Please describe one valuable idea, technique, strategy, conversation, solution or piece of information you picked up at STLE’s 2011 Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
TLT Sounding Board July 2011
More than any other of its products or services, STLE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition combines the two benefits for which the society is best known—technical information and networking. As the answers to this month’s questions reveal, those who attended the 2011 meeting in Atlanta benefitted on both fronts. 94% of survey respondents rated the meeting’s information value as either excellent or good. 88% said the same thing about the event’s networking value. While the technical sessions, education courses and trade show remain the key elements of the meeting, STLE’s demographics mean that even something as simple as meeting someone over a cup of coffee can turn into a profitable business opportunity.
By attending various workshops, I gained a better understanding of all the cost elements of running metalworking fluids in a high-speed machining operation.
Details regarding regulations affecting MWFs (various technical sessions).
Learned more regarding the unusual properties of 60NiTi material and its potential for use as a rolling bearing material.
I learned about different base stock approaches for environmentally friendly fluids.
SCAQMD VOC determination method details from a technical session.
Information about water-soluble PAGs. There was a technical presentation that I missed, but I met the author later and he sent me a copy.
Networking at the president’s luncheon was valuable.
One piece of information I highly valued from the Advanced Lubrication 301 education course was a table of different additives used in various types of lubricants. As a new salesperson to this industry, it was helpful to know what I could promote or what my customers might need.
Synthetics 203: How the polar nature of lubricants, whether synthetic or mineral, impacts the lube’s ability to endure stresses and receive additive systems.
How would you rate the information value of STLE’s 2011 Annual Meeting & Exhibition?
Excellent
28%
Good
66%
Fair
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Based on responses sent to some 1,200 Annual Meeting attendees.
I gained a better understanding of the lubricant industry and the products available.
Showing actual samples in addition to the slides gives a better understanding of the subject at the education courses.
Grease session: discussion on requirements for grease testing rolling element bearings and discussion on influence on solid contaminants. Condition monitoring: study of colors of contamination. Power Generation: sizing of submicron particles.
Use of atomic force microscope to study coefficient of friction and surface modulus for soft contact lenses.
In the exhibition, I was able to identify a chemistry of value to my applications.
There was a technical paper on observing nanoparticles in contact.
The best idea I stumbled onto was using atomic force microscopy to evaluate tribofilms produced in a high frequency reciprocating rig.
Source: MWF Hot Topics. Information: E1868-10 test methodology, California VOC requirements and strategy.
Where did the ionic-liquid lubricant research go? I was surprised to find so few presentations about them. Does it mean ionic-liquid lubricants are not viable industrially?
I came to understand the close relationships of the members who have been with STLE for very long periods of time.
I learned that biobased lignin additives can be potentially used in grease with great EP, AW properties. Generally speaking, the grease education courses are the best for me.
The trade show allowed me to make contacts and obtain materials I had not been able to obtain otherwise.
Learned a lot about the VOC situation in Southern California at the MWF Hot Topics education course.
Renewable resource focus.
Learned much more about the history of ZDDP and friction modification.
How would you rate the networking value of STLE’s 2011 Annual Meeting & Exhibition?
Excellent
40%
Good
48%
Fair
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Based on responses sent to some 1,200 Annual Meeting attendees.
My most productive conversations were during the breaks in the mornings and afternoons. But the session on wind turbine tribology came in a close second.
Both courses I took provided me with valuable information that will help me going forward.
New techniques for used oil analysis from the technical sessions.
I attended the Basic MWF classes on Sunday and Wednesday. I also attended most of the Basic MWFs breakout sessions on Monday and Tuesday. I was very impressed with the conference. I have been working as a wastewater/environmental service tech /lab/coolant coordinator since 2002. I thought that this first conference I attended brought everything to perspective. When I left I understood more of the discussions that we have had in our company meetings due to the in-depth presentations I participated in at STLE.
Discovered more information on biolubes, which was one of the reasons I came to the meeting.
Superfinishing.
I found research in a technical session that helped explain the data that we were generating in our lab. Tremendously helpful and valuable!
There were several technical sessions I attended, and all had very good information.
Did you make at least one professional contact or new friend during the meeting?
Yes
95%
No
5%
Based on responses sent to some 1,200 Annual Meeting attendees.
I took the Basic Lubrication course and learned about opportunities to formulate low-friction greases with polyalkyleneglycols.
The information about oil-miscible PAG lubricants was the most important single thing about the conference to me. The main reason that I attended this year’s meeting was to learn as much as I could about them. Several technical sessions focused on this lubricant as did one of the exhibitors at the trade show. The information that was presented at the technical sessions and at the trade show was very interesting.
Found a potential new external bearing test house.
Several interesting things learned from the technical sessions.
Grease based on ionic liquid thickened with organo-modified clay.
The meeting confirmed my knowledge of synthetic lubricant applications.
Learned a lot and picked up many ideas. For example, in the Synthetic Lubricants 204 course there were a lot of good ideas for formulating an excellent compressor oil. This presentation was excellent!
Had many good conversations in the exhibit hall.
I learned in a technical session regarding details of the new California VOC metalworking test.
Regulatory chemistry and misconceptions related to certain chemistries have taken over our industry. Since relatively few end-users attend the annual meeting, we must be apostles educating others based on what we learn through STLE, in particular the health and safety technical sessions.
In the technical sessions and the exhibit area, I learned about new product lines that my company has been considering developing.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an e-mail survey of 15,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.