It is very likely that you have encountered the RPVOT (Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test), a laboratory test developed in the 1960s and later standardized by ASTM D2272. It measures the antioxidant stability of lubricating oils by accelerating oxidation in a...
The International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML) today announced the election of three new members to its Board of Directors: Kelley Evans, Matthew G. Collins, and Mike Ramsey. Their appointments became effective January 23, 2026. The election of Evans,...
Maintenance teams are entering a new era, one where data-driven insights enable automation and transform how equipment health is monitored and maintained. For years, the industry has been moving from preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance, but what’s next?...
The EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system recirculates a fraction of the exhaust gases into the intake manifold to lower combustion temperature, reduce NOx emissions, and, in some cases, improve fuel consumption in both diesel and gasoline engines. This recirculation...
Compressors are integral to many of our operations. They are used to compress gas, increasing its pressure, and to power tools. They can also be used as vacuum pumps or blowers, but each application is different. As such, they require various types of lubrication,...
When the lube room resembles a crime scene - chaotic storage, unlabeled containers, questionable handling tools, inconsistent transfer practices - it becomes a hidden driver of accelerated wear, additive depletion, ingress-driven contamination, and component life...
Oil analysis is one of the most potent tools in proactive maintenance and asset management. However, its effectiveness depends fundamentally on one critical factor: the quality of the collected sample. Even today, many professionals still take samples directly from...
When I go into industrial plants and tell the Lubrication Team, aka, oilers and greasers, that they are Tribologists, I usually get a look of confusion on how they would fit in. When you first think of Tribology, your thoughts may immediately go to all the great PhD...
I had a laboratory manager, over twenty years ago, complain to me that he wished I would stop pushing particle counting, as he was getting annoyed by clients asking for it after my courses. In his view, particle counting was necessary primarily for hydraulic oils and...
"I want to obtain a certification in the area of..." is often one of the goals set by maintenance personnel, especially those working in predictive maintenance. One of the certifications in the predictive area that has seen significant growth is the lubrication...
