Nye Lubeletter - January 2001
Nye Revs Up Application Testing Services: Seeks New Partnerships
Nye Lubricants is seeking new opportunities to work closely with customers to qualify custom lubricants for challenging applications. "A value we bring, particularly in the automotive industry, is our ability and willingness to roll up our sleeves and work with design engineers to formulate lubricants that solve problems," Nye president George Mock said. Where we can really set ourselves apart is by sharing the test burden, and coming up with pre-qualified candidates. This shortens the design cycle and saves customers money and warranty costs down the road.
Nye Revs Up Application Testing Services: Capabilities to Pre-Qualify Switch Lubricants Keep Expanding
Nye recently purchased a proprietary test stand to help gather data a Tier One supplier needs to satisfy OEM requirements. The test is a critical part of the design process because the force required to operate a switch is specified by the OEM and is directly related to the type of lubricant on the detents. Nye already has its next switch tester on the drawing boards, one that will test switch lubricants before the customer develops a prototype.
Nye Revs Up Application Testing Services: In Search of The Perfect Ball Joint Grease
Sometimes ball joints swivel smoothly and quietly for years in spite of salt water, road grime, and thousands of miles of jarring jolts. Sometimes they don’t. Last summer alone, two OEMs issued recalls for ball joint problems. According to Nye’s national sales manager Brian Holley, "Every ball joint manufacturer we’ve contacted in the past year has said, ‘Please help.’
New Higher-Temp Ester Greases
Rheolube 716HT, the first of a new generation of ester greases, contains a proprietary antioxidant that pushes the grease’s upper temperature limit to 175°C, 25 degrees higher than traditional ester greases. 716HT is fortified to reduce noise and wear and contains a UV-tracer to facilitate inspection during production. It can provide a very economical and more robust alternative to perfluoropolyether greases, which used to be the only option for temperatures in excess of 150°C for an extended period.
Nye Welcomes Leah to "Major League" 
When Leah Karibian moved from a position as account manager for Coca Cola Bottling Company of Michigan to John McCarthy and Associates, where she sold adhesives and woven fabric to DaimlerChrysler and several automotive suppliers, she said she knew she had moved "from the minor to the major leagues." Leah joined Nye’s team as its fifth automotive engineering manager in March, and her familiarity with auto interiors makes her a natural with First Tier OEM interior accounts.
New Grease For Pedal Positioning Systems 
Every new mechanical device deserves its own grease. Some, like adjustable pedal systems, a new technology that earned Teleflex Automotive Group a PACE Award, deserve two. Adjustable pedal systems, powered by a single electric motor, typically travel about three inches along a shaft from a full-forward to a full-back position. The shaft as well as a spring, which returns the pedal to zero position, require a grease to prevent wear and ensure smooth, quiet performance across broad temperatures for the life of the device.
