LSJR blends up a custom oil in the lab

[Foxtrot08]

Actually if you look at the webiste it says this. I don't see formulation and blending.

Here:

Exam Topics​

• Bearings
• Fluid Conditioning
• Fluid Power
• Gears
• Lubricant Analysis
• Lubricant Manufacturing
• Lubrication Fundamentals
• Lubrication Programs
• Metalworking
• Monitoring and Reducing Consumption of Lubricants
• Pneumatics
• Problem Solving
• Seals
• Solvents and Cleaners
• Storage, Handling and Application of Lubricants
• Transportation Lubricants

Not sure about you, but I’ve taken and passed the exam. And I was part of a small group that actually passed it the first time taking it.

 

[kschachn]

Here:

Exam Topics​

• Bearings
• Fluid Conditioning
• Fluid Power
• Gears
• Lubricant Analysis
• Lubricant Manufacturing
• Lubrication Fundamentals
• Lubrication Programs
• Metalworking
• Monitoring and Reducing Consumption of Lubricants
• Pneumatics
• Problem Solving
• Seals
• Solvents and Cleaners
• Storage, Handling and Application of Lubricants
• Transportation Lubricants

Not sure about you, but I’ve taken and passed the exam. And I was part of a small group that actually passed it the first time taking it.

Yeah still seems a bit short on blending and formulating.

 

[Foxtrot08]

Yeah still seems a bit short on blending and formulating.

“Lubricants manufacturing”

 

[kschachn]

“Lubricants manufacturing”

Okay does that mean the forecast of future properties based on formulation? Or does it mean a survey of how lubricants are manufactured?

As part of my minor I took a one semester class on Fuels and Lubricants which included a lab. The only real reason I even took it was because the chairman of the department wrote the book, and I was working for him as a lab assistant. I'm sure that class discussed "lubricants manufacturing" as well. It surely covered most of what you posted in your list. Am I qualified to "formulate and blend a custom oil in the lab" for someone?

 

[Hootbro]

So for $625 I too can become qualified to formulate and blend motor oils. AwAwesome.

Being qualified and being experienced would be two different things. You would be a entry level hire with someone like LSJr supervising your work.

 

[kschachn]

Being qualified and being experienced would be two different things. You would be a entry level hire with someone like LSJr supervising your work.

Really, so I would have a person with a bachelor's in Marketing as my technical supervisor to blend and formulate motor oils?

Is that how ExxonMobil deals with this?

 

[Foxtrot08]

Okay does that mean the forecast of future properties based on formulation? Or does it mean a survey of how lubricants are manufactured?

As part of my minor I took a one semester class on Fuels and Lubricants which included a lab. The only real reason I even took it was because the chairman of the department wrote the book, and I was working for him as a lab assistant. I'm sure that class discussed "lubricants manufacturing" as well. It surely covered most of what you posted in your list. Am I qualified to "formulate and blend a custom oil in the lab" for someone?

It’s both. What to expect out of the properties and how it’s done.

And to your second part, yes. You do not need to be a chemist, or chem-e to do blending if you have the institutional knowledge.

 

[kschachn]

It’s both. What to expect out of the properties and how it’s done.

And to your second part, yes. You do not need to be a chemist, or chem-e to do blending if you have the institutional knowledge.

Well for a mere $625 I missed out.

 

[rstcso]

Well for a mere $625 I missed out.

You can go to the SwRI conference in February for the low, low price of $999 and just go to the bathroom while LSJr is speaking.

 

[kschachn]

You can go to the SwRI conference in February for the low, low price of $999 and just go to the bathroom while LSJr is speaking.

But do I get the certification so I can blend and formulate oils? If not, I’m better off at $625.

 

[rstcso]

But do I get the certification so I can blend and formulate oils? If not, I’m better off at $625.

At the end of the day, each of us can be certified in all manner of things. Some are more marketable than others.

 

[Foxtrot08]

Well for a mere $625 I missed out.

A lot of people do it without even being part of STLE. Or part of ILMA.

Bathtub blenders are a thing. Buy some drums of base oil and additive. Have at it man. You can do it. Nothing is stopping you. Literally, nothing. You can make the next amsoil if you wanted to.

 

[Hootbro]

Really, so I would have a person with a bachelor's in Marketing as my technical supervisor to blend and formulate motor oils?

Why would you think your education with no experience would trump someone working the field with certification and experience for the last 15+ years put you ahead of them on your first day on the job?

 

[KEVINK0000]

Some of the dumbest people I have EVER known are degreed engineers, and also some of the smartest. I have found that the degree is one thing, but it still comes down to the individual and his/her personal traits. Some have seemed to have forgotten how to think--- new problems throw them completely-- because of their exclusive reliance on their training, I believe. One the smartest people I have known in my 57 years barely graduated HS, and could barely spell simple words. People of average intelligence thought him dumb. Those who were smarter than that saw his gift. Put a mechanical problem in front of him, even something he had never seen before, like a jet engine, and he would solve a problem so quickly it was almost uncanny. He was good with "life problems troubleshooting" also. Credentialism is a loser thought process in almost all cases in my view.

 

[rstcso]

I find land surveying fascinating, and have taken several classes at our local community college. Well over 200 years ago, calculations for measuring large areas are just as accurate as today's methods using GPS, total stations, and all the other whiz-bang methods available.

Twenty+ years ago when I was taking these courses, in the state of Texas, one of the requirements to become a Registered Professional Land Surveyor was having a bachelor's degree in anything, including the proverbial basket-weaving. I never finished getting mine, so was not eligible. Looking up the requirements today, this has changed significantly, where a high school diploma with four years of relevant experience qualifies you to take the exams for certification as a RPLS.

Too late for me now, but I'm glad Texas has come to the realization that having a degree doesn't mean you can do the job.

 

[kschachn]

A lot of people do it without even being part of STLE. Or part of ILMA.

Bathtub blenders are a thing. Buy some drums of base oil and additive. Have at it man. You can do it. Nothing is stopping you. Literally, nothing. You can make the next amsoil if you wanted to.

Why would you think your education with no experience would trump someone working the field with certification and experience for the last 15+ years put you ahead of them on your first day on the job?

Perhaps you all are right about this, I truly did not realize how low the bar was in this discussion. Much like drug formulation I thought "blending up a custom oil in the lab" was much more significant than it apparently is. Not being facetious here.

However it does remind me of a friend who sells dietary supplements. She has been in the business for many years and has quite a bit of experience, plus she takes (and pays for) the training courses the company offers. My conclusion is that what LSJr is doing is much the same when he is blending up this custom oil in the lab.

 

[Hootbro]

Credentialism is a loser thought process in almost all cases in my view.

There is a lot of ring knocking for the sake of ring knocking to justify themselves. I work in a pretty large Engineering department and would say easily 2/3 of the degree engineers are eclipsed on a daily basis by the Engineering Techs in day to day function. In today's environment, the engineering tools and references are available to all to solve most of the problems at hand.

We have one engineer that has been with the company 25+ years with a Masters Degree in Physics. Known her for close to 15+ years of that time and never once seen her manage a project or design anything and spends all day doing administrative document release work that is way below her education level. Ask her anything technical and she is a bumbling idiot. She learned to latch on to the DEI stuff to give her some level of protection from layoff when that happens from time to time.

The only advantage I see to the degree engineers is they have the ability to move on to other companies with like or adjacent product whereas the Engineering Techs are many times locked into the current company and their niche experience that may not transfer well.

 

[buster]

Perhaps you all are right about this, I truly did not realize how low the bar was in this discussion. Much like drug formulation I thought "blending up a custom oil in the lab" was much more significant than it apparently is. Not being facetious here.

However it does remind me of a friend who sells dietary supplements. She has been in the business for many years and has quite a bit of experience, plus she takes (and pays for) the training courses the company offers. My conclusion is that what LSJr is doing is much the same when he is blending up this custom oil in the lab.

It kind of seems like the work is mostly done for the blender (I'm guessing). I assume the add pack supplier has some general guidlines to follow.

All of the really deep, technical R&D work is done way before it gets to the blender. The blender is likely just putting the pieces together.

I'm genuinely curious though how they go about it. Prior to Amsoil getting their own lab they would just run your basic bench tests as proof of performance. They also would send things out to SWRI.

RL now has P66 facilities, Amsoil has their own lab, Mobil as well. Valvoline can run every ASTM Sequence engine test in-house.

 

[Foxtrot08]

It kind of seems like the work is mostly done for the blender (I'm guessing). I assume the add pack supplier has some general guidlines to follow.

All of the really deep, technical R&D work is done way before it gets to the blender. The blender is likely just putting the pieces together.

I'm genuinely curious though how they go about it. Prior to Amsoil getting their own lab they would just run your basic bench tests as proof of performance. They also would send things out to SWRI.

RL now has P66 facilities, Amsoil has their own lab, Mobil as well. Valvoline can run every ASTM Sequence engine test in-house.

Chevron has the biggest R&D labs out of all the majors. Also they have multiple.


Now, commercial blending - say you just wanted to make a Dexos 1 Gen 3 5w30 / SP oil or so forth. It’s like building legos. X of this, Y of that. Follow the instructions. Take a sample of it, run a finger print and ship it.

 

[Foxtrot08]

Perhaps you all are right about this, I truly did not realize how low the bar was in this discussion. Much like drug formulation I thought "blending up a custom oil in the lab" was much more significant than it apparently is. Not being facetious here.

However it does remind me of a friend who sells dietary supplements. She has been in the business for many years and has quite a bit of experience, plus she takes (and pays for) the training courses the company offers. My conclusion is that what LSJr is doing is much the same when he is blending up this custom oil in the lab.

Because you’re confusing additive development with blending.

Additive development and that actual chemistry is hard.

Once it gets to the actual blending phase, you’re playing with legos. Either you can follow the instructions. Or you can just start putting pieces together.

If you’re just putting pieces together, you might build something pretty cool if you know what you’re doing. Or, you might make a a lego puck that you step on at 2am and curse in world ending agony.

Or, you can follow the instructions and build a working crane.

The point is, the building blocks are already built for you. You’re not actually making the pieces. You’re just using them.

Blender jobs are very low paid positions. Even the “chemist” that runs the tests after the blend is made, are starting jobs. This isn’t R&D. Everything is providing for you. Swapping out an ExxonMobil base oil for Adnoc, then calling it “a custom oil” is like putting a sticker racing stripe on your car and calling it custom.