Justine Cherwink, PTL Lubrication Engineer, STLE CLS & OMAI, built a career on learning and implementing best use lubricant practices across all industries. We sat down with Justine to pick her brain and learn more about selecting the right lubricant for various applications along with some more details and benefits surrounding the Pilot Thomas Logistics flagship SPX brand.
Justine, thank you for taking the time to answer some of our questions, let's jump right in. First off, are all lubricants created equal?
A lot of lubricant and chemical products are made of very similar building blocks, but it is the minor variations in these building blocks that can have big effects on the function and performance. Making sure the appropriate formulations are applied is important for protecting equipment, and monitoring products can help optimize extended use of lubricants and chemicals.
With so many choices, how does one know they’re making the best decision?
Starting with reviewing publicly available information from manufacturers (like PDSs, SDSs, and whitepapers) will point you in the right direction towards selecting an appropriate lubricant. Most necessary information regarding basic makeup and industry and OEM specifications is available to customers on the internet. Going beyond this knowledge to more first-hand analytics of performance requires ongoing measurement using proper test methods to understand how your lubricant choice is optimal in your equipment.
What are some common misconceptions about heavy duty and personal car motor oils?
Commonly, in making purchasing decisions of any kind, we can perceive that the flashiest and most expensive product HAS to be the best from just those initial impressions. As I mentioned above, do your research and understand the equipment requirements and lubricant specifications before being swept up by unfounded claims and bold advertisement.
What’s the most effective way of comparing and contrasting different products?
The most effective way to compare products is by fair and consistent evaluation in your equipment under standard operating conditions and monitoring using appropriate test metrics. This is not always possible to do by the consumer, so manufacturers do their best to do some of this legwork upfront for us through case studies and field trials.
Tell us a little bit about SPX lubricants and what sets them apart from their industry peers?
SPX embodies the logic provided in all the answers above by utilizing quality building blocks, industry standard specifications, and continuous improvement through ongoing field testing to ensure the customer is getting the right lubricant or chemical product. SPX is striving to be proven as a trustworthy product by exhibiting performance in various markets including energy, commercial, industrial, and marine sectors. As more data is captured, better products and recommendations are made for our SPX customers.
Please visit SPX-USA.com or contact your PTL Sales Representative to learn more about its products.
