Publisher's Note

The latest news that is doing the rounds is that the automobile sector will contribute 12% to India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in the next decade. With research facilities being commissioned by the government and steps taken to nurture the sector, we see a great deal of development already set to pace. India’s 2 wheeler industry recently became the largest market in the world, replacing China. This growth is also attracting many foreign players into the industry. With the recent entry of Pertonas with the launch of Sprinta, we see major competition uproar. Let us hope to see more lubricant and lubricating solutions in the near future.

With mining activity picking up recently in major parts of the country, it is important to give readers some inputs on how to create lubrication strategies for these heavy mining equipments like large earthmovers such as rope shovels, hydraulic shovels, draglines and bucket wheel excavators. Our cover story – “Strategies for Lubricating “Big Iron”” will not just beneft the heavy vehicles but also the normal-sized machinery to assess the equipment health and tailor a maintenance plan for better life and performance.

Our section on hydraulics had been much appreciated by the readers. In this edition we bring to you “Cavitation or Aeration”. Most technicians would confuse between the two but not anymore! The article explains the various symptoms and the underlining differences between the two.

As always, we bring you Lube tips to keep your machinery and equipments in a great condition.

A major conference review is the 3 day conference Noria’s Reliable Plant Conference and Exhibition at Columbus, Ohio ( USA ) in which I was a part. This event saw a huge amalgamation of eminent people from the industry. To name a few organizations – Cargil, Chevron, Citgo, Entergy, Honda, Ingredion, Lafarge, Holcim, Michelin and Whirlpool and many more from 40 U.S. states and 28 countries. This indeed is the largest annual event on lubrication & reliability in the world. Throughout the event, great emphasis was given on the holistic approach towards lubricants, lubrication and reliability. The developing nations came together to embrace the idea of machine maintenance by improving the oil analysis regime. Various case studies and learning sessions by - Nissan, General motors, Nestle Purina and Ford Motor Company was a real time experience sharing platform by which many participants beneftted. The exhibit hall showcased a broad range of innovations by Luneta, Y2K Fluid Power, Pall Corp., Whitmore, TestOil, Generation Systems, SPM Instruments and MP Filtri. The keynote speaker, veteran NASA astronaut Dr. Tom Jones shared his valuable 11years of experiences. Overall it was a major learning to see the technological advancements in the feld of lubrication technology and an opportunity to make our people aware of them.

Thank you for the overwhelming response on out last edition cover story – “30 years without an oil change” – a case study on extending lubricant life. We have incorporated your valuable suggestions and included various articles in this edition which will be a helpful read.

We thank you all for the valuable feedback and suggestions, which we regularly receive and look forward to your continuing inputs on the quality of content and presentation. We would also like to thank our advertisers for their continued support.

Season’s greetings!

Warm regards,

Udey Dhir