Temperature is a dominant factor influencing lubricant degradation, machine reliability, and overall asset performance. The widely accepted heuristic that lubricant life is reduced by half for every 10 °C increase in temperature is rooted in the Arrhenius equation,...
Crude oil prices have fluctuated significantly over the past 12 months, with a recent sharp increase in 2026 due to the crisis in the Middle East, while global lubricating oil prices remain relatively stable and do not directly track crude oil volatility. An analysis...
Sometimes we can spend hours poring over technical data sheets, comparing oil performances, and finally selecting the “right” oil which aligns with the needs of our equipment. Then, within 2 months, the oil degrades, our machines shut down, and we have a bunch of...
What's the Right Number of Lubricants for Your Plant? Over the years, I have been to sites with either too many or too few lubricant types. Both scenarios are potentially costly. On the one hand, too many types of lubricant are costly in terms of purchase price and...
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...
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 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...
Varnish formation is one of the most critical and often overlooked challenges faced by industrial lubrication systems, especially in high-performance applications such as steam turbines, gas turbines, compressors, and precision hydraulic systems. Even when invisible...
Understanding Electrostatic Spark Discharge and Its Impact on Lubrication Systems Electrostatic Spark Discharge typically occurs when static is built up in an oil at a molecular level, causing it to discharge in the system and create free radicals, which increase the...
