L.E.T.S.

L.E.T.S.

Acronyms are everywhere and are part of everyday life. L.E.T.S. is a very important acronym in the world of lubrication, as it describes the critical information needed to make a product recommendation for that application.

LOAD;

What are the load requirements? Is the load constant or is shock loading involved? Is the load light or heavy? This information is vital to the long-term performance of the recommended product.

ENVIRONMENT;

Is the equipment in a clean dust free environment or outside? Is the application exposed to the weather and the elements of nature? Does it operate in water, chemicals, dirt, rock, or other nasty environments? The wrong lubricant may fail to protect against these environments.

TEMPERATURE;

Not only is the temperature of the environment important, but the normal operating temperature. The equipment maybe located inside at a constant 70F (22C) but the operating temperature might be 200F (93C). The temperature the lubricant is exposed to is critical to lubricant life. Remember that for every 18F (10C) above 150F (65C) cuts the lubricant life in half.

SPEED;

The wrong lubricant in this situation will fail. Slow speeds and heavy loads need higher viscosities to maintain the protective lubricant film. A high viscosity oil at high speed will sling off. High speed equipment needs low viscosity lubricants and are generally lightly loaded.

Often we are asked “What is our offset to Product XYZ?”. There may be several options but the best one needs to be determined by “L.E.T.S.”. Remember that just because a customer is using a product doesn’t mean that it is working or is the best product for that application. By including “L.E.T.S.” information we can give you a recommendation that is best for that application.

Contact us for more information and let us advise you on what is best for your equipment!

Source: SWEPCO