Owens Corning Has Story to Tell About Lubrication Excellence

Name: Roger Story

Age: 42

Job Title: Reliability Engineer

Company: Owens Corning

Location: Aiken, South Carolina

Length of Service: 4 years

Before joining Owens Corning as a reliability engineer, Roger Story served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear power reactor operator and propulsion plant supervisor. Already passionate about lubrication on a personal level, Story recognized the need to upgrade Owens Corning’s lubrication program and saw this as an opportunity to expand his abilities. Over the past couple of years, he has helped others understand the importance of lubrication excellence while advancing the lube program at his plant in Aiken, South Carolina, and in other plants around the country.

Q: What types of training and professional certifications have you obtained to reach your current position?

A: I have Level I Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT I), Level II Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA II) and Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS) certifications, as well as a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering and a master’s degree in leadership.

Q: Are you planning to obtain additional training or achieve higher certifications?

A: I plan to obtain my MLT II and MLA III certifications to fully complete my lubrication education, as there is much to learn.

Q: What’s a normal work day like for you?

A: I start at 5:30 a.m., focusing on my administrative duties and on advancing the lubrication program until 11 a.m. Then I work on line-specific duties the rest of the day.

Q: What is the amount and range of equipment that you help service through lubrication/oil analysis tasks?

A: We have an eight-container lubricant storage system and four filter carts (two for ISO 15 and ISO 46 hydraulics, and two for ISO 60 and ISO 220 oils).

Q: On what lubrication-related projects are you currently working?

A: I am currently working with other plants in the corporation to upgrade their lubrication programs.

Q: What have been some of the biggest project successes in which you’ve played a part?

A: My biggest successes have been in helping others understand how important lubrication excellence is and seeing a change in the realization of its importance.

Q: How does your company view machinery lubrication in terms of importance and overall business strategy?

A: Owens Corning views lubrication as an asset that is vital to the continuous operation of the machinery and critical to the bottom line.

Q: What do you see as some of the more important trends taking place in the lubrication and oil analysis field?

A: I am seeing companies moving toward lubrication excellence. Lubrication has always been treated like an afterthought, when in fact it is more critical than technologies such as vibration analysis and ultrasound. The other exciting trend is the use of online oil analysis on machines. This can automate the process and bring light to the importance of lubrication excellence as people see issues unfold in real life.

Q: What has made your company decide to put more emphasis on machinery lubrication?

A: The realization that lubrication excellence is vital to the bottom line.