ISO 14401

We are proud to announce that Summit Industrial Products, Inc. is one of the first companies in our industry to achieve ISO 14001 certification.  We are committed to protecting the environment, the health and safety of our employees, customers and the communities where we work and live.  We recognize that through integrating sound environmental health, and safety management practices into all aspects of our business we can offer innovative products and services while conserving and enhancing resources for future generations.  Summit has committed to take the appropriate measures necessary to obtain this vision.

Bearing Infomercial

Putting Lubricant Testing to the Test

If you're into late night infomercials, you may have seen an interesting gadget: a portable test apparatus that compares the load carrying characteristics of different oils.

Put simply, the test measures the effect of pressure placed on a lubricated rotating bearing. Although it's not a scientific procedure and could even be considered a gimmick, we concede that, if consistently administered, the test might be a fair indicator of the load carrying properties of the oil.

However, while loading carrying properties are an important consideration for some applications such as gear lubrication, it is not the primary concern for many others. In air compressor applications, for instance, the load carrying properties are of much less importance than oxidation stability, thermal stability, corrosion resistance, and water separation. To ignore these properties and make a lubricant decision based on one questionable demonstration would not be prudent.

Below are some key questions that should be asked of anyone promoting their product on the basis of one demonstration:

1. Is the test recognized by ASTM?
2. Are the samples certified to be exactly the same as represented on the container?
3. Are standard laboratory procedures used in conducting the test?
4. Is the test conducted in such a way as to ensure that bias could not affect the outcome?
5. What additives are used to achieve such remarkable results? (Note: sulfur- and chlorine- based additives can break down and react to form acidic compounds.)
6. Is the test a fair representation of the long term effects of using the oil in any given application?
7. How relevant is the test to the specified application of the oil? (Example:  How relevant is a load-carrying test for a lubricant designed for a rotary screw air compressor?)
8. What happens to the additive in the presence of heat? Oxygen? Water?
9. Will the anti-frictional effects of the additive be depleted before the expected life of the lubricant itself?
10. As the load-carrying additives are widely known and used for certain applications, why would they not be applied in all applications?

Perhaps most important is what the infomercials don't tell you. The additives which enhance the load carrying properties of a lubricant can promote corrosion as well as dramatically lessen a product's ability to deal with high temperatures and oxidation. Before you buy a product you see promoted through this demonstration, be sure to put their testing methods to the test.