Letter from the President, October 2024

October 16, 2024

To our valued NES customers and associates,

As the fall weather moves into Western New York, the lush green leaves of summer on our surrounding mountain range give way to vibrant colors.

This is a clear reminder that temperatures are changing. In October, we experience the broadest temperature swings throughout the day.  We joke that our HVAC systems are wondering who’s playing with the thermostat! It’s at or below freezing in the morning and we’re calling for heat but by mid-afternoon mid-70s temperatures require cooling. As the sun sets, the temperature plumets and the process starts all over again. You find out quickly how well the system handles these temperature excursions.    

This month’s feature article discusses heat imbalance failure and how we need to be mindful of designing in sufficient heat dissipation capability into the overall bearing system as smaller bearing sizes are used and lubricant delivery is changed to support ever increasing application demands. Failure might not be the bearing’s fault.

I recently gave a presentation about NES to our local over-60 community group; the community that I grew up in. I recognized many of the faces in the crowd. They were neighbors, former business owners and parents of kids I went to school with. I remember seeing those same faces in the crowd while I played sports. They supported me as a young kid, engineer, business owner and neighbor. At NES, we’re as passionate about supporting and raising up our co-workers and local kids as we are about bearings. You’ll see how we’re doing that this month.

Our youth represent the future, and we accept our role in their development! 

Stay cool,

Chris Napoleon

President and Chief Engineer

Napoleon Engineering Services