Publisher’s Note

Dr. E.C.Fitch, father of Noria’s founder & President Jim Fitch has done some pioneering work at Oklahoma State University on particle count and its importance in lubrication. However, it has only been in the last 10 to 15 years that industry, has started to fully realize the importance of fluid cleanliness.

Considered by many to be the single most important test for used oil analysis, whether you are conducting onsite particle counting, or relying on a commercial lab, there can be no doubt that a host of problems can be quickly and easily determined by monitoring the number and size-distribution of particles in an oil sample. The importance of clean oil cannot be over emphasized. Particle count data is an invaluable part of any proactive condition-monitoring program, from ensuring that abrasive bearing wear is minimized, to determining if a hydraulic fluid is clean enough for reliable operation.

The cover story in this issue talks about particles and understanding the value of particle in oil analysis. To the mechanical engineer and tribologist, the presence of particles is an indication that contaminants have entered the system or that certain components are wearing abnormally. Particles that are smaller than the minimum clearances could result in abrasive wear, which in turn causes premature aging or failure. Large particles could result in blockages of oil channels, which could lead to oil starvation. Thus, both conditions spell trouble to these role players.

Base Oil is critical to the lubricant industry from the point of view of quality, price and availability. Keeping this in mind, we have been involved with a number of Base Oil & Lubricants Conferences in Asia ( India, UAE, China etc ). One such conference is being organised in Mumbai by ICIS from 28th to 30th April 2014. Reputed global & domestic participants are likely to interact on issues of interest. We will carry an article on Base Oil Refining and the regular article on Base Oil (Trends, Import / Export Data & Availability ).

In the viewpoint section of the magazine, there is an article on the critical role of the additives in lubrication. Whether they are enhancing, suppressing or imparting new properties to base oils, additives play an important role in machinery lubrication. Additives are organic or inorganic compounds dissolved or suspended as solids in oil. They typically range between 0.1 to 30 percent of the oil volume, depending on the machine. The article further discusses the three basic roles of additives and polarity of additives as defined by the natural directional attraction of additive molecules to other polar materials in contact with oil.

We had been receiving feedback regarding the non delivery of the print magazine from some of our readers. Keeping this in mind, we have upgraded our delivery mechanism and hope that all subscribers will receive the magazine well in time.

We would like thank our readers for your feedback on our articles in Machinery Lubrication India. Your feedback is very important to us. Please keep them coming so that we can continue to provide you with cutting edge articles on lubricants, lubrication and reliability.

We would also like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers and advertisers a Happy Holi, the festival of colors.

Warm Regards,

Udey Dhir