‘I am a tribologist’
Michael Anderson | TLT President's Report July 2017
Our careers start in the same place—but you never know where they’ll lead.
‘When I joined STLE I never dreamt that one day I would be president.’
MY NAME IS MICHAEL ANDERSON, AND I AM A TRIBOLOGIST!
What does it mean to be a tribologist? When I graduated from college in 1979 I had no intention of being a tribologist. Like most STLE members, I began my career and soon found that the work I was doing is known as tribology.
Today it is very different.
Universities now offer study programs and degrees in engineering with an emphasis on tribology. Through STEM programs, younger students are now being exposed to the principles of tribology and learning there are careers in this field. But most important, associations such as STLE and its outreach in education to the technical community has had a far-reaching influence in the promotion of tribology, helping to improve the lives of people around the world to move more smoothly, efficiently and safely.
As a young child, I had great interest in cars. During this period, I received my first lesson in tribology, and it was my dad showing me how to put some oil on the wheel hub of my ’53 Buick pedal car to reduce squeaking.
Later, as my knowledge and skills increased, I applied this to bigger and better hobbies.
In 1979 I began my professional career as a chemist, meeting my first mentor in lubrication, Steve Radasevich, who hired me at International Harvester Corp. testing lubricants and automotive chemicals. It was there that I was encouraged to attend the local Chicago Section ASLE meetings. For younger readers, this was the American Society of Lubrication Engineers, now known as STLE. In 1980 I joined ASLE and became active in the Chicago Section.
There was no looking back. I made many professional contacts, learned about lubrication and applications and had a lot fun doing it. Each successive career advancement resulted because of my association with ASLE and later STLE and the contacts I made. This journey has taken me to 27 countries spanning five continents.
During this time I met my second important mentor, Les Heerdt of Faville-Lavally Corp., now Falex Corp., and an STLE past president. Les asked me to participate in a local section workshop on tribology testing to describe one of the company’s tribology test instruments. A year later, 1984, he offered me a position at Falex to develop their laboratory test program.
During the next 33 years, I continued my career, now more focused on tribology principles and how they related to evaluating materials and lubricants to provide data that demonstrated their superior performance under increasingly more demanding conditions.
It was during my years at Falex that I met my third important mentor, Robert Voitik, an amazing engineer who would sleep with a notebook next to him and dream about solving tribological problems. He taught me a lot during my 25-year association and friendship with him.
The support and encouragement from these people to become active in STLE brings me to this day. When I joined STLE I never dreamt that one day I would be president. It means a lot to me and gives me great pride in representing you, the membership of STLE, and leading the society for the next year.
I have worked the past 20 years on the STLE Board of Directors and Executive Committee with some of the greatest people in the world. My professional growth would never have achieved this level without my association with these people, many of whom currently serve on the STLE board. Finally, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Falex for its continuous support through the years.
It is said that no man walks alone, so I say thank you for walking with me.
Mike Anderson is Area Manager Asia Pacific/Latin America for Falex Corp. in Sugar Grove, Ill. You can reach him at manderson@falex.com.