See the event flyer for more information or click here to visit the event listing on http://www.stle.org/. To register and secure your seat, click here. This link will take you to the STLE Store, and once there, you will need to log in and then click "add to your products" to start the purchase process. If you have any questions or would to register multiple people, please contact us at (847) 825-5536 or at klemar@stle.org.