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About the Book
'The correct lubricant' is suitable for plant and fleet personnel at all levels, from artisans to engineers and managers, as well as for oil industry representatives and field engineers.
The book covers basic practical information about lubrication and lubricants.
Viscosity, the most important lubricant characteristic in both oils and greases, is covered first, together with viscosity index. Then some other important characteristics, followed by base oils including some synthetics, and finally the critical performance requirements for various applications.
The second part of the workshop deals with applications, starting with engine oils, then automotive gear and transmission oils, greases, industrial gear oils, circulating oils, compressor oils, hydraulic fluids, fire-resistant fluids, machine tool oils, oil cleanliness, storage and storage stability, finally briefly rust preventives and cutting fluids.
In addition to the essential requirements in each application, this part focuses on the difficult question: When is it advisable, or even necessary, to use synthetic lubricants?
The last part is included for people who use the book as a textbook. They will be challenged to find the correct lubricants to solve various practical problems. If they manage to complete this task, they will show that they have learned a great deal about lubricants.
To help the learners remember important aspects of each chapter, there are many questions and also three revisions in the text. The answers are at the end of the book and on our web page.
About the Author
Petr Vavruch, Pr Eng, Ing. (Prague), spent most of his working life with Mobil Oil and its successor (due to sanctions against apartheid South Africa) Engen.
He is a senior member of engineering societies in South Africa and, during his career at Engen, was also a member of STLE and presented two papers at STLE annual meetings.
After graduating from the Czech Technical University in Prague, he helped to design original automatic transmissions for road vehicles. In South Africa, he worked in the Chrysler car factory, designed instruments at the CSIR, and worked in the Mechanical Research Department of ESCOM.
At Mobil, Petr was a Field Engineer (Fuels & lubricants), Administrative Manager of Mobil Diesel Club and a Planning Engineer for automotive engine oils and other lubricants.
During the last 10 years at Engen, he was in charge of specifications and formulations of industrial and marine lubricating oils and specifications of base oils – also helping to solve production and field problems with these products.
Petr participated in or was in charge of a number of projects, e.g. new air compressor oils, synthetic lubricants, the universal diesel engine oil, a new range of engine oils, metalworking fluids, hydraulic fluids, industrial gear oils, open gear oils, turbine oils, marine engine oils and refrigeration oils.
He is now retired, has written a textbook for technical colleges and edited a number of 'Technology' textbooks for high schools. He lectures for The South African Institute of Tribology and works part-time at the University of Cape Town helping 3rd year students with mechanical design. Once a year, he is a moderator at the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of the University of Stellenbosch.