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Someone asked me not long ago if I still kept up with ILMA news. Does the IRS collect taxes? Is an icy road slippery?
Do hardware stores sell nails? Well, I think you get my drift. Yes, indeed, ILMA continues to keep me well-informed of all industry news, alerts, issues, regulatory developments, etc.
For example, on February 12, 2014, as I read through my emails, in addition to receiving a friendly reminder (gentle elbow) from my Compoundings editor about the due date for the next “The White Paper” column, I saw an ILMA message that announced the
Auburn University Tribology Program (Program). Now, it could have been my morning cup of caffeine-laced coffee that caused my brain cells to suddenly spark with excitement. However, what really piqued my interest was news about the creation of a new engineering program (first of its kind in the U.S.) at a major university to deal with the subjects of tribology and industrial lubricants. My first thought was that this groundbreaking degree program definitely fills a void in engineering education!
In my eagerness to get more information on the Auburn University (AU) program, I started double-clicking on pertinent AU website links to get more information, and learned that through the program “…Students will gain an understanding of common mechanical systems and applications that rely heavily on satisfactory tribological performance… They will get an inside look at the industry through tours of local manufacturing facilities and guest lectures from field experts and will gain hands-on experience with industry standard devices and equipment through laboratory sections and research (my emphasis).”1
The program’s curriculum is challenging and the “research” component is especially laudable, since research is so important in ensuring the viability and sustainability of industries. Also, it was good to see that ILMA, along with the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) and Advanced Machine Reliability
An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Auburn University’s Tribology ProgramEugene M. White, Ph.D., M.S., CMFS©2014 By The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association. Published With Permission From Compoundings, Vol. 64 No. 4, April 2014.
Compoundings April 2014 • 56 • Vol. 64 No. 4
THE WHITE PAPER THE WHITE PAPER
www.PrimeLLP.com
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One thing is for sure, graduates of the
Program will have a firm foundation in industrial lubricant products and
their theoretical and practical applications.
Compoundings April 2014 • 57 • Vol. 64 No. 4
THE WHITE PAPER
Resources, Inc. (AMRRI) were sponsors of an industry open house held on the Auburn University campus on March 20.
The AU Program is obviously a fantastic training opportunity for students to become engineers schooled in tribology and industrial lubricants, and it can deeply influence its graduates in many ways. For instance, some graduates of the Program may eventually apply for positions with ILMA member companies. (Can you imagine receiving a resume from one of these well-qualified graduates? Hired!) Others may become local, state or federal regulators or even Congressional policy makers who really understand the industrial lubricants business.
Perhaps some graduates will become engineers at companies that manufacture or utilize industrial lubricant products. And let’s not forget opportunities that graduates of AU’s program may find in the fields of occupational health and safety. I proffer that students who are academically trained in tribological subjects will give issues affecting industrial lubricant products more balanced consideration that will benefit both machining technology and machinists.
According to the AU Tribology Program Director and engineering faculty member, Dr. Robert Jackson, “…As a mechanical engineer who became interested in tribology during my senior year of college, I recognized that there are few individuals who have been formally exposed to the full multidisciplinary spectrum of the field — from chemistry to mechanical to materials to business… With the creation of what we believe is the first undergraduate minor in tribology, we are providing students with an academic structure to bridge between these diverse fields.”1
For readers who may be having a “where’s the beef?” moment, consider another description of the Program that says “…Students will also understand the chemical formulation and operating mechanisms of lubricants and additives, as well as be familiar with a number of common mechanical systems and applications which rely heavily on adequate tribological performance.”2 One thing is for sure, graduates of the Program will have a firm foundation in industrial lubricant products and their theoretical and practical applications.
You may recall “The White Paper” column in which I related my own student experience when I had a total of 1 (ONE) two-hour lecture on the subject of metalworking fluids which, subsequently, had a positive influence on my career.3 It makes me envious to think about the fact that AU is offering an opportunity for their engineering students to actually minor in tribology and learn about industrial lubricants from experts.
Let’s hope that other university engineering departments across the country will follow the example of the Auburn University Tribology Program, because it is an idea whose time has come.
1 http://wireeagle.auburn.edu/news/4376
2 http://eng.auburn.edu/programs/tribology/curriculum.html
3 White, E.M. 2011. “My Blind Date with Metalworking Fluids,”
Compoundings, The White Paper, Vol. 61, No. 10, pp. 21-22, 2011.
White is a former industry EH&S manager and federal research scientist, and chaired ILMA’s Safety, Health, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Committee (SHERA) from 2005 to 2007. He may be reached at [email protected].
