Over 20 billion gallons of jet fuel and aviation gasoline fuel are consumed annually by American civil aircraft alone, according to a recent FAA Aerospace Forecast.¹

This number is expected to climb to just under 30 billion gallons by 2037. These volumes are astounding considering only a relatively small segment of the worldwide aerospace market is included in the forecast.

Proper lubrication of a mechanical system can make or break a design. Any application in which rubbing occurs requires lubrication to prevent excessive wear, heat buildup, seizing, and—in worst case scenarios—complete system failure. Lubrication concerns range from

Pistons in air compressors, steam engines, and vacuum pumps often utilize a pressure feed lubrication system using lube oil pumps. Failure of this lubrication system can have devastating effects on the piston’s operation, which is why proper lubrication in a piston assembly is an essential consideration when designing traditional pistons.

Imagine being tasked with designing a 50-foot heat treatment conveyor furnace to process material 16+ hours a day. This type of furnace can reach upwards of 2000°F and can easily have over a hundred rotating shafts, each of which requires regular maintenance.

Although there are many different types of power plants in use today, the basic premise of operation is consistent from plant to plant. Some type of energy source, such as natural gas, nuclear material, or coal, to name a few, is used to produce heat. That heat is then used to boil water and create pressurized steam. The high pressure steam then spins large turbines which utilize magnets and coils to produce electricity via Faraday’s law of induction. Through this process, a single power plant can power an entire city.