Machinery Lubrication February 2016

Featured Article

Al Smiley, GPM Hydraulic Consulting

Oil leaks are expensive. Consider a leak that drips once per second can result in a loss of 405 gallons of oil in one year. While there is no single answer as to why a system leaks, it usual…

Thomas L. Lantz

Many maintenance departments today “fight fires” instead of approaching their problems systematically. This article will focus on the four common types of maintenance problems with the ultim…

David E. Newton, Carrier Corporation/UTC

Used oil analysis is a great tool, but you must understand how to properly manipulate the data and interpret the results. You must know not only the averages but also if there are any abnorm…

Jim Fitch, Noria Corporation

High consumption of engine oil is almost always a symptom or consequence of another condition of even greater importance. This article will address this issue from the standpoint of oil loss…

Jeremy Wright

The power of an educated workforce can help a company on many fronts. Whether it is a lubrication and reliability program or a health and wellness program, education is critical to the overa…

Bennett Fitch, Noria Corporation

Of all the different types of gear configurations, worm gear systems are considered some of the most problematic because they present unique lubrication challenges due to their distinct desi…

Alejandro Meza, Noria Corporation

Effective lubricant selection must strike a balance between quality, application and affordability. In order to achieve and maintain this balance, lubricant specifications should be created …

Garrett Bapp, Noria Corporation

Lip seals are vital machine components. They keep oil or grease in and help keep contaminants out.

Caitlin Schudalla, Noria Corporation

The studies all seem to agree that the demand for skilled workers is increasing and this demand is not being met for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, they also conclude that the resulting shortage will likely persist or even get worse.


Stephane Lebel became interested in machinery lubrication while studying equipment reliability for his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He developed a greater interest in lubrica…