ChevronTexaco Products Co. announced last month the launch of a website designed to offer online training about lubrication and maintenance. The website, LubricantsUniversity.com, is also being used as a platform to reintroduce Lubrication magazine.
ChevronTexaco said the training offered by the website will be aimed at the commercial, construction, mining and industrial segments of the lubes market. Currently, one course is available – Fundamentals of Lubrication – but the company said it plans to add others focusing on heavy duty and industrial lubricants, the latter including sections on hydraulics, greases, gear oils, bearing lubrication, oil analysis, storage and handling.
The courses include online testing, and users receive certificates after successful completion. ChevronTexaco said it plans to charge unspecified fees for the courses, although they are free at the moment.
ChevronTexaco is the second company in the past year tooffer online training for lubricant industry professionals, following Lubrizol Corp.s launch of K2M last year. Many in the industry say need for training has increased in recent years due to cutbacks of technical positions by major oil companies and at end users.
In addition to the course, the ChevronTexaco website posts articles, essays, tips and other content designed to keep visitors informed about market issues and business practices. It also includes a link to Lubrication, along-running industry magazine that was discontinued several years ago. Nearly 1,000 issues were published, beginning with its launch in 1911. The former incarnation was in hard copy only, but the new version is available only electronically – either at LubricantsUniversity.com or by e-mail. The premier issue features an article about the evolution of base oil technology.