The Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE), Mexican Petroleum (PEMEX), the National Commission of Energy Saving (CONAE) and the Energy Saving Trust (FIDE) are fundamental Mexican institutions for the industrial, economic and social development of Mexico. There are workers and officers who without spectacular attitudes and being in the limelight of mass media, daily work, carrying the institution in their hearts.
This time, we won’t speak about migrating birds who denigrate the profession, the position they hold and that trust relied on them in order to manage the nation’s assets which due to bad management have been very expensive for the people of Mexico.
Fortunately, in such institutions, there are admirable administrative officers and technicians, who are compromised, honest and brilliant professionals.
The mayor concern of these human institutions is to establish and keep programs working out in order to improve energy use. Today, more than ever “the alternative is energy saving”, this is one of the Mexican tribologists slogan.
The whole operation assets of the Federal Commission of Electricity and Mexican Petroleum is under the magnifying glass of their technicians, its mayor concern is plant maintenance and equipment due to the lack of economic resources, workers training and updating in regard to worldwide technological achievements.
Proper maintenance of transformation plants is now a priority. It is currently applied mostly for corrective-preventive maintenance, based on programmed plant shutdowns, that become very expensive. The operative energy efficiency, applied to production units, is the answer. Tribo Thermodynamics, which covers the science of tribology and thermodynamics are based in energy conservation laws.
It is important to disseminate before the industrial community of Mexico, the science of tribology, that studies wear through friction and its associate effects.
Beyond the traditional lubrication concept, it considers materials of surfaces in contact, the system lubrication technologies, the lubricant, the equipment’s design, material design, the environment and, in general, the operating conditions and industrial machinery conservation.
Tribology and lubrication engineering are a science and an art, it is an innovation in plant conservation, energy saving, productivity, equipment reliability, safety as well as environment conservation which arises as a planet priority.
There are talented and creative technicians in Mexico, it is just a matter of putting them in touch with new technologies that born in the scientific and technological world, with the purpose of rising plant profitability, improve energetic “triboefficiency”, increase the assets productivity both for the Federal Commission of Electricity and Mexican Petroleum, guarantee product quality, improve security levels, reduce polluting emissions, rationalize parts inventory and extend the productive cycle of their plants.
It is also necessary that legislative entities have common sense in order to approve laws that go in accordance with our reality, recognize those good government officers since their duties have a place in the nation’s life.


El Heraldo de México; as published in May 17, 2002, in México City.