My focus is on what and how companies invest in their equipment to drive results. As someone who has worked in maintenance and reliability for more than 40 years, I enjoy learning about what is new. However, the reoccurring mistake in all equipment purchases is the...
Many companies utilizing rotating equipment have initiated or planned to create decarbonization strategies. The process reduces and compensates for the emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), ultimately down to "Net 0". Lubricants are an essential component in...
Lubricants are the lifeblood of machines. Like a blood test, lubricant analysis can provide early warnings of impending failures, far in advance, before it is too late to take timely action. But not all oil samples can give such alerts completely! Only representative...
Just as there are various states of matter, there are different lubricant types. The four main categories are gas, liquid, cohesive (grease), and solids. In the industrial lubrication world, we deal with fluids and greases, but some operating environments make these...
Varnish is a type of deposit that forms on the surface of equipment in lubrication systems. It is caused by the oxidation of the base oil and the buildup of additives in the oil over time, forming a sticky, varnish-like substance. Lube oil varnish can cause problems...
Congratulations, new certificants! The International Council for Machinery Lubrication recognizes newly certified professionals who earned the following credentials between November 30, 2022, and January 31, 2023. ICML is a global non-profit organization dedicated to...
Those who have worked in or around maintenance and reliability have probably heard about the hidden plant. This term refers to that portion of the productivity of any industry that, for some reason, is wasted and goes completely unnoticed in the eyes of the...
What are Base Oils? Base oils are the starting material for producing lubricants, and their properties greatly influence the performance and characteristics of the finished lubricant. They are typically derived from crude oil but can also be made from synthetic or...
I have been living in Houston, Texas, for a little over three years, and to this day, when I talk to a friend, the first sentence I hear is, “Houston, we have a problem.” It’s a trendy phrase that has become an icon for the Texan city. However, as often happens, there...
Pennzoil-Quaker State Company d/b/a SOPUS Products, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell USA, Inc. (“Shell”) that comprises Shell’s US lubricants business, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of TFH Reliability Group, LLC, the parent company of Allied Reliability...
