Q1 Webinars Open for Registration

To kick off the new year, we'll be featuring a variety of topics in the next 3 months including: filters and filtration, amines, hydraulics, turbine oil failure, additive selection for MWFs, and engine oil engine test development. See below for more details on each and to preview upcoming topics.

Advanced Filters & Filtration
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 22, 2014; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: John Duchowski, HYDAC
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)
John also presented a previous webinar, Fundamentals of Filters & Filtration - click here for more information, or here to purchase.

Amines 101
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 29, 2014; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Pat Brutto, Dow
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)

Basic Hydraulics
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 12, 2014; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Robert Gresham, STLE
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)
Other webinars presented by Bob include: Bearing Fundamentals (purchase), Basic Synthetics (purchase), and Fundamentals of Grease (purchase).

Understanding the Multiple Ways Turbine Oils Fail
Date/Time: Thursday, February 20, 2014; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Greg Livingstone, Fluitec International
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)
Other webinars to be presented by Greg include: Flushing a Lubrication System (4/16), and Hydraulic Fluid Degradation (final topic TBA; held 6/11).

Guidelines for Selecting Additives to Use in Metalworking Fluids
Date/Time: Thursday, March 20, 2014; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Neil Canter, Chemical Solutions
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)
Neil previously presented Challenges in Using Environmentally Friendly Fluids. Click here for more information, or here to purchase.

So You Want to Develop Engine Oil Engine Tests
Date/Time: Thursday, March 20, 2014; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Don Smolenski, Evonik
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)
Don previously presented Component Performance in Formulating Engine Oils. Click here for more information or here to purchase.

Q2 Webinar Topics:

• 4/16: Successfully lushing a Turbine Oil System, with instructor Greg Livingstone, Fluitec International
• 4/18: Cardinal Sins of Hydraulic System Design, with instructor Rod Erickson, EATON
• 5/7: Performance Additives for Lubricating Greases, with instructor Gareth Fish, Lubrizol
• 5/8: Wire Ropes & Chains: Wear Mechanisms & Means of Lubrication and Maintenance, with instructor Paul Conley, SKF
• 6/5: Grease Particle Evaluation: Meaningful Measurement of Matter?, with instructor Joe Kaperick, Afton
• 6/11: Why Hydraulic Fluids Fail, with instructor Greg Livingstone, Fluitec International

[Click here] to see all topics booked for 2014 (new events posted as information becomes available)
[Click here] to download all upcoming and archived webinars sorted by topic
[Click here] to view online events in our calendar

Turbine Oil Degradation with Greg Livingstone, Fluitec International

Join us for this week's interview, where we talk with Greg Livingstone, Chief Marketing Officer of Fluitec International about dealing with turbine oil degradation. He covers the types of oils used in turbines and their properties, different modes of degradation and where/when they can occur, as well as solutions to common issues like varnish. 

Click below to play the interview, or click here to download and listen to the file, or click here to read the transcript.



You may also be interested in our interview with Greg on Turbine Oil Selection.

Happy listening!

The Nature of Genius & Tesla

I just finished reading Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century, by Sean Patrick (got it free for my Kindle). As of today's post, it's still available for free at Amazon. It was an interesting read, especially so given its tie to next month's Sounding Board column in TLT.

Our readers have just finished responding to a survey that asked about the nature of genius (your definition), which genius (living or dead) you'd most like to meet and what you'd ask that person, whether you've met a genius, and if you could magically become a genius, would you like to or not? Respondents to the survey would like to meet Tesla, as well as many other folks like Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs and Walt Disney. If you missed your chance to contribute, I encourage you to submit your responses below in the comments area. Or, give the article a read, either by reading TLT online (look to the September 2013 issue), or by going directly to the article (PDF).

The book was very brief (about 120 pages) and less about Tesla (than expected) and more about the nature of genius and creativity. The book makes 4 arguments:

1. That you have to be "'smart enough' to fulfill the intellectual requirements for success" but after that, IQ ceases to make a distinguishable difference. Akin to being "tall enough" for the NBA. However, IQ alone doesn't explain success. 
2. Another common factor that researchers recognize in all great performers: "they practiced so hard and intensely that it hurt," with the author referring to the "10,000 hour rule." Dr. K Anders Ericsson coined the phrase, and regardless if you have an innate talent, he argues that you need that amount of hours of "focused, intentional practice." 
3. Not only that, you need to have dedication - because 10,000 hours is a lot of work. 
4. Finally, there's the issue of opportunities. If you haven't read it, Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell is also a good, solid read, and if you like hockey (among other things), provides some insight into the sport and its stars. Basically, being closer to the cut-off age to play hockey meant you got an entire year to get better and outshine other, younger (and smaller) players. Hence, you were given more opportunities, creating an "accumulative advantage" compared to other kids with later birthdays.

Utilizing these concepts, the author presents the idea of the "genius code," penned by psychologist Dr. Alfred Barrios. This particular book addresses one component of the code: imagination. And below are some quotes I found particularly interesting along this vein:

• "When you start viewing creativity as a process of combination, and imagination as the ability to connect, stretch, and merge things in new ways, creative brilliance becomes  less mystifying. A creative genius is just better at connecting the dots than others are."
• "There's a catch to 'combinatorial creativity,' though. Before you can connect the dots, you need to have dots to connect...The more varied your knowledge and experiences are, the more likely you are to be able to create new associations and fresh ideas."
• "It takes curiosity to find your call to adventure, it takes courage to venture into the unknown, and it takes imagination to create your path." And, like Tesla, you must create something "exactly as you envision it, no matter how much work it takes, or how many people try to stop you."

If you didn't get a chance to respond to the survey, which genius would you include on the list and what would you ask them? And, if you've read the book, what are your thoughts? Include them in the comments below!

Two new eNewsletters released this month: Power Generation and Synthetics & Hydraulics!

In case you've missed them, we have now launched 5 eNewsletters that focus on a specific topic relevant to lubrication engineers and tribologists. Among those, we have Metalworking & Metalworking Fluids, Grease, Environmentally Friendly Fluids (EFF), and two brand-new ones out this month: Power Generation and Synthetics & Hydraulics.

You can read more about the program launch here - STLE's Executive Director provides his perspective in September's Headquarters Report column.

If you didn't receive any of the newsletters and you're interested in subscribing, you can do so by logging in to your account at www.stle.org, and updating your demographic information. There is a list of interest areas, and you can select one or many, depending on your interests. If you do not have an account, you will need to create one and then update your demographic information.

We're still looking for contributors to be able to launch our other 4: Lubrication Fundamentals, Engine & Drivetrain, Condition Monitoring, and Bearings, Gears & Seals. If you're interested in contributing, we're looking for short articles (about 1 page, or 400-800 words), on a specific topic that provides best practices, case studies, or other practical information that readers can immediately use. Submitted articles should be educational in nature, not commercial (i.e. not promoting your company or product) and they should not be technical papers. Technical papers have many other outlets including our two scholarly journals: Tribology Transactions and Tribology Letters). If you are interested, you can send an email to Kara Sniegowski at ksniegowski@stle.org or by calling our office at (847) 825-5536.

I look forward to your contributions! And feel free to submit topic ideas below, in the comments.

Turbine Oil Selection with Greg Livingstone, Fluitec International

Greg Livingstone

Join us for this week's interview, where we talk with Greg Livingstone, Chief Marketing Officer of Fluitec International about selecting a proper turbine oil for your application.

Greg covers types of oils used in turbines and their properties, when it's time to select a new oil, potential changes you should implement in your condition monitoring program with new oils, and selection criteria - including Greg's advice to look beyond the spec sheet, and some tests you should run when selecting an oil (which includes a new test Greg helped develop which provides more reliable data on how the oil will perform in the field). 

To listen to the interview, click here for the audio, or click here to read the transcript. 



You might also be interested in our previous interview with Greg on Oil Analysis & Predictive Maintenance (click here for the recording), or his upcoming interview that will be released in the November issue of the Power Generation eNewsletter on Turbine Oil Degradation. 

September Webinars: MWF CM, Emulsifers, & RCL

This month we'll be featuring three events, all part of a series. We'll continue our reliability-centered lubrication series (three part series) and finish out the MWF microbiology series (three part series), as well as our emulsifier series (two part series). See below for more details on each and to preview upcoming topics.

Contamination Control of MWFs
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 18, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Frederick Passman, Biodeterioration Control Associates, Inc. (BCA)
Overview: This webinar will cover the four primary building blocks of cost-effective microbial contamination control: system design & engineering, industrial hygiene, condition monitoring (CM), and treatment. Participants in this webinar will gain a broad appreciation of the factors that contribute to effective microbial contamination control in MWF and MWF systems.
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)
For more information on the other two events in the series, click their links: Basic MWF Microbiology, and Monitoring MWF Microbial Contamination

Emulsifiers 201
Date/Time: Thursday, September 19, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructors: Jennifer Ineman & Tom Oleksiak, The Lubrizol Corporation
Overview: The second part of this series will include analytical techniques that can be used to determine differences in performance characteristics of emulsifier chemistry. If you're interested, click here for more information on Emulsifiers 101.
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)

Reliability-Centered Lubrication, Part II
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 25, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Mike Johnson, Advanced Machine Reliability Resources Inc.(AMRRI)
Overview: Following the development of a strong business case to re-order lubrication practices, the next step involves determining which machines will receive a detailed assessment and development of RCL practices. Creating a lubrication program starts with a clear understanding of the importance of each machine to daily productivity. A general criticality assessment will provide the site with a clear idea of which machines warrant RCL attention.  This seminar will offer a look at a simple but effective plan to rank your machines from most to least important.  We’ll also review the information collection process and the creation of detailed plans that are the best fit for the operating conditions.
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click the registration link)
For more information on the other two events in the series, click their links: RCL, Part I and RCL, Part III

Upcoming topics:

• 10/23: Automatic Transmission Fluids, with instructor Chintan Ved, Ford Motor Company
• 11/7: Grease Selection for Rolling Element Bearings, with instructor Paul Shiller, University of Akron
• 11/14: Space Tribology Challenges On-Board the ISS, with instructor Chris DellaCorte, NASA 
• 12/4: Esters (Synthetics Series), with instructor Gene Zehler, BASF
• 12/5: Solvents & Cleaners in Industrial Applications, with instructor Russ Chambers, Quadra Chemical

[Click here] to see all topics booked for 2013 (new events posted as information becomes available)
[Click here] to view online events in our calendar

Thoughtful Thursday: What's your favorite quote?

Every Thursday this summer, we'll have a tweet that asks you to respond with your thoughts and comments. This week the question revolved around your favorite quote and who said it (and if you want to tell us why, that's great too!). We got a few responses, but feel free to keep adding in the comments below!

• @richbcs: "All of us are in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." -Oscar Wilde
• @karlphipps: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
• @karalemar: "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -W.B. Yeats

You can read more favorite quotes from members here. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter (@STLE_Tribology) or like us on Facebook.

August Webinars: Reliability-Centered Lubrication, Microbiology, and Emulsifiers

This month we'll be featuring three events, all part of a series. We'll kick off our reliability-centered lubrication series (three part series), continue our MWF microbiology series (also three events), and see the last of two events in the emulsifier series. See below for more details on each and to preview upcoming topics.

Reliability-Centered Lubrication (Part I of III)
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 14, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Mike Johnson, CLS
Overview: In this first event (of a three-event series on RCL) we will take a look at the strategy and overview the tactics involved in achieving RCL practices.  We will also look at a critical aspect of this concept, which is making a business justification for the investment of time and energy to fundamentally change the way that lubrication activities are conducted.
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click here)

Monitoring MWF Microbial Contamination
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 21, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Dr. Frederick Passman, BCA, Inc.
Overview: Condition monitoring (CM) for microbial contamination shares common features with other routinely performed MWF CM.  However, there are several concepts that are unique to microbiological sample collection, handling, testing and data interpretation.  Optimal MWF management depends on understanding these unique concepts.  During this webinar, Dr. Passman will provide a very brief overview of the microbiology basics as a refresher for those who have participated in the earlier webinar and a means of bringing newcomers up to speed. He’ll then discuss some of the most critical elements of microbiological sample collection.  The underlying concept behind this information is that the microbiology of the bulk MWF is very different from that of surface and aerosol samples.  Low numbers of microbes in bulk fluid samples can give a false sense of effective contamination control.  Moreover, samples intended for microbiological testing are quite perishable and need to be handled accordingly.  Dr. Passman will describe best practices for handling microbiological samples from time of sampling to the initiation of testing. The greatest portion of the webinar will focus on a discussion of the methods that are most useful for microbiological CM.  There is no single microbiological test that provides all of the relevant information about MWF microbial contamination.  Dr. Passman will describe the methods, the type and value of information each method can and can’t provide and best use of data for system management.
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register (please log in at www.stle.org, then click here)

Upcoming topics:

• 9/18: Contamination Control of MWFs, with instructor Fred Passman, BCA, Inc.
• 9/19: Emulsifiers 201, with instructors Jennifer Ineman and Tom Oleksiak, The Lubrizol Corporation
• 9/25: Reliability-Centered Lubrication (Part II of III), with instructor Mike Johnson
• 10/16: Reliability-Centered Lubrication (Part III of III), with instructor Mike Johnson
• 10/23: Automatic Transmission Fluids, with instructor Chintan Ved, Ford Motor Company

[Click here] to see all topics booked for 2013 (new events posted as information becomes available)
[Click here] to view online events in our calendar

5 Minutes with...Hamed Ghaednia

5 Minutes with...

Hamed Ghaednia, PhD Student, Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University

Hamed with his poster at the 2013 STLE Annual Meeting

What got you interested in tribology, and where has that interest led you? Looking back, I can recognize a couple of events over the course of my studies that prepared me and got me interested in the field of tribology.  While I was working on my undergrad I was offered to enter a double major program as part of an honors program.  I was given the choice to select a second major and I chose to study chemical engineering because of my fascination with chemical processes.  I did not know it at the time, but the mechanical/chemical engineering combination gave me a boost through my career in the field of tribology. My first exposure to tribology research was when I started working on my master’s degree.  I was looking for research topics that included both of my majors so I started working on the semi-active control of a rotor mounted on magneto-rheological journal bearings.  My research involved: numerical simulations of a rotors’ vibrations, MR fluid journal bearing modeling and design of a fuzzy control system.  My Master’s thesis was partly related to tribology. However, I had the opportunity to engage in a variety of research topics related to tribology when I began my PhD research at Auburn University.  That was when I began to really appreciate the complexity and interdisciplinary approach to tribology in solving unique and cutting edge problems, which got me interested in tribology. I have been active in the field of tribology ever since as a Research Assistant in the Multiscale Tribology Laboratory at the Auburn University and I have been involved in a range of topics such as nanotribology, lubrication and contact mechanics.

Can you give us some detail on your research? Currently, I am focused on the effect of nanoparticle additives on lubricants as my PhD project. Nano-sizes particles are small enough to infiltrate the small gaps between surfaces in contact and alter the tribological characteristics. However the particles’ exact enhancing mechanisms remain unknown (with a few exceptions). This project has different angles and challenges to be explored, such as stability of nanoparticle suspensions. Usually the base oils are non-polar so there is no strong intermolecular force available to suspend the particles. Nanoparticles change the bulk properties of the lubricants, such as viscosity and thermal conductivity, which need to be quantified. The main goal of the project is to understand the effect of particles on friction and wear and to study the interaction of particles with surfaces under high pressure.  This project involves a variety of different experimental techniques ranging from purely chemical tests to friction and surface analysis tests. In addition, I am working on developing a contact model for nanoparticles between rough surfaces. Therefore it is a very good opportunity for me to get involved in various tribological topics and try to increase my knowledge of tribology. I am two and half years into this project and have tackled multiple fronts of the project. Results so far are very interesting and I have couple of papers in publication and in preparation on the subject.

During my Master’s program I was working on magnetorheological (MR) journal bearings. MR bearings consist of a conventional bearings filled with the MR fluid.  MR fluid is a suspension of micron size ferromagnetic particles in a base oil. MR fluids’ viscosity and rheology changes under an applied external magnetic field that could be utilized to control the response of the bearing in a feedback control system.  The first goal of the study was to develop a heat transfer model for the bearings and explore the effect of temperature rise on the performance of the rotor-bearing system. The second goal was to design and implement a semi-active fuzzy control system to minimize the vibrations of the system.

What recommendations would you give to other students and researchers in the field? Grad school is usually stressful, lengthy and typically revolves around your research. Therefore take plenty of time to explore your possibilities and choose the research topic that you like and enjoy learning about. This can significantly improve your grad school experience.

As known, tribology mainly explores the contacts between different materials. These can be in different phases and are governed by different physical or chemical principles. Tribology links different physical and chemical concepts together in search of an answer.  Tribology does not stop at the edge of the materials; it bridges the gaps. Hence, if you are want to be involved in this field, my advice is to be willing to bridge the gaps and learn every day.

Any final thoughts you’d like to give readers? Don’t forget that many breakthroughs in the history of mankind came from early tribologists.  Examples of these are cavemen making fire out of friction and the invention of the first rolling element bearing, the wheel. Thus, it is probable that a tribologist will invent the next revolutionary device or discover the key to the next chapter of engineering!

For more info, click here to read The 10 Greatest Events in Tribology History (article and poster)

Hamed’s Favorites 
Tribology book/reference: Even though I use several tribology-related books on a regular basis, I can name three books as my favorites:

• Contact Mechanics by K.L. Johnson
• Intermolecular & Surface Forces by J. Israelachvili
• Fundamentals of Fluid Film Lubrication by Hamrock, Schmid and Jacobson | Read the review

Favorite professor(s)/mentor(s): Dr. Jackson and Dr. Ohadi, my PhD and Master’s advisors, are my favorite professors and mentors.
Favorite online resource related to your research: http://www.tribology-abc.com/
Favorite quote:  “Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.” – Andre Gide, French critic, essayist, & novelist (1869 - 1951)

Biography
Hamed Ghaednia received his BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and in Chemical Engineering from the Tehran Polytechnic (also known as Amirkabir University of Technology), Iran, in 2007 and 2010, respectively. During his undergraduate he was a member of the Parsian Robotic Group and participated in several international robotic competitions and won awards. He received his MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tehran Polytechnic in 2010 while working as a Graduate Assistant for the Vibration and Noise Control Laboratory. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, in the field of Tribology, at Auburn University. He is currently a Research Assistant at the Multiscale Tribology Laboratory. He has published papers in the fields of: nano particle lubricants, magneto-rheological fluid (MR fluid) bearings and contact mechanics. His current research involvements are nanoparticle lubricants, nanotribology and contact mechanics.

Mr. Ghaednia is a member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

July Webinars: Air, Gas Compressors & MWF Microbiology

This month we'll be featuring three events - two covering compressors, and one on metalworking fluids. See below for more details on each and to preview upcoming topics.

Air Compressors & Their Lubrication
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 10, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Glenn Short, BVA
Overview: This webinar will provide you with basic compressor fundamentals, the different types of lubricants that can be used, some of the important properties compressor lubricants should possess and their proper selection. The focus will be primarily on positive displacement compressors, formulating with synthetic lubricants, and strategies for efficiency improvement and extending lubricant service life.
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click here)

Gas & Process Compressor Lubricants
Date/Time: Thursday, July 11, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Glenn Short, BVA
Overview: In this webinar, you will learn about the different types of lubricants that are used in gas and process compressors, some of the important properties compressor lubricants should possess and their proper selection. The focus will be primarily on positive displacement compressors and other compressors where the lubricant may come into contact with the gas being compressed, formulating with special types of mineral oils and synthetic lubricants to improve compatibility with the gas being compressed, and strategies for efficiency improvement and compressor reliability.
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register (please log in at www.stle.org, then click here)

MWF Microbiology Basics
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 17, 2013; 12-1 pm CDT (with additional time for Q&A from 1-1:30)
Instructor: Dr. Frederick Passman, BCA, Inc.
Overview: This webinar is a primer on MWF microbiology, including what microbes are, the types of damage they can cause if left to grow uncontrolled in MWF and the health risks associated with bioaerosol exposure. The first part of the webinar will discuss the types of microbes that are commonly found in MWF, why they thrive in the MWF environment and where they are most likely to be found in MWF systems. The next part of the program will describe fluid, system and finished part damage related microbial life in MWF systems. The final segment will explain how bioaerosols are generated and the common types of diseases caused by exposure to these aerosols. 
Cost: $39 for members; $59 for non-members
[Click here] for more information
[Click here] to register now (please log in at www.stle.org, then click here)

Upcoming topics:

• 8/14: Reliability-Centered Lubrication (Part 1 of a 3-part series), with instructor Mike Johnson
• 8/21: Monitoring MWF Microbial Contamination, with instructor Fred Passman, BCA, Inc.
• 9/18: Contamination Control of MWFs, with instructor Fred Passman, BCA, Inc.
• 9/19: Emulsifiers 201, with instructors Jennifer Ineman and Tom Oleksiak, The Lubrizol Corporation
• 9/25: Reliability-Centered Lubrication (Part 2 of a 3-part series), with instructor Mike Johnson

[Click here] to see all topics booked for 2013 (new events posted as information becomes available)
[Click here] to view online events in our calendar