43
Fuels & Lubes International Quarter Two 2016
monitoring all lubricants,”
he said.
Wurzbach also pointed
to work being done by
standards bodies, with this
helping in its own way as
much as advances in tech-
nology. For example, he
cited ASTM International’s
D7718 for in-service grease
sampling and D7918 for
in-service grease analysis
by die extrusion. Standards
D7685 and D7917 cover gas
turbine and gearbox sen-
sors, respectively, he said.
Together with advances in
monitoring and analysis
technology, such standards
mean that lubrication
shortcomings can be more
quickly discovered and
corrected.
They also enable better
field practices, such as
when and how often lu-
brication or re-lubrication
must be done. So, not only
will machinery be better
protected, its operation will
be more efficient and cost
effective as well, thanks to
better analytical tools and
techniques.
As for the future, ongo-
ing technology advances
will provide even more
benefits, Wurzbach said.
“Online sensors can fur-
ther improve the efficien-
cies of lubricant analysis
by monitoring in real time,
and designating for sam-
pling only those reservoirs
where changing conditions
dictate the need for the
sampling and laboratory
analysis of lubricant and
machine condition,” he
said.
A final group of respon-
dents mentioned external
factors and new business
models as being the great-
est lubricant innovation
in the last decade. This
might be, for example, an
integrated service concept
that includes advice and
maintenance, in addition to
lubricants sales. An alter-
native example could be
government regulations
which require greater ve-
hicle fuel efficiency, which
then spur improvements
in capabilities and perfor-
mance, and translate into
better lubricants.
A third example along
these same lines comes
from Thomas Norrby, se-
nior technical coordinator
of naphthenics at Nynas
AB in Stockholm, Sweden.
He noted that there has
been an ongoing substan-
tial reduction in vehicle
pollutants, with both NOx
and particulate matter
having both been cut
dramatically, with more
reductions on the horizon.
Behind such improve-
ments is a fundamental
change in how lubricants
and the engines they pro-
tect are viewed. The two
are no longer separate, but
instead are co-engineered
and evolve together.
“I would be referring to
the view of ‘the lubricant as
a machine element’ in its
own right; something that
is an integral part of the
design and which cannot
just be swapped for ‘anoth-
er oil’,” Norrby said.
He added, “Thus, hardly
my own original idea, but
something that I like to
teach and preach whenev-
er I get the chance.”
As can be seen, there are
many different views on
this subject. So, what is the
greatest lubricant inno-
vation of this decade? The
answer is somewhat like
the fable about the blind
men and the elephant. The
description of the elephant
from each of the blind men
was incomplete, but the
sum provided a total and
complete picture. So the
answer is perhaps all of
the above are collectively
the greatest lubricant
innovation of the last
decade.
Farrukh Jamal
Samer Akram
改变。这两者之间已不再是分开
的两件事，而已合二为一。
“我是指把‘润滑油视为机器的
一部分’自有其道理，它是设计中
不可或缺的一部分，不是可以随
便换的‘另一种油’，”Norrby说。
他还说：“这并不是我自己的原
创想法，但只要有机会我就会去
努力宣传的一种观点。”
可见，对于这个问题有许多不
同的观点。那么，什么才是这十年
中最伟大的创新呢？答案有点像
寓言故事《盲人摸象》。每个盲人
对大象的描述都是不全面的，但
汇总在一起可以给出一个全貌。
所以有可能综合上述所有观点才
是过去十年中润滑油领域的最伟
大创新。
