Plans underway for big lubrication conference in toronto

If you’re involved with lubrication, plan to join about 1,500 tribology and lubrication professionals representing 50 industries from around the world at the 2004 Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers (STLE) Annual Meeting & Exhibition, May 17-20, 2004, at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto.

The meeting offers one of the premier educational experiences available anywhere for tribologists, lubrication engineers, researchers, educators, technicians, lubricators, students and just about anyone who is involved in the world of lubrication. The participants will be from corporate research and development, marketing and sales, manufacturing, academia, and government. This attendance profile makes the STLE annual meeting a business and professional networking opportunity.

The conference, the first in Canada since 1986, is being organized by members of STLE’s Toronto and Hamilton sections, who have teamed up to produce a networking and social program as well as tours and activities for spouses.

STLE 2004 will have about 200 technical and practical presentations. The topics will range from advanced calculations for bearing design to the proper application of the right lubricants to keep them running, condition monitoring, metalworking, power generation, steel, aerospace, bearings, grease, hydraulics, engine and drivetrain, and more.

Education courses will be more practical and applications-based this year, and students can earn competency certificates for completing course requirements.

For 2004, the Education Courses will include: Basic Lubrication (2 days) – Introduction to lubrication; Advanced Lubrication (1 day) – In-depth look at tribology, friction and wear; Synthetic Lubricants (1 day) – Chemistries focused on improved performance; Automotive Tribology and Lubrication (1 day) – Developing issues and trends facing the automotive industry; Condition Monitoring (1 day) – Techniques for equipment longevity; Hydraulic Systems (1 day) – Maintenance strategies for equipment components; and Metalworking (2 days) – Technologies for improved metal machining.

Registration fees for the conference will remain the same as 2003, and a one-day registration fee option will be added. The Sheraton Centre has promised money-saving discounts and special offers for people who book their sleeping rooms at the headquarters hotel.

The meeting will also present an expanded exhibit program with more than 80 companies and organizations presenting the latest in products and services for the lubrication professional.

Registration for the annual meeting entitles you to attend the technical sessions, a welcoming party on Monday evening (May 17), the exhibits Monday through Wednesday, the president’s luncheon on Tuesday, and all other sponsored events.

Annual meeting and education course registrations will include a ticket to the president’s luncheon.

A detailed program and registration information will be posted on the STLE website at www.stle.org and the Toronto section website at www.geocities.com/tostle. To request registration materials or more information, call 847-825-5536 or e-mail information@stle.org. For exhibit space or expanded sponsorship opportunities, contact Tracy Nicholas at 630-922-3459 or tnicholas@stle.org.