White Etch Cracking is a phenomenon that can affect many bearings, but is most commonly associated with wind turbine bearings. As a relatively "new" phenomenon, there were many mechanisms proposed including stray current, transient loads, and hydrogen embrittlement. But in order to study this failure mode, we first had to simulate it in the lab. This is the story of the multi-team research effort that went into understanding and eliminating WEC.

https://ingramtribology.com

Recruitment. It isn't easy for an industry that struggles for recognition. James Moorehouse from ABN Resources is an executive recruiter specializing in the lubricants industry; he was kind enough to sit down and share his thoughts on attracting talent, retaining talent, diversity and inclusion initiatives that go beyond just demographics and the challenges of an aging workforce.

For any business that plans to work into the next decade, this interview is for you!

When a new technology emerges, the lubricants industry must evolve to meet the specific challenges of the new operating paradigm. In the 1980's on of the biggest new applications was the wind turbine gearbox. In this episode Jim Carey, retired Mobil formulator, talks us through the evolution of these products and the formulation challenges as gearboxes became larger and more power dense.

One of the deficiencies of the lubrication industry has been its capacity to convey the value of the technology through meaningful stories. Laurie Winkless is here to change that; her new book (Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces) is an in-depth look at the science of tribology and surface science that weaves narratives of Olympic achievement, professional controversy and curiosity. It's a truly fascinating read and worthwhile for anyone in the industry - but most importantly Laurie shares some storytelling tips that we can use in our own work.

Ion exchange resin filter technologies have been around for a while, but have gained a lot of exposure through their capacity to remove molecules associated with varnish, particularly in turbomachinery systems. Peter Dufresne of EPT Clean oil helps shed light on these technologies and other strategies to use chemistry solutions to solve chemical problems in turbines. https://cleanoil.com

Inline sensors have been around for ages, yet they monitor very few lubricated components. This is in stark contrast to online vibration analysis, which has been commonplace for many years. Why the big difference? And what is the future of real-time oil analysis? I talk with Guillermo Miro from Atten2 about the world of online sensors. Atten2 website: http://atten2.com/

What exactly is the role of oil companies in motorsports? Seems like a trivial question, but their involvement can run much deeper than just slapping sticker on the side of a car or sponsoring a driver. Tomek Young - Global Motorsport Technology Manager at ExxonMobil, breaks down the relationship between race teams and their oil suppliers, and some of the specific things Mobil has been able to achieve in their programs.

Supply chains around the world are broken. But it definitely feels like the shortages in the lubricants world have been both more acute and more widespread. Rolling base oil, additive and finished lubricants shortages have affected many industries and there seems to be no end in sight. Lubricants supply chain expert Trevor Gaunlett gave us insight into both how we got caught wrong-footed, and what the medium-term outlook looks like for the market. If you'd like expert advice, check out Trevor's business page! https://www.gauntlettconsulting.co.uk

Erik Mosselaar from Distance and I discuss the digitalisation of expertise - how do you take expert decisions and bake them into algorithms? How do you make secure data available to a network of worldwide experts that can give you advice on maintenance activities? How do you tap into multiple data streams when the sensor technology is made by different OEMs? If you're interested in the Condence platform, check out the website: https://www.distence.fi

Blair Fraser from the Maintenance Disrupted podcast comes to talk about the state of the maintenance industry today, the most exciting technology he has been exposed to, and common threads which seem to enable success in the maintenance industry today. If you're not already already a regular listener, I encourage you to check out the podcast: https://www.maintenancedisrupted.com/podcast